Astera to welcome new group CEO

Astera – a leading developer of innovative light solutions for film and events – announces that Carl-Johan Sköld will be joining the Astera team as Group CEO.

Having acted as a consultant for the German-based lighting firm for some time already, Sköld is perfectly placed to advise and lead Astera into a period of strategic growth, bringing with him an extensive background in business consultancy, M&A advisory services and strategic development, with a particular focus on the East Asian market.

Building on the back of a Master in Economic and Philosophy from the London School of Economics, Sköld has spent more than a decade in the field of business development, starting out initially with a project management role for the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China, where he oversaw industry-wide initiatives in the fields of banking, securities, insurance and metals. Returning to his home country of Sweden for a stretch, he worked in a consultancy role, focusing on strategy development and implementation for firms in the telecom, banking, civil administration and business service sectors.

Since 2012, he has been a Founding Partner of Stenvall Skoeld & Company – a strategic advisory firm focusing on mergers, acquisitions and strategic partnerships, specialising in middle market transactions involving Asia. Sköld’s exceptional analytical ability will be brought to bear at Astera, facilitating an end-to-end evaluation of existing operations, from product design to manufacturing, internal processes and intelligence gathering, accounting, reporting and finance, as well as global strategy.

In particular, Sköld’s ability to straddle the European/East Asian line and leverage his extensive knowledge of both geographic markets will be a key benefit to Astera, whose operations span both Germany and China, leveraging the benefits of German engineering and product design, and combining them with Chinese manufacturing efficiency to deliver market-leading innovation. Working with management teams in both countries, Sköld’s focus will be on charting a course for Astera’s future position, setting forth ambitious long-term strategies and goals, whilst also fortifying Astera’s current standing.

Speaking of his upcoming role, Sköld said: “The key to the development of any effective strategy is in starting with the current strengths of the organisation, and Astera has many. Their approach to innovation – based as it is on thoughtful design tailored to the specific needs of lighting professionals – is what marks Astera out in the market, and gives us a strong position from which to grow further. It is clear from the recognition that Astera gets from some of the key names in the field of film and TV lighting that their reputation is well deserved, and I am both grateful and excited to begin a new path together with them”.

Welcoming their new Group CEO on board, Sebastian Bückle, Sales & Marketing Director at Astera commented: “Having already developed a close working relationship with the team in his previous consultancy role, we know well that Carl-Johan is an excellent fit for Astera, and we will benefit greatly from his insight, knowledge, drive and vision. It’s a privilege to have him join the team, and we’d like to wish him a very warm welcome”.