Birgitte Bonnesen (born 18 May 1956 in Odder, Denmark) is a Danish-Swedish former business executive and fraudster.[1][2] 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.[3]
Birgitte Bonnesen | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Birgitte Bonnesen, 2019 | |
| Born | May 18, 1956 |
| Nationality | Danish |
| Occupation | Banker |
| Known for | CEO of Swedbank (2016–2019) |
Biography
editBirgitte 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.[4]
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.[5]
Departure in 2019 and legal aftermath
editIn the autumn of 2018, Bonnesen assured that Swedbank did not have foreign customers in the Baltics who merely transferred money through the bank.[6] 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,[7] Bonnesen's earlier statements were questioned,[6] and she was forced to step down on the morning of the annual general meeting on 28 March 2019.[8]
She also left her position as chairperson of the Swedish Bankers' Association[3] when she was dismissed as CEO of Swedbank.[9]
On 23 March 2020, Swedbank announced that its board had decided to unilaterally revoke Bonnesen's severance agreement.[10] According to the bank's annual report, she was to receive severance pay of 18 months' salary, approximately 21.5 million SEK.[8]
Chief prosecutor Thomas Langrot at the Swedish Economic Crime Authority decided on 4 January 2022 to indict Bonnesen for gross fraud, alternatively gross market manipulation. The indictment concerned Bonnesen's statements during 2018 and 2019 about the bank's work against money laundering in the Baltics. The prosecutor alleged that Bonnesen had intentionally or through gross negligence spread misleading information that affected investors' assessment of the company.[11] This was the first time a former CEO of one of the Swedish major banks was indicted for crimes committed in office.[12] 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.[13]
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.[14][15][16]
References
edit- ^ "Personsök". birthday.se. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
- ^ "She takes over after Wolf". Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). Retrieved 9 February 2016.
- ^ a b "Bonnesen takes over the gavel". Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). 10 March 2017. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
- ^ Sörbring, Karin (11 December 2016). ""I don't stay up until two at night"". Expressen (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 28 March 2019. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
- ^ "Swedbank's new CEO: The turbulence has taken energy - News (Ekot)" (in Swedish). Sveriges Radio. Retrieved 22 April 2016.
- ^ a b "Swedbank and money laundering - What has happened" (in Swedish). svt.se / News. 27 February 2019. Retrieved 27 February 2019.
- ^ Fegan, Ali (20 February 2019). "Mission Investigate - Season 20 - Swedbank and money laundering: Part 1" (in Swedish). Sveriges Television. Archived from the original on 28 March 2019. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
- ^ a b Nilsson, Christoffer (28 March 2019). "Birgitte Bonnesen fired – receives parachute worth 21.5 million - Swedbank's CEO fired after the revelation". Aftonbladet (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 28 March 2019. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
- ^ "Bonnesen also leaves the chairmanship of the Swedish Bankers' Association". Dagens industri (in Swedish). 28 March 2019. Archived from the original on 27 July 2019. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
- ^ "Decision on withdrawal of severance pay to former CEO" (Press release). Swedbank. 23 March 2020. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
- ^ "Former Swedbank CEO Birgitte Bonnesen charged with gross fraud". Dagens Juridik (in Swedish). 4 January 2022. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
- ^ Almgren, Jan (4 January 2022). "Bonnesen indicted: "There is evidence of cover-up"". Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). Retrieved 5 January 2022.
- ^ Stahle, Nils (25 January 2023). "Former Swedbank CEO Birgitte Bonnesen acquitted on all charges". SVT Nyheter (in Swedish). Retrieved 26 January 2023.
- ^ "Former Swedbank CEO Birgitte Bonnesen sentenced to one year and three months in prison for gross fraud". SVT Nyheter. 2024-09-10. Retrieved 2024-09-10.
- ^ "Court of Appeal delivers verdict against former Swedbank CEO". Aftonbladet (in Swedish). 2024-09-10. Retrieved 2024-09-10.
- ^ "Former Danish top executive sentenced to prison in Sweden" (in Danish). Berlingske. 2024-09-10. Retrieved 2024-09-12.
External links
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