A new sales manager and a changed role for the marketing manager are two steps that new CEO Sara Johansson has taken to create a team that will better meet the group's needs.
– Our idea is that teamwork increases productivity and that we as a team perform better together than we do individually, she says.

In mid-March, Sara Johansson stepped in as CEO of Blå Huset in Umeå. The group includes award-winning businesses such as Stora Hotellet, U&Me Hotel, P5 Event and conference facilities, Sävargården, Gotthards Krog and Fika. At the time, she described the major challenges that the industry in general, but also Umeå's tourism industry, faced after the waning pandemic

– Our industry has had a few tough years. Now it is important that we move forward and tackle everything that has been downgraded and put on hold during the pandemic. The recruitment of a sales manager is one such step and it is with great pleasure that we can now announce that Sophie Jakobsson has accepted to take on this important role in our group, says Sara Johansson.

Sophie Jakobsson, who recently took office, most recently came from a position as business coordinator at Nordmaling Municipality, but for most people she will probably be recognized as a former department store manager at Åhléns in Umeå.

– I think it feels incredibly stimulating to become part of Blå Huset. We have already started working to develop our offering and despite the economic situation, we are very optimistic about the future. We have a good booking situation now and also for the whole of 2023, which feels like a great security, says Sophie Jakobsson.

The current situation is partly an effect of a clearer role for the group's marketing and events manager Oscar Lundkvist Sund. He describes that there is now a clearer focus on business benefit in their efforts. 

– We have strived to become clearer and more efficient in our sales and marketing efforts and this has had an effect. After a strong summer, we are now continuing to show good results in the autumn. It really feels like we have air under our wings, he says.

Sara Johansson sees great opportunities for the team and highlights the duo's different, yet similar, characteristics as an explanation.

– Both have a background from industries with a strong focus on the guest or customer. After her years at Åhléns, Sophie has a great understanding and a great focus on how we take care of our guests in all our operations. In addition to his long restaurant experience, Oscar also has an ability to find synergies that often result in sustainable and rewarding collaborations.

The idea is for the three of them to work closely and unprestigeously together, something that Sophie Jakobsson believes could be a recipe for success for the group.

– Together we have a very broad experience and have all the conditions to continue developing the business together with our colleagues so that we can become even better – for all our guests, she says and concludes;

– Now we are going full throttle into next year together with our customers and guests. It will be an exciting year with lots of our own projects, events and news that we at Blå Huset hope to be able to release more information about soon.

According to the press release.