Pehr G. Gyllenhammar

Pehr Gustaf Gyllenhammar (28 April 1935 – 21 November 2024) was a Swedish businessman. He is mainly known for his 24 years as CEO and chairman of Volvo between 1970 and 1994. In the early 1980s he took the initiative for the European Round Table of Industrialists (ERT).

Gyllenhammar listed his position at the time of his death as Vice Chairman of Rothschild Europe. Gyllenhammar was made Commander of the "Ordre National du Mérite" in France in 1980 and he was made Commander of the Legion of Honour in France in 1987. Gyllenhammar became an Honorary Master of the Bench of the Inner Temple, London in 2001.

Early life and education Gyllenhammar was born on 28 April 1935 in Gothenburg, Sweden, the son of Pehr Gyllenhammar Sr., a Swedish business man of the Swedish noble family Gyllenhammar, and his Jewish mother, Aina (née Kaplan). He did his military service at Bohuslän Regiment (I 17) in Uddevalla from 1954 to 1955 and became a sergeant. Gyllenhammar graduated from Lund University with a degree in law in 1959 and was an assistant lawyer at the law firm Mannheimer & Zetterlöf in Gothenburg in 1959 and at Haight, Gardner, Poor & Havens in New York City in 1960.

Gyllenhammar studied maritime law in the United States and then aspects of Industrialism at the Centre d'Etudes Industrielles in Geneva, Switzerland in 1968.

Career Gyllenhammar joined in Gothenburg in 1960 and became a director there in 1962. In 1963, he was appointed director at Återförsäkring AB Amphion-/Equitas. He went on to serve as assistant administrative manager within the Skandia Group in 1965 and became head of corporate planning for the group in 1966.

He was also a board member of Philips Electronics NV in Eindhoven from 1990 to 1995, Régie Nationale des Usines Renault SA in Paris from 1990 to 1993 and well as chairman of Procordia from 1990 to 1992. Gyllenhammar was board member of Polygram NV from 1996 and became chairman of the board of Commercial Union PLC in 1998 and senior advisor of Lazard Frères & Co LLC in New York City in 1996. He was also a member of the International Advisory Committee of Chase Manhattan Bank 1972–1995.

Majid Al Futtaim Group, a major business chain in the United Arab Emirates, listed Mr Gyllenhammar as its chairman from June 2007 until March 2009.

Political views Gyllenhammar was an outspoken supporter of the Liberal People's Party. In his 1973 book I Believe in Sweden (Jag tror på Sverige) he was steadfast in his support for the Scandinavian model and argued for the kind social liberalism the Liberal People's Party used to support. Gyllenhammar served on the Party board and was widely considered as a future leader of the party. At times, he revealed an ambition to become Prime Minister of Sweden.

Personal life and death Gyllenhammar was married 1959–2008 to Christina Engellau (1936–2008),

Awards and decorations

Swedish 50px H. M. The King's Medal, 12th size gold (silver-gilt) medal worn around the neck on the Order of the Seraphim ribbon (1981)

Foreign

Honorary member of Gothenburg nation at Lund University (1975) Honorary Doctor of Medicine of the University of Gothenburg (1981) Honorary Master of the Bench of the Inner Temple in London (2001)