Tomra president earns CEO award

The president and CEO of Norway-based Tomra, Stefan Ranstrand, was named best CEO in the sustainable resource management industry in an awards program coordinated by European CEO magazine.

According to the publication, “Each year ‘European CEO’ counts down the top 100 companies and business leaders, looking specifically for examples of strong strategy and commitment to corporate governance.”

Ranstrand is in his 10th year as Tomra president and CEO, following his appointment in August 2009. During his time at the helm, he has focused on turning “a loose collection of entities into one strong and unified brand,” according to a Tomra news release.

Founded in 1972, Tomra employs 3,565 people and is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange. The company describes itself as a globally recognized leader in reverse vending technology and sensor-based sorting equipment for the recycling, mining and food processing industries. Around 97,500 of its machines are installed in more than 80 nations.

Pertinent to Randstrand’s award win, the European CEO Award judges write, “Tomra's solutions are part of a widespread push to operate more sustainably. The global population is expected to increase by 30 percent over the next 40 years. As such, it has become essential for organizations to rethink how they obtain, use and re-use resources. Sustainability has been at the heart of Tomra's business for four decades and it continues to find new ways to optimize precious resources.”

Before joining Tomra, Stefan held various management positions at power and automation technologies company ABB (1991-2009) and computer manufacturer Data General AG (1988-1991). He has a master’s degree in industrial and management engineering from the Institute of Technology at Linköping University in Sweden and a diploma in industrial engineering from the Technical University of Darmstadt in Germany.

Comments Randstrand, “It’s a great honor to have received this accolade. This is testament to the whole company and recognizes the dedication of Tomra's people. The past year has been our most successful to date, reaffirming our status as a sustainability leader and spearhead of the resource revolution.”