Bong AB, Sweden, has appointed Håkan Gunnarsson its new CEO. Gunnarsson will assume the CEO position on Jan. 1, 2017. He has served as CFO at Bong during the past four years.

After a successful restructuring process, Stéphane Hamelin will step down as CEO by year end and the transition of duties to Gunnarsson will start during the fourth quarter. The recruitment process for a new CFO will start immediately. Hamelin will continue to be a member of the board and will also remain Bong’s largest shareholder.

"Håkan Gunnarsson has worked closely with Stéphane Hamelin over the past two years and successfully restructured the company both operationally and financially. As we now initiate the next step to focus more on growth and diversification of the light packaging business, and at the same time continue to adapt the envelope business to the market conditions, the board finds Håkan Gunnarsson the best candidate to manage this challenge going forward.

"I personally, and on behalf of the board of directors, want to thank Stéphane Hamelin for his fantastic work during the past years for Bong. I know it has been challenging for Stéphane to restructure the company and at the same time handle the frequent travelling between Sweden and France." said Bong’s Chairman of the Board Christian Paulsson.

Bong is a provider of specialized light packaging and envelope products in Europe. It offers solutions for distribution and packaging of information, advertising materials, and lightweight goods. The Bong Group has annual sales of approximately SEK 2.5 billion and about 1.800 employees in 16 countries.