Founders nominated for entrepreneurial award
Ernst & Young organizes the annual EY Entrepreneur of the Year award. It is a worldwide award aimed at highlighting and celebrating entrepreneurs. This year, the founders of Interim Search, Stefan Granqvist and Wictor Bonde, are candidates to take home the coveted prize.
Stefan Granqvist and Wictor Bonde founded Interim Search in 2012. After many years in the recruitment industry, they saw a growing need for interim consultants at the same time as they lacked pure interim suppliers in the market. With a vision to become the largest in Sweden in interim management they quit their jobs and founded Interim Search AB.
Stefan Granqvist describes the initial period as challenging and highlights stubbornness as a clear driving force.
- When we started the company, we had decided to become the best at interim management. Both Wictor and I had business contacts reaching out to us for help in recruiting permanent roles, and despite being in worn out suits and with no revenue, we have always maintained our focus on filling only interim roles. As they say: focus, focus, focus - that's a big part of the success.
The fact that Stefan and Wictor were true to their vision early on proved to be a success factor. Today, Interim Search is the leading interim management company in Sweden and its turnover has grown from SEK 0 to 150 million in six years. In addition, the company, which today has 17 internal employees and employs about 100 people, has been awarded as a Super Company and Gazelle Company several years in a row.
In January 2020, the prize shelf can be expanded as Wictor and Stefan are candidates to win Ernst & Young's coveted entrepreneurial award EY Entrepreneur of the Year. The criteria are set based on, among other things, growth ambitions, economic development, strategic focus and innovation.
- It feels incredibly cool to be here when you look back at the start in 2012. We've always had each other, but the role of entrepreneur is still incredibly demanding and sometimes insecure. We have always believed in our business idea and I think that is a big part of why we have succeeded. We are very humbled to be candidates for this award and to be able to inspire the entrepreneurs of tomorrow, Stefan concludes.
More information about the award can be found at Ernst & Young.
