Morakniv, creator of Swedish knives since 1891, announced the hiring of Johan Burtus as CEO, as it celebrates its 130th Anniversary.
Burtus has spent a significant part of his career abroad, including in Poland, Finland and China. For several years, he ran his own consulting business and has helped clients, mainly in Asia, with leadership and team development. He has also spearheaded projects to improve turnaround and has established and liquidated companies and manufacturing facilities.
Burtus comes to Morakniv from a position as CEO of Willab AB, a privately-owned company active in agriculture, animal health and equestrian sports.
“I am happy for the trust the board shows me, and it will be extremely fun and exciting, but also challenging, to return to Mora to become CEO of Morakniv,” said Burtus. “It has been over two decades since I left Mora to study and pursue a career elsewhere. Now, however, I feel that it is time to return home and give something back to the area where I grew up.”
“With Johan, Morakniv’s journey into the world will continue at an even higher pace than before,” said Pierre Bengtsson, Chairman of the board, Morakniv. Burtus said he is aware of the challenges that lay ahead but confident in his expertise, which will prove crucial in guiding Morakniv through its 130th year and beyond.
“We have a challenging journey ahead of us, with expectations of continued growth, increased momentum in our international expansion and sustainable profitability,” Burtus said. “Here, I bring important experiences from international trade, streamlining of manufacturing and logistics, brand building and positioning. I also bring with me important lessons from different leadership situations around the world in our quest to be Mora’s most attractive employers.”
This year, in celebration of its 130th year, Morakniv announced a limited run of an anniversary edition of its Mora 2000 knife, which celebrates 30 years in 2021. Each knife in the collection will be engraved with the years 1891-2021 and only produced this year.
Photo courtesy Morakniv/Johan Burtus
