In a surprising leadership shakeup, the board of Hacksaw Gaming has removed Christoffer Källberg from his role as Group CEO with immediate effect.
The decision comes after a “careful and thorough review” of the company’s current leadership, concluding that a change was essential to better align with the group’s long-term strategic evolution.
Leadership Transition Amid Strong Financial Performance
The timing of Källberg’s departure has sparked significant industry discussion, occurring just days after the Swedish studio reported an exceptionally strong Q1 performance. Under his tenure, Hacksaw saw revenue climb 28% year-on-year to €57.6 million, maintaining a dominant 82% profit margin.
Hacksaw Gaming’s Chairman, Patrick Svensk, addressed the nature of the dismissal in an interview with Swedish business outlet EFN, clarifying that the move was purely strategic:
“I would like to thank Christoffer for successfully having led the company’s IPO on the large cap list on Nasdaq Stockholm in June last year and for his valuable contributions thereafter with a solid financial performance. I wish him all the best for the future.”
Svensk further noted that the decision was not the result of any specific “incident,” but rather a desire for a fresh strategic direction as the studio expands its profile in the U.S. market.
Ana Vrabic Verdir Takes the Helm
Board member Ana Vrabic Verdir has been appointed as the interim Group CEO while a permanent replacement is sought via a professional executive search firm. Vrabic Verdir brings a heavy legal and corporate background to the role, serving as a corporate law and M&A specialist with Alto Law AB. During her interim tenure, she will temporarily vacate her seat on the board’s remuneration committee.
While the news broke just ahead of a Swedish public holiday, delaying the market’s immediate reaction, the board was quick to reassure partners and investors that the core team in Sweden remains strong and that all subsidiary operations will continue as normal.
