Meet Our New CEO

“Everyone plays a key role in the company´s success”

The words are those of Magnus Sävenhed, TdB Lab’s new CEO. After almost 20 years within the vaccine industry, he chose a smaller family business with growth ambitions.

We then took the opportunity to ask some more questions about our new CEO and to learn more about his vision, goals, and philosophy as a leader.

Please, tell us about your impression of TdB Labs so far, Magnus.

I was impressed with the positive team culture, which places a strong emphasis on shared values and psychological safety. This concept is crucial and a priority for the company’s growth. It’s important to continually investigate and improve in this area by defining tools to measure safety and understanding employees’ feelings and thoughts about it.

Additionally, I found the onboarding process very supportive, which helped me quickly grasp the business dynamics.

What is your operation style?

My day-to-day operation style is centered around serving my employees and ensuring they have everything they need to do their jobs effectively. I care deeply about the company’s direction and prioritize communicating both short-term and long-term plans clearly with the team.

I believe in having a structured approach to work, but I also recognize that employees know their tasks best. Therefore, I ensure they have all the necessary resources and support.

My personal philosophy is that “You can only do your best.” This mindset helps me stay calm, knowing that if I’ve done my best, that’s enough. Remember to give praise not just to your colleagues, but also to yourself. Don’t be too hard on yourself.

What has been the most significant challenge in your leadership journey, and how did you overcome it?

The most significant challenge in my leadership journey was navigating the intense pressures and demands during the COVID-19 pandemic. The rapid scaling of production, establishing new sites, and managing tight deadlines were incredibly challenging. My key leadership strategy included clear communication, setting ambitious yet attainable goals, and fostering a supportive environment. During this period, I emphasized breaking down large goals into smaller, manageable steps and celebrating each achievement to maintain morale and a positive mindset. I believe in leading by example, showing resilience and adaptability, and ensuring my team feels heard and involved in decision-making. This approach helped us not only meet our targets but also maintain a balanced work-life environment, which is crucial for sustained success.

I had the opportunity to be a guest speaker at Linköping University for the graduation ceremony, where I shared some guidelines.

What are the top priorities to focus on in the first year of your leadership?

When I joined TdB Labs, I encountered new techniques based on organic synthesis, that I hadn´t been working with before. Thus, I needed to ensure a safe working environment which made me focus on systematic work environment management and risk assessments. Moving forward, I will work closely with the team to develop our business and increase sales. We see an increased demand for our different products and there is a good opportunity to increase market share. With the increased sales we will then in parallel increase our capacity in production and in our laboratories. We have previously invested in new process equipment to increase batch size, and that facility is now being prepared for regular manufacturing. Thus, I will focus on building the company in a structured way and make sure that all functions contribute to the growth of the business.

What is your long-term vision over the next 5 to 10 years?

In the next 5-10 years, I envision us aligning closely with the board to develop a clear growth plan. Our primary focus will be on expanding the business, which naturally includes growing our team. To achieve this, we will analyse the market to identify opportunities for impact and business growth. Understanding our customers’ needs and adapting to market demand and industry trends will be crucial in this process.

What do you consider to be TdB Labs’ greatest strengths and biggest opportunities?

TdB Labs has a great opportunity to expand its business globally. With our expertise in dextran derivatives and other polysaccharides, we are in a good position to meet the increased demand that we see in the market. We’ve invested in new process equipment and analytical instruments which will improve our capacity in manufacturing and in our quality control lab. I also see a dedicated and highly motivated team that will work together to manage all that´s needed to succeed with our plans.

Tell us about your background and what led you to this role.

I studied Engineering Biology at Linköping University, graduating in 1999 with a Master of Science degree. As my first job, I started to work as a process engineer at Pharmacia, focusing on fermentation and downstream processing.

After that, I worked as a consultant, gaining valuable experience in project and validation management across various industries, especially pharmaceuticals. This role was very interesting for me as it allowed me to be part of different companies, gain experience within different areas, and find perspectives about the next steps in the future.

In 2005, I joined Isconova (later acquired by Novavax Inc.) as a Production Manager during a pivotal moment for the company. My role was to establish manufacturing processes and create a robust supply chain. In 2018, I was promoted to Site Lead, a role I held for six years. My responsibilities included overseeing operations, expanding capacity, and managing growth. During the pandemic, our company played a crucial role by scaling production to meet unprecedented demand.

In the spring of 2024, I decided to join TdB Labs as their new external CEO.

Just a final question, when you are not working where do we find you then?

I am very into music. While I don’t play any instruments, listening to music and attending concerts are very important to me. Music helps me relax and improves my mood. I´m also into various sports such as floorball and golf. Thus, a good combination would be to go out jogging with some great music in my earphones.