Astrid Lindgren’s World – MD Mikael Ahlerup Resigns

As Sweden’s popular theatre and theme park announced today, Mikael Ahlerup, Managing Director of Astrid Lindgren’s World, will leave the company at the end of the year. After 10 years of successful leadership, Ahlerup will now take on new challenges. During Ahlerup’s leadership, the park was able to increase its number of visitors from 337,000 to 461,000 guests annually. Several major investments, e.g. in the new Villekulla Cottage setting, Matt’s Fort and the new Katthult setting opened this summer (a detailed report about the newly opened theme area can be found in our next magazine issue), were made within this period. “Mikael has been a driving force for the park’s development and an excellent representative for the company in many different contexts,” said Ulrica Messing, chairman of Astrid Lindgren’s World. “Both he and the board got proof that he has been a popular leader when he was named manager of the year in 2011. We will miss Mikael’s commitment and fervor for our operation […]. The board will now begin recruitment for a new MD for Astrid Lindgren’s World, and we anticipate having a new person in place before Mikael leaves his position at the end of the year,” Ulrica Messing concluded. Mikael Ahlerup, who changes to TUI Nordic, comments his decision as follows: ”These ten years in the company have been completely fantastic […]”. He continues, “Few people are granted the opportunity to be involved in the development of the park that we have carried out. I am thankful to have been a part of it, and I am enormously proud of all the co-workers I have had the privilege to work with through the years.” “But after ten years, I now feel ready to assume a new challenge in life and to continue working with issues I am passionate about. So it’s stimulating to be able to do it at a company as successful as TUI Nordic […],” Mikael Ahlerup concludes. (eap)