Gärsnäs is now upgrading its financial strength and knowledge. In May, Therese van Berlekom started as finance manager/CFO. “It’s great and a tremendous responsibility. There’s a lot to do and the potential is enormous,” she says. Right now, work has commenced on the webshop with a scheduled launch in November. Many things to think about; much needs to be correct and functional from the start. She has visited the factory in Gärsnäs, was given a foundation course in furniture production and met Boel Nilsson, our on-site accounting clerk. “We think alike, she and I. We are very precise, both of us.” Therese will work from the Stockholm office but will try to visit the factory once a month. That means some train travel in the near future.
Therese has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Linnaeus University in Kalmar. She worked at a bank in Stockholm and then an accounting firm in Bromma for almost five years. After that, she managed the finances for start-up tech company Flowbox. Coming to Gärsnäs was like coming home. She is already part of the family, as she is together with Gustav Klockby, son of Anna and Dag Klockby, the owners of Gärsnäs. “Gärsnäs has been with me ever since I met him five years ago. We bought Madonna chairs, a Tak table, a Day office chair.” Therese has now taken a deep dive into the Gärsnäs catalogue and was fascinated by the stories behind the furniture and the names. “I could have examined the collections for days and heard about all the fantastic projects that Gärsnäs has been involved in.” She appreciates the craftsmanship and that the company works with the environment in mind. “It is good for our future and something I can really support.” It is exciting how circular reuse is growing. “It’s delightful when I enter some place, the Swedish tax agency or a restaurant, and see Gärsnäs furniture. Then it feels like home.”
Welcome, Therese!