Sebastian Navab is the Founder, Chairman and previous CEO of The Labyrinth Public Affairs. He has previously led companies such as Progress PR and Nav PR. With a political background rooted in the Swedish Social Democratic Party, Navab has worked as a media coordinator at the Prime Minister’s Office under former Prime Minister Göran Persson and as the press chief for the Social Democrats. Moreover, he has acted as a political advisor in the European Parliament, focusing particularly on tourism and transportation issues. He is a graduate in political science from Halmstad University.
Alf Karlsson is CEO and Partner at The Labyrinth Public Affairs. He has previously worked as State Secretary for the Minister for Housing and Digitalization, Political Advisor at the Prime Minister’s Office, Head of the Society Team in the Green Party’s parliamentary office, and Head of Office at Mälardalen University. Karlsson has also participated in several government investigations and, in October 2020, submitted the report “Innovation as a Driving Force – from Research to Benefit” (Government Official Reports 2020:59) to the government.
Karlsson has a specific responsibility for issues related to sustainability in general, with a focus on digitalization, energy, and urban development. He also holds a special responsibility for issues concerning community development and related areas.
Joakim Kellner is the Managing Partner at The Labyrinth Public Affairs. With a legal background and extensive involvement with the Swedish Social Democrats Party, Kellner has served as a political advisor and press secretary for, among others, Minister of Social Insurance Ingela Thalén, Minister of Agriculture Ann-Christin Nykvist, and Minister of Finance Pär Nuder. During the past 15 years, he has held leading positions at several Nordic Public Affairs agencies. He holds a law degree from Stockholm University.
He holds a special responsibility for matters related to the EU, financial markets, life science, minerals, and business in general.
Johan Ingerö is a senior consultant at The Labyrinth Public Affairs. He has spent the last quarter-century in and around Swedish politics and political debate. In the Christian Democrats, he has served as party secretary, policy manager, and press chief. He has worked both in the parliament and in the Government Office and is well acquainted with the decision-making processes. In 2010, Ingerö initiated and became Sweden’s first “SlösO” – Ombudsman against wasteful use of taxpayer money, a project that still falls under the Taxpayers Association.
Shashika Sellgren is a senior consultant at The Labyrinth Public Affairs. Shashika has extensive experience in public affairs, strategic communication and social issues. She comes most recently from Tågföretagen where she worked as an industrial policy expert and has previously held several roles within Almega and their industry and employer associations, with responsibility for communication, opinion formation and advocacy work.
She also has a solid political background as both a political expert and an elected representative within the Moderate Party, with experience from the Riksdag, the City of Stockholm, Upplands Väsby Municipality and Region Stockholm, among others.
Axel von Arnold is Chief Commercial Officer and Senior Consultant at The Labyrinth Public Affairs.
In this role, he is responsible for the agency’s business development and commercial strategy, with a focus on areas where policy and growth intersect.
Axel has a background in strategic PR with a focus on tech and growth companies, combined with extensive experience in business development and sales within agency environments. He has worked with complex communications at the intersection of business, public opinion, and regulatory issues at the Nordic and European levels, and has managed long-term client relationships in environments where political decisions impact market conditions.
Axel also has political experience, including working with the Moderate Party and serving as former Chairman of Moderate Students Stockholm.
Staffan Hagberg Kuylenstierna is a senior consultant at The Labyrinth Public Affairs, specializing in sustainability and urban development. With over two decades of experience in various roles within the Green Party, including a managerial position in the party’s parliamentary office, he brings extensive experience as a political advisor.
Kuylenstierna is a graduate of the University of Gothenburg, holding a bachelor’s degree in philosophy, media, and communication studies.
Jenny Didong is a senior consultant at The Labyrinth Public Affairs. She has extensive experience as an advisor in public affairs and strategic communication, with assignments in several different sectors and particular experience in life science, healthcare, tech, public health and sustainability. She has previously worked for many years in the Government Offices, including with state-owned companies at the Ministry of Enterprise and Innovation and financial market issues at the Ministry of Finance.
Per Westerberg
Senior Advisor
Per Westerberg
Senior Advisor
Per Westerberg
Senior Advisor
Per Westerberg is a senior advisor at The Labyrinth Public Affairs. He possesses extensive political experience, having served as the Speaker of the Swedish Parliament (Riksdagen) from 2006 to 2014. Prior to this role, he was a Member of Parliament for the Swedish Moderate Party (Moderaterna) since 1979, contributing to various parliamentary committees. There was a hiatus during which he served as the Minister for Industry in the Bildt government from 1991 to 1994. Currently, he holds several board positions and until 2023 the chairmanship of the Shareholders’ Association (Aktiespararnas förbund).
Tommy Waidelich is a Senior Advisor at The Labyrinth Public Affairs. He was previously a Member of Parliament from 1994–95 and 1998–2014, as well as a Member of the European Parliament from 1995–98. In the Swedish Parliament, he was, among other roles, Chair of the EU Committee (2004–2006) and Economic Policy Spokesperson (2011–12). He also served as District Chair of the Social Democrats in Stockholm County (1997–2004).
Waidelich has also held international assignments, for example as the Swedish representative on the board of the Party of European Socialists (2012–2015) and as Chair of the European Forum for Democracy & Solidarity (2013–2017).
Per Braconier is a senior advisor at The Labyrinth Public Affairs. His commitment to the success factors of industry and business was founded over many years as a reporter and deputy news director at Dagens Industri.
Per has since been a member of the Group Management of the forest industry company Södra and Director of Communications there, as well as being Head of Communications for the industry’s largest representatives: the Swedish Forest Industries Federation, the Industrial Employers Association – which he co-founded – and the Association of Technology Companies, where he has also been Head of Press Relations. Per also has experience as a project manager at the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise.
Ulrika Karlsson is a former Member of the Swedish Parliament representing the Moderate Party. She brings extensive experience of development aid and international assistance from multiple perspectives: that of the legislator, the recipient organisation, and the ultimate beneficiary.
Ulrika has also led and managed comparable report projects and has substantial hands-on experience in drafting and authoring policy and analytical reports. In addition, she maintains strong relationships with a wide range of United Nations agencies and development aid organisations.
Henrik Båge is a senior advisor at The Labyrinth Public Affairs with a special focus on energy, business, financing and innovation.
Henrik has over 20 years of experience from the energy, technology and financial sectors, including as CEO, entrepreneur, investor and business developer. He has solid experience in developing and commercializing new technology, building and financing growth companies and working with Swedish and European financing systems.
Henrik works in the borderland between politics and business, with a particular understanding of how political decisions, regulations and public policy instruments affect companies’ investments, competitiveness and strategic choices. By combining experience in business management, capital markets and technology development with deep knowledge of the energy sector, he helps companies understand, influence and translate changing political and regulatory conditions into business strategy.
Erika Danckwardt-Lillieström is a Senior Advisor at The Labyrinth Public Affairs.
Erika has worked with public affairs, political advocacy, and strategic communication for more than 20 years. She has held roles as CEO as well as senior leadership positions in public affairs and communications within consumer-focused industry organizations. She has particular expertise in regulatory matters related to public health, sustainability, and market conditions for fast-moving consumer goods. Her experience includes regulatory work at both the national and EU levels.
Most recently, Erika served as Communications Director at the industry association The Swedish Brewers Association.
Magnus Hagman is a senior advisor at The Labyrinth Public Affairs.
He has over 20 years of experience from leading roles in international defense companies, where he has worked with complex sales, marketing strategy and growth in close interaction with authorities and industrial partners in the Nordic region, Europe and NATO. With a background from leading roles in companies such as Saab and MilDef, he combines strategic business acumen with a deep understanding of market dynamics, customer relationships and long-term value creation.
Magnus has a special focus on business development and strategy in the defence and security sector.
Yannik Bendel is a senior advisor at The Labyrinth Public Affairs, with a focus on financial regulation, tech and sustainable transition.
Yannik has many years of experience in politics and advocacy, at both national (Germany) and EU level, and has held several different positions, most recently for Bündnis 90/Die Grünen, as a political expert in the Finance Committee, Head of Secretariat and advisor and press officer for members. He also has extensive experience from working with EU issues in Brussels. Yannik started his career as a consultant at PwC and Ramboll Management Consulting advising the public sector.
Through his years in Berlin and Brussels, Yannik has deep insight into German and European politics, regulation and decision-making processes.
Yannik is an economist and political scientist, with a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy & Economics and a master’s degree from the University of Gothenburg.
Karen Marie has many years of experience with policy analysis and strategic advice on policy advocacy, stakeholder engagement and management of goal conflicts within the energy transition value chain, with a particular focus on defence and security interests.
Karen Marie started her career in Denmark’s TSO Energinet DK and has since developed a deep insight into the energy sector’s critical role, driving forces and complex landscapes of interest, both nationally and internationally, through various roles in both private companies and government agencies.
At The Labyrinth, she focuses on energy security, critical goal conflicts and total preparedness.
We are always on the lookout for new team members and welcome spontaneous applications, even though it may not always be certain that there is a current opening.
For all positions, we offer permanent full-time employment with flexible working hours. We follow a six-month probationary period. We value the qualities that a balanced age and gender distribution, as well as ethnic and cultural diversity, bring to the company.
For inquiries and applications, please send them to our managing partner Joakim Kellner at joakim.kellner@thelabyrinth.se.
