Birgitte Bonnesen

Birgitte Bonnesen (born 18 May 1956) is a Danish-Swedish former business executive. She was the chief executive officer (CEO) of Swedbank from 2016 to 2019 and was chairperson of the Swedish Bankers' Association from 2017 to 2019.

Early life and education Birgitte Bonnesen is the daughter of merchant Sven Bonnesen and entrepreneur Birte Bonnesen. She grew up in Jutland, Denmark. From 1979 to 1985, she studied economics, English, and French at Aarhus University, earning a master's degree in 1985.

Career She moved to Sweden in 1987 and began working at Första Sparbanken (First Savings Bank), which later became Swedbank. From 2009 to 2011, she was head of the bank's internal audit. Between 2011 and 2014, she was head of Swedbank's operations in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. In 2015, she became head of the bank's Swedish operations. She served as CEO of Swedbank from 2016 to 2019.

Departure in 2019 and legal aftermath In the autumn of 2018, Bonnesen assured that Swedbank did not have foreign customers in the Baltics who merely transferred money through the bank. However, following an investigative report by the Swedish television program Uppdrag granskning on 20 February 2019, which examined Swedbank's Baltic customers during previous years, Bonnesen's earlier statements were questioned,

She also left her position as chairperson of the Swedish Bankers' Association

On 23 March 2020, Swedbank announced that its board had decided to unilaterally revoke Bonnesen's severance agreement. According to the bank's annual report, she was to receive severance pay of 18 months' salary, approximately 21.5 million SEK. This was the first time a former CEO of one of the Swedish major banks was indicted for crimes committed in office. The prosecutor requested a two-year prison sentence during the district court proceedings, but on 25 January 2023, Bonnesen was acquitted on all charges by the Stockholm District Court.

The verdict was appealed, and on 10 September 2024, the Svea Court of Appeal sentenced Bonnesen to one year and three months in prison for gross fraud. She was acquitted of the charges in other parts.