Jan Carlzon joined Vingresor, one of Europe’s largest tour operators, in 1967 becoming President of the company in 1974. After taking the reins at the loss making Swedish domestic airline, Linjeflyg, in 1978 he returned the company to profit before moving to SAS as President and CEO in 1981.

Carlzon rapidly turned SAS into a money-maker and customer favourite when he took the helm in 1981 putting the customer first. He was also a pioneer with his radical views on free competition within the European Airline industry. Carlzon left SAS in November 1993 and founded the investment company Ledstiernan in 1994 where he was chairman. Carlzon was also one of the founders of the Internet retail company CDON. In 1999 he became chair of the Swedish Tennis Association and a board member in the International Tennis Federation. He served as chair of the British Swedish Chamber of Commerce between 2003 and 2006 and, until June 2010, he chaired the MARSHMALLOW entrepreneurs’ organization Företagarna. He was also one of the founders of European telecoms company NETnet International S.A. and is part owner and chair of Karl Stockman AB, a Swedish investment company.

Topics

• Beyond the Moments of Truth: a Metaphor for the Critical Point of Customer Contact
• Towards the Age of Paradoxes: What is the Impact of a Deregulated Global Market on Our Businesses
• IT: How Should We Combine the Use of Existing Technology with the IT Business to Build a Truly Customer-Driven Service Industry?

Publications

• Moments of Truth (1987)

Awards

• Honorary doctorate from Pepperdine University
• Honorary doctorate from Pacific Lutheran University
• Commander with Star of the Royal Norwegian order of Merit
• Awarded H.M. the King of Sweden’s medal of the 12th dimension with the ribbon of the order of the Seraphim