
“Edukatus should be a company that employees are proud of.”
September 24, 2024
Edukatus's chairman Fredrik Geijer believes that his and the board's responsibility is not only towards the owners. "We also have a responsibility towards everyone who relies on us -- preschool children and their guardians, students, and adult learners. They should not only receive the education they are legally entitled to. Edukatus should strive to be better than that," he said.
Edukatus chairman Fredrik Geijer took office in May 2024, shortly after Edukatus changed ownership.
He has experience both from the Swedish Armed Forces and various municipalities, including serving as municipal director in Trelleborg and Halmstad. From these roles, he brings a strong conviction that a successful organisation is built on trust between people and a culture where everyone takes responsibility toward a common goal.
“The importance of trust is something I carry with me from the military. There, you must trust that your colleague has your back, literally. This has shaped my belief that trust is a prerequisite for successful collaboration between people.”
The importance of organisational culture for success also became very clear during his years in leadership positions in various municipalities.
“Municipalities are among the most complex organisations to lead. In my experience, it doesn’t really matter how the boxes in an organisational chart are structured—an organisation’s efficiency and success always come down to how the culture functions and how well everyone understands their contribution to the common goal.
“The right organisational culture, together with clear directives, goals, and expectations from the board, helps guide the direction of all activities within an organisation. This is something everyone in the organisation needs to support and take responsibility for” said Fredrik Geijer. To make this possible, there must be clear communication, where everyone understands the common goal and what is expected, from the overarching level down to the individual level.
“Having a common foundation is important. However, it’s clear that each individual preschool, school, or adult education programme has its own unique conditions, and based on those, they must determine what is most important for them specifically.
Employee well-being and engagement are important issues for Fredrik Geijer.
“I want Edukatus to offer workplaces that employees are proud of. Just as our students should have a safe and secure learning environment, our employees should also have a safe and secure working environment.”
Here and now, Edukatus’s primary focus is on improving the quality of the units facing significant challenges.
“We will strengthen our core operations, meaning we will provide high-quality education everywhere. We aim to be an organisation that inspires trust and seriousness.”
In the long term, Fredrik Geijer has significantly higher ambitions for Edukatus: we aim to be “state of the art” in the education sector, with a level of quality that would allow us to establish ourselves internationally.
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