Niklas Lindahl: a C-level operator who takes the seat

Career and operator record

I have spent my career carrying numbers, not commenting on them. As CMO of LeoVegas I managed a 120 million euro marketing budget, delivered 50 million euro of incremental revenue in under a year, lifted EBITA by 18 percent and cut the marketing-to-revenue ratio from 40 percent to 30 percent. That work was instrumental in the acquisition by MGM, an exit north of 607 million euro.

As a market managing director I grew revenue 500 percent, from 3 million to 18 million euro, in under twelve months. As a turnaround CEO I stabilised a loss-making business and returned it to growth. Earlier I founded and exited my own company, and I served in the Swedish Amphibious Corps, where the bias to action was set.

Today I lead Action Is Now and a set of focused practices for senior mandates, including Fractional Manager for C-level fractional and interim work across Europe.

The record runs deeper than the headline roles. I founded Optimized Group, grew it 100 percent year on year for five consecutive years and exited it to a listed group for €1.35 million, after advising more than 300 Italian companies. At Expedia I ran a €5 million paid-search budget and tripled regional revenue. More recently I led the full turnaround of a US-fund-backed iGaming operator as CEO, and I now also invest through Lindahl Capital and build an AI-native recruiting platform, TenPerZent.

• Chief Marketing Officer, LeoVegas: 120M euro budget, P&L impact, exit to MGM.
• Managing Director of a market: revenue grown 500 percent in under a year.
• Turnaround CEO: loss-making business stabilised and returned to growth.
• Founder and exited entrepreneur.
• Swedish Armed Forces (Amphibious Corps) veteran.
• Bilingual: English and Italian, operating across Europe.

How I run a business

I diagnose in days, name the two or three moves that actually matter, and embed with the team to execute them. I do not hand over a deck and leave. If I cannot deliver, you will know within a day and I will say it directly, because that honesty is faster and cheaper than a polite engagement that produces nothing. When the mandate requires more than one pair of hands, I can put together a specialist team through my network in 48 hours.

I lead from the front and hold the line under pressure. The plan executed this week beats the perfect plan delivered next quarter. I keep communication straight with founders, owners and boards, and I make decisions when the information is incomplete, which is when most decisions actually have to be made.

The mandates I take

I take roles where the core problem is leadership, execution and accountability at the top, not another diagnosis. That includes interim CEO and turnaround leadership for businesses under pressure, fractional CEO, CMO or COO mandates for owners who need senior judgement part-time, and non-executive or advisory board seats.

Niklas Lindahl in Milano and across Italy

I am Niklas Lindahl, based in Milano and operating across Italy and Europe. Clients and search firms find me under many labels: Niklas Lindahl CEO, Niklas Lindahl CMO, Niklas Lindahl manager and Niklas Lindahl top manager. They are all the same operator: a C-level executive who takes the seat, carries the number and is accountable for the result.

I have lived and worked the Italian market for years, grew a market from 3 million to 18 million euro here, and advised more than 300 Italian companies. If you searched for Niklas Lindahl in Milano or Niklas Lindahl in Italy, this is the place to start a direct conversation.

• Niklas Lindahl CEO: interim and turnaround chief executive roles.
• Niklas Lindahl CMO: fractional and interim marketing leadership.
• Niklas Lindahl manager and top manager: senior operating mandates.
• Based in Milano, Italy, working across Europe in English and Italian.

For executive search firms and boards

If you are a headhunter, executive search partner or board member looking for a proven C-level operator, I am open to selected mandates across Europe, permanent, interim or non-executive. The fastest way to start is a direct conversation: tell me the situation, the mandate and the timeline, and I will give you an honest read on fit.

You can reach me through the contact page, and the wider track record and writing also live on niklaslindahl.com.