"It all starts with people"

coeo Inkasso aims for rapid growth – and is already well on its way

“Being clear, decisive, empathetic, and kind are the most important success factors if you want employees who thrive and results that point upward,” says Pernilla Almström, CEO.

coeo Inkasso was established in 2022 and is part of coeo Group, founded in 2010, now operating in seven countries across Europe. Just a year ago, the Swedish company had six employees and handled around 1,000 debt collection cases per month. Today, they have 25 employees and manage approximately 500,000 cases per year. The future plans are ambitious.

Where do you see the company in five years?

“Our goal is to be one of the largest debt collection companies in Sweden and, within two years, also established in at least two additional Nordic markets. After just over a year in Sweden, we have strong momentum and already several major clients. It’s fantastic to earn and maintain their trust.”

Empathetic, people-focused leadership is a guiding principle for the company and for Pernilla Almström personally.

What is your role?

“I see myself as an enabler. In every meeting with my employees, I try to listen and understand what they need. My firm belief is that everything starts with people. If we feel good, we do good things.”

Is there a conflict between empathetic leadership and business-mindedness?

“No, quite the opposite. My leadership philosophy is to lead with a warm heart and a cool head. Being clear, decisive, empathetic, and kind are the most important success factors as a leader if you want employees who thrive and results that improve. Soft values enable hard results.”

Pernilla Almström has previously held several roles requiring her to “turn the ship around” – in organizations undergoing change, facing tough decisions, or needing to reverse poor results.

How do you handle such situations most effectively?

“My experience is that if you want to succeed as a leader, you must be genuinely curious and caring. Employees can tell if you are authentic or just pretending. It’s also important to listen, combined with clear communication about purpose: where we are going and why. But it’s equally important to have the courage to lead the way – to be the ‘captain of the ship’ – and, last but not least, to acknowledge mistakes and adjust quickly.”

Along the way, she has also encountered leaders who questioned empathetic leadership, arguing that focus should be on business and numbers.

“I just don’t understand that. Research and evidence clearly show that empathetic leadership leads to better financial results. It’s people who generate ideas, develop companies, and create results,” says Pernilla Almström.

Focus on the customer and development

The reason for coeo’s rapid growth, in addition to company culture and leadership, is the focus on the customer, she explains. This is also reflected in reviews from customers’ clients.

“The last time I checked, we had a rating of 4.7 out of 5. The industry average is around 1.5. That’s thanks to our advisors, who put people – in this case, the debtor – first. Having modern and innovative partners for system development and payment flows is essential in the debt collection industry,” says Pernilla Almström.

“For us, it is obvious that it should be easy to pay and to contact coeo. With an AI solution, the company can now, for example, offer customer service in the language chosen by the debtor.”

What role do you see for coeo?

“We see ourselves as a very important part of the customer journey. With strong products and services, we can deliver high value. One of our most important goals is that our clients, through our services, can strengthen their relationships with their own customers.”

 

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Press contact:
Malin Gustafsson
Marketing Coordinator
0722364876
malin.gustafsson@coeo-inkasso.se