Curt Nicolin

Curt René Nicolin (10 March 1921 – 8 September 2006) was a Swedish businessman. He served as the chairman of ASEA and the Swedish Employers Association.

Early life Nicolin was born on 10 March 1921 in Stockholm, Sweden, the son of Felix Nicolin and his wife Anna Lisa (née Rehné). He passed studentexamen at Sigtunaskolan Humanistiska Läroverket in 1941 and graduated from the Royal Institute of Technology in 1945.

Career Nicolin was recruited by the Wallenberg family as an engineer at Svenska Turbinfabriks AB Ljungström (STAL) in Finspång the same year, to lead the development of a Swedish jet engine. He got acquainted with Fredrik Ljungström, thanks to whom he debuted at the Nobel Banquet, and for whom he later authored an obituary.

Nicolin became vice CEO and technical manager there in 1953. Nicolin was CEO of STAL from 1955 to 1959 and of Turbin AB de Laval Ljungström from 1959 to 1961. Back at ASEA he took the task of decentralizing the hierarchically-built old engineering company and dividing it into divisions. It was during a period when the new semiconductor technique increased in importance. At ASEA together with the new CEO since 1980, Percy Barnevik, Nicolin participated in the preparations for the big merger with the Swiss Brown, Boveri & Cie.

Honours Member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences (1955) Technology Honorary Doctorate, Royal Institute of Technology (1974) Member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences (1985) First honorary member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences (1989) Honorary Doctor of Business, Stockholm School of Economics (1991)