SWEDEN – The Stockholm-based pension fund of Swedish electrical appliances group, Electrolux, has poached Hans Eklund from the pension fund of telecoms group, Ericsson, where he was international benefits manager.

Eklund will become director of benefits for Electrolux’s global retirement and benefits operations from July. Part of his main responsibilities at Eletrolux will be to coordinate the various different benefit and pensions plans that the company operates through its domestic and overseas subsidiaries.

“We need to make sure we have the right formula and that we can streamline the many different schemes to run as efficiently as possible and in a coordinated way,” he says.

Eklund says the split from Ericsson was amicable and that Ericsson is still looking for a replacement. “I was headhunted basically. Electrolux made me an offer I couldn’t refuse.”

Eklund joined Ericsson from packaging company, SCA, where he was benefits officer, five years ago. Before that, he spent some 15 years working in insurance.