Qarlbo names Blenda Lagerkvist Chief HR Officer

Qarlbo has named Blenda Lagerkvist Chief HR Officer, effective May 2026, bringing in a senior HR leader with more than 20 years of experience in building high-performance organizations with strong cultures, leadership, and talent strategies. Most recently, she was at Aira, where she helped build the company’s HR function from the ground up as one of its first employees. Blenda has also held senior HR roles at Verdane and Ratos and has extensive experience in executive search.

In Blenda’s new role, she will be responsible for developing Qarlbo’s HR work across areas including recruitment, compensation, and performance evaluation.

“Blenda’s experience from both executive search firms and a family-owned investment company is a highly valuable combination at this stage in our development. Qarlbo is growing and evolving, both in terms of headcount and through the addition of new specialist roles. Her expertise in recruitment, compensation matters, and evaluating the performance of boards and executive management teams will be key as we continue to define our organization, our leadership, and our culture. The fact that Blenda also speaks Italian is an additional asset when it comes to our operations in Tuscany,” says Per-Arne Blomquist, CEO of Qarlbo.

“I was ultimately enticed by Qarlbo’s holistic approach — the mission, the breadth, and the shared vision between the owners and management when it comes to building the company. I see a genuine interest in people, leadership clarity, and a strong respect for the individual,” says Blenda Lagerkvist.

Lagerkvist holds a degree in Business and Economics from the Stockholm School of Economics and has also studied at Università Commerciale Luigi Bocconi in Milan.