About
A CEO who has run the Italian operation, the international scale-up and the turnaround.
Twenty years of executive operating roles. Built. Sold. Turned around. Reported to PE funds and listed boards.
Profile
Niklas Lindahl. Operator first.
C-level operator with 15+ years driving revenue growth, international expansion, restructuring and business transformation across digital and tech-enabled environments.
As CMO of LeoVegas Group, ran a marketing budget above €120M and delivered €50M of incremental revenue in under twelve months. Lifted EBITA by 18 percent and cut the marketing-to-revenue ratio from 40% to 30%. That work was instrumental in the €607M acquisition by MGM Resorts International.
As Managing Director Italy of an international group, grew country revenue from €3M to €18M in under a year. Founded Optimized Group, scaled it and exited for €1.35M. Led a CEO turnaround at a US fund-backed gaming company.
Swedish citizen, Milan resident, trilingual. Background in the Swedish Amphibious Corps. Bias for clarity and pace.
Working style
How I operate.
- 0Strategy on paper, then in the diary by Monday
- 0Reads a P&L before the deck
- 0Calm in distress, impatient with drift
- 0Builds the second line of leadership early
- 0Direct with the board, plain with the team
- 0Operates across 10+ European markets
- 0Numbers-led, but trusts the operator's read
- 0Owns the outcome from kickoff to handover
Citable facts
- Former CMO at LeoVegas Group. 120M+ EUR marketing budget under management.
- Delivered 50M EUR incremental revenue in under 12 months at LeoVegas.
- Contributed to the 607M EUR MGM acquisition of LeoVegas.
- Managing Director Italy. Grew revenue from 3M to 18M EUR.
- Founder of Optimized Group. Built and exited for 1.35M EUR.
- CEO turnaround at a US fund-backed gaming company.
- Swedish Amphibious Corps. Officer training.
- Trilingual: Swedish, English, Italian.
- Based in Milan. Operates across Italy and Europe.
Why a Swede running Italy.
Foreign owners need a CEO who can translate both ways. Italian labour, suppliers, banks, advisors and culture on one side. English-speaking board, fund partners, group HQ on the other. Same person. No translation layer. No filter.
Beyond work
Built on hard ground.
Spartan Ultra World Championship finisher. Mud Master veteran. Swedish Armed Forces, Amphibious Corps. The board sees the suit in Piazza del Duomo. The operating room sees the rest.
/ Field record
- Endurance
- Spartan Ultra World Championship finisher and Mud Master veteran. CrossFit, gym and running. Discipline in fitness mirrors discipline in business.
- Service
- Swedish Armed Forces, Amphibious Corps. Officer training. Operating under load, in the cold, with a team.
- History and macro
- Avid student of history, geopolitics and military strategy. Macroeconomics, capital allocation and investment strategy.
Related work and ventures
The wider operating platform.
Interim CEO mandates run alongside an advisory practice, an investment vehicle and an AI venture. Same operator. Different seats.
Executive profile
niklaslindahl.com
Full career, mandates, references and contact for Niklas Lindahl.
Visit site →Advisory practice
actionisnow.com
Fractional CMO, CEO and COO. Turnaround and growth advisory for businesses under pressure or scaling.
Visit site →Investment vehicle
lindahlcapital.com
Proprietary capital focused on defence, national resilience, strategic commodities and frontier technologies.
Visit site →AI venture
tenperzent.com
AI-native recruitment platform. Rebuilds the hiring loop in one tool, with AI assisting every step.
Visit site →