Lesslie welcomes David Craelius and Erik Seifert to the board

It has been clear for a few months now that Lesslie has secured a new investment round of SEK 10 million from several strong investors. Two of these will take a seat on Lesslie's board, the company hereby welcomes David Craelius and Erik Seifert.

During the spring, Lesslie completed a new investment round of SEK 10 million from several investors, including David Craelius (former CTO at Klarna), Erik Seifert (former chairman of the board Swish), Quinary Investment and Njord Ventures. In addition to involvement as investors, it is hereby official that both David Craelius and Erik Seifert also take a seat on the company's board. Their experience and expertise in technology and finance will be significant and impactful to Lesslie's continued growth and innovation going forward.

David Craelius, former CTO at Klarna

David Craelius has extensive experience in business development, inspiring and building strong teams. He has developed many financial platforms and held significant positions within well-known companies such as Klarna, Evolution Gaming and Avanza and many more.

Can you tell us a bit about what you are currently working on?

Stay-at-home dad, technical advisor with a few investments in fintech and analytics.

Why did you choose to invest in Lesslie and how did you become interested in our company in particular?

I was very impressed with the product and market positioning. I believe there is enormous growth potential both within FX and various types of credit.

How do you see the future of Lesslie as a company and your role as a board member?

I see the future very bright for Lesslie and I am very impressed with what I have seen so far. We have a lot of hard work ahead of us as growth is difficult, but it is also extremely fun as you learn a lot on the journey. As needed, I will try to support both tech and business in reaching the tech / product / business goals we set.

What are your main qualities that you bring to the company?

Positive energy, long experience of grappling with technology and product development within strong growth phases for various companies. I have been operational in both technology and the business side of finance and have spent many years on the board of financial companies under Finansinspektionens (FI's) supervision.

Tell us about why you invested in a career in finance and tech, as well as your time at Klarna

I fell in love with the internet in 1996 and started building websites. Stumbling into the financial industry by pure chance. During my time as a student at KTH in 1998, I also built a website for a fund company which later became Teletrade / Nordnet.

The time at Klarna was very educational. It was the first time I worked with American venture capital companies (VCs) and I was faced with real "hyper growth" as the company grew by 100% per year. I was responsible for building the technology and product organization from 30 to 300 people in less than three years.

What do you consider to be the biggest challenge of being involved in several projects at the same time?

The challenges I've faced made me rethink how much I should invest my time and energy in companies and investments lately. So, I decided to take a step back and be more strategic about where I put my resources. I want to focus on making meaningful investments and being more present in the areas where I'm already involved. It's all about being smarter and making a stronger impact in the things that matter most to me.

Besides your investment in Lesslie, what are you most proud of in your career?

The different teams that I have built up over the years.

Who is your role model?

Don't know if I have any but politics aside I'm very impressed with what Ho Chi Minh and Mustafa Kemal Atatürk succeeded in creating for Vietnam respectively Turkey.

Describe, in your own words, what a perfect Sunday looks like for you.

Cook a traditional "Full English breakfast" for the family, run or golf, prepare dinner, pick up some scraps, cook, cook and serve dinner, read a book, etc. The PS5, go to sleep early.

Erik Seifert, former chairman of the board of Swish

Erik Seifert, has a successful career in financial services. He has established a European Cash Management function and led Nordea's Nordic card and mobile payment operations. Today he works as an advisor, board member and investor in financial services.

How did you end up on the finance track?

After finishing university in the 90s, I got my first job in Perstorp's Treasury department. I then continued in Treasury at Pharmacia and Pfizer until SEB contacted me in 2007 and suggested a transfer to the sales side. I then took over responsibility for their Swedish Transaction banking operations. Later I ended up at Nordea in a similar role and finally got the opportunity to become head of their Nordic operations within cards and mobile payments. It was all a series of coincidences.

Can you tell us a bit about what you are currently working on?

Since the turn of the year, I have been an independent advisor, board member and investor within Financial Services.

Why did you choose to invest in Lesslie and how did you become interested in our company in particular?

An exciting service that creates value for customers and has a clear path to profitability. Plus it's a strong team.

How active do you plan to be on the board?

Fairly active. I hope to be able to contribute partly on the business and commercial side based on my many years of background as a business leader in Finance and Payments, as well as by establishing a solid corporate governance that makes a growing Lesslie safe for customers, investors and partners.

How do you see the future of Lesslie as a company and your role as a board member?

I am convinced that Lesslie is facing a very exciting future, which the fantastic customer response is a good sign of.

What are your main qualities that you bring to the company?

I have solid experience from finance and the payment world, which I believe will come in handy. I myself have sat as an end user for the type of services that Lesslie delivers and I have also been responsible for developing and selling them at the major banks. I also have extensive experience in building organizations and structural capital in a regulated environment, which I believe could be valuable for Lesslie. In addition, I bring with me an extremely strong drive to create value and benefit for our end customers.

Can you share your biggest career failure and how you managed to turn it into something positive?

Throughout my 27 years in business, I have had the opportunity to make a few mistakes. However, one particular mistake stands out from the beginning of my career, and it continues to stay with me to this day. It was a pure administrative oversight: I mistakenly included a repayment of a bond maturity that resulted in significant penalties for my employer. Overwhelmed with guilt, I approached my manager with tears in my eyes, confessing what had happened.

Instead of reprimanding me, he reassured me by saying, "Don't worry, we will resolve it." He made a few phone calls, negotiated skillfully, and managed to reduce the cost by 90%. He told me, "Consider this a learning experience." Through his wise guidance and leadership, he transformed this mistake into a moment of strength and personal growth, rather than leaving me shattered. I have cherished this memory throughout my career, using it as a reminder to remain composed during challenging times and to support younger colleagues when they face difficulties.

What do you find most rewarding about your job today?

The freedom to work with things that interest me and where I can create value. As well as the opportunity to work with young, dynamic companies that are vision-driven and see opportunities instead of obstacles.

What advice would you give to someone following the same career path as you or aiming to be like you?

I hope that nobody strives to emulate me. Instead, they should embrace their individuality and strive to become the best version of themselves. With that being said, my top recommendation would be to foster curiosity and be receptive to exploring diverse experiences. Some individuals are excessively eager to attain a specific position, salary, or job. However, when you are starting out in your career, I believe it is crucial to take the time to appreciate the present moment, experiment with different opportunities, maintain an open mind, and acquire valuable insights and knowledge. It is more challenging to engage in such exploration later in one's career, but by doing so early on, you will gain numerous invaluable perspectives and knowledge.

What would you be working on if you weren't working on what you are doing today?

Perhaps consider running a small vineyard along with a restaurant that complements it.

For further information please contact:

Johanna Appelgren

(+46)73 15109734

johanna@lesslie.se

LinkedIn: David Craelius

LinkedIn: Erik Seifert