KTH Innovation welcomes Eva Halén, new Business Development Coach

Portrait of Eva Halén — KTH alumni Eva Halén has a degree in Mechanical Engineer with a major in Industrial Economics. She joins KTH Innovation as business development coach.

Published Dec 05, 2022

Hi Eva Halén! You are a KTH alumnus and were previously CEO of Electrolux Home. Now, you start a new role as a Business Development Coach at KTH Innovation. Tell us more about yourself!

What will you be doing at KTH Innovation?

Three work anecdotes

1. My first job at Electrolux was in a test kitchen, so I know how to bake test buns and measure the quality of ovens. I also have a patent on an automatic oven control/algorithm.

2. I was involved in launching "Screenfridge" refrigerators in 2001, i.e. refrigerators with a built-in touch screen and internet connection; a product that was way ahead of its time. It was a collaboration between Electrolux and Ericsson just before the dot.com crash.

3. I have participated in Sverkers Olofsson's TV program Plus and successfully defended a repair effort that went wrong.

I will work as a business development coach. In that role, I will support students, researchers, and employees at KTH who want to develop their ideas towards the market. The intersection of my interest lies between what a strong team with a strong vision can achieve, and innovative, physical products, preferably with a digital connection.

Tell us a bit about your background and your previous roles!

I am a Mechanical Engineer specializing in Industrial Engineering and Management. I graduated from KTH in 1990 and have since worked at both larger and smaller companies. My first job after graduating was at Volkswagen AG in Germany, followed by a role at Electrolux. I ended up staying in Germany for four years, before following the Electrolux job to Denmark. In the late 90s, I came back to Sweden and Stockholm where I have lived ever since.

I started my career with technical jobs, mainly project management, but over time I have focused more and more on sales, marketing, and company management. I have been sales manager and marketing manager, and I have been CEO of four companies: Electrolux Service, Electrolux Home, Audika, and Ebba Biotech.

I previously held a board position in Inwido, a Swedish window group listed on the stock exchange in 2014. Today, I am chair of the board of Mimbly, a clean-tech start-up spung out of Chalmers Entrepreneurship School.

What are you most looking forward to working at KTH Innovation?

To see the breadth of innovation linked to the whole of KTH and to work in a team that seems so professional, competent, and committed!

Do you have an idea?

Would you like to discuss your idea with Eva or one of our other Business Development Coaches? We love hearing about new ideas and research from KTH!

Our support is confidential and always free. Contact us today!

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