Communique Pehr G. Gyllenhammar
Pehr G. Gyllenhammar passed away at the age of 89 on 21 11 2024, after a period of illness. He passed peacefully in Toronto, Canada, surrounded by his loved ones.
As one of Sweden’s most influential industrialists of the 20th century, he was the face of Volvo for 23 years, serving as the company’s CEO and/or chairman between 1971 and 1994.
Pehr will be remembered for his integrity, courage, independence, visionary leadership and commitment to humanistic values. He leaves behind his beloved daughter, Barrett, and wife Dr Lee Croll. He is predeceased by his first wife, Christina, with whom he shared four children, Cecilia, Charlotte, Oscar, and Sophie. He also leaves behind eight grandchildren, Måns, Isaac, Julia, Gustaf, Ivar, Molly, Hugo and Agnes.
Memorial arrangements will be communicated at a later date.
Pehr G. Gyllenhammar’s biography
Prior to his tenure at Volvo he served as CEO of Skandia Group in Sweden. After leaving Volvo, Pehr went on to be named Chairman of the Board at Commercial Union plc in London which he grew into Aviva plc - the UK’s largest insurance company when he left in 2007.
Between 1996 and 2003, Pehr also served as Senior Advisor and Managing Director at Lazard Frères & Co in New York City. In 2003 he left Lazard to take the position of Vice Chairman, Europe at Rothschild where he was based in London and Stockholm. In 2013 he established his own advisory firm, Gyllenhammar AB, where he continued to work as a Senior Advisor to CEOs and Chairmen of multinational companies and family offices until he was well into his eighties.
Over the course of his career, Pehr served on over 30 Corporate and Advisory Boards around the world including: Philips Electronics NV (Eindhoven); Régie Nationale des Usines Renault SA (Paris); United Technologies (Hartford); Reuters Holdings plc (London); Majid Al Futtaim Group LLC (Chairman, Dubai); Thomson Reuters Founders Share Company Limited (Chairman, London); Toshiba (Tokyo), Kinnevik (Chairman, Stockholm), and; The Chase Manhattan Bank NA (New York).
He co-founded the European Roundtable of Industrialists, which focused on infrastructure projects across Europe and served as its first chairman from 1982-1988, during which time one of their biggest projects was the Channel Tunnel between the UK and France. In recognition of his contributions to Industry and European society, Pehr was awarded seven honorary doctorates as well as several honours including, Commander of the Legion of Honour (France), Commander First Class of the Order of the Lion of Finland, Commander of “Ordre National du Mérite” (France), Knight Grand Officer of the Republic of Italy’s Order of Merit, Commander of “St. Olavs Orden” (Norway),and Honorary Master of the Bench, Inner Temple (London).
Pehr was also a passionate supporter of the Arts in New York and London where he served as Chairman of the London Philharmonic Orchestra from 2006 to 2011. Over the course of his life, he authored seven books on a range of topics including business, industry as well as more personal reflections.
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