About

In April 2014, Carl Knudsen became head of legal affairs for Telia Company in Sweden and a member of the management team. His remit covers all of the leading phone network operators business in the country, which commands a turnover of approximately SEK37bn. Knudsen manages a team of 17 lawyers and an assistant on a wide range of topics that arise due to the complexity of the organisation, from traditional commercial law, telecommunications law, consumer law, competition law, security, TV content IP, M&A and more. In addition to being the general counsel, Knudsen is a board member serving several internal companies, and is the chairman of the board of directors of SUNAB, which operates a 3G phone network for its parent companies. In January 2015, he was appointed CEO of Telia Mobile Networks, the company that owns all mobile networks in Sweden, and is currently working on a restructuring of the business. He is also responsible for the implementation of GDPR throughout the company’s Swedish organisations. Proving his worth as a key member of the business, Knudsen has implemented a number of changes within the legal unit, moving from a department composed of several smaller legal teams to a more unified unit, creating better conditions for rotation, personal development and cooperation within legal affairs. Knudsen says that the unit is becoming less vulnerable as more lawyers have broader skills and overall, legal affairs has become more efficient and a more attractive place to work. When explaining his approach in transforming the department, he says, ‘I believe in transparency, flexibility and a pragmatic approach. The key to getting things done is to get people to work with you, and I always put people first’. The lawyers in his team each work on broad areas of the law, and are proactive in their relationships between different business areas of the company. A nominator illustrates Knudsen’s quality, saying that he has been ‘continuously impressed with [Knudsen’s] in-depth knowledge about both legal and regulatory matters’. The source also states: ‘I especially appreciate his ability to assess complex situations, focus on the critical issues and pragmatically suggest a way forward. Knudsen and his team deliver outstanding results, always supporting the business in an excellent way, [and] in his leadership he always sticks to his core values and effectively engages his team. Knudsen combines the highest professional standards and a deep understanding of the business with a down to earth personality, this drives respect from his peers and stakeholders’.