Jimmy Arvidsson has an exciting and varied background with roots in the performing arts where he has worked as a technician and lighting designer at theaters, concerts, exhibitions and events. He himself says that it is in the meeting between people and technology that he enjoys the most and his interest in people has followed him all the way into the role of consultant. Likewise, the experience is still at the center even if the arena is different.

After many years as an employee and self-employed, with a focus on IT development projects, Jimmy chose to become a consultant in 2021. One of the biggest advantages of the consultant role is that he gets the opportunity to move between different assignments and businesses, meet many new people and build a large network. As a consultant, he can focus his commitment and energy on what he does best, understanding the customer’s needs and conditions, building the ability in the organization and then when the organization is mature, hand over the baton for the project when it transitions into a management phase. The opportunity to learn from all the people he meets, gain new perspectives and share experiences gives him a lot of energy and often shows that there are multiple ways to solve challenges. At the same time, Jimmy says that it can be difficult to leave a well-functioning team and part with what you have been a part of building. Jimmy’s focus as a project manager is to ensure that everyone has the right conditions to continue. If one of us gets hit by a bus tomorrow, the work still has to work, he explains.

Jimmy is a specialist in project management and related areas, where his strength is navigating correctly in complex environments.

-The goal is known but often not the way to get there.

He describes himself as genuinely interested in people and that interest together with his good communication skills and creativity has helped him to quickly adapt to new environments and people as no two assignments are the same. It is in his role as project manager that Jimmy first came into contact with Upgraded and over the years the relationship has been strengthened with the many call-offs made through Upgraded. Jimmy describes the collaboration as fast, efficient and very pleasant. The collaboration has been characterised by straightforward communication without hassle and it has been easy to get advice on “best practice” which I appreciate, Jimmy continues.

Jimmy’s driving force is clear; he wants to make a real difference and improve and simplify for people. He thrives best when he has the trust and space to lead the work and solve the task together with an existing or new team. Understanding, planning and supporting are key words in his work.

Jimmy’s two most recent assignments have been incredibly developmental, where he, together with his team and other key people, laid the foundation for self-development in the public sector and created a bridge between agile methods and traditional waterfall methodology. Communicating and putting energy into well-functioning collaborations have been two success factors. It is in such environments that I develop the most, says Jimmy.

-The assignments have really challenged me in both my leadership and my perseverance.

Jimmy believes that the key to successful customer relationships is to understand the customer’s real needs, not just what was initially requested. He emphasizes the importance of daring to challenge the customer in cases where the assignment does not match his own picture of the actual need in order to investigate what scope there is to change that picture. The driving force is to create solutions that really make a difference and to always have the customer’s best interests in mind.

Jimmy is positive about the future and believes that organizations’, as well as his own, ability to adapt will be crucial to whether we continue to remain relevant. AI is really interesting and necessary to embrace on several levels, he interjects.

Jimmy is looking forward to continuing to develop his leadership skills, working more with portfolio management and continuing to develop his communication skills. He would also like to spend more time mentoring to help others develop. His advice to those considering becoming consultants is clear;

– Find out what are the important values ​​for you to thrive. Think about what your offering is, your skills and qualities and what is your core. Ask yourself why you want to become a consultant and above all: Try!

What motivates Jimmy the most is making things better for people and contributing to meaningful improvements. Being able to help turn something difficult and complex into something functional and easy to understand is satisfying. Being able to then disconnect from work when the workday is over and still feel like he has made a real difference is fantastic. The consulting role has really helped me find the right balance, concludes Jimmy.

A majority (58%) of the world’s business leaders believe in increased global growth in 2025 and Swedish CEOs are even more optimistic about the future. A full 65% believe in increased global growth compared to only 31% last year. This is shown by PwC’s annual CEO survey.

The CEO Survey is a global CEO survey that PwC has published for 28 consecutive years, 4,701 business leaders from 109 countries were interviewed about their views on the current situation and the future. Of these, 102 are Swedish business leaders. The survey was conducted in October and November 2024.

The survey also shows that companies must change in order to survive. 42 percent of companies will be competitive for a maximum of ten years with the current focus of their operations.

– Despite the turbulent times we live in, many business leaders are optimistic about the future. In fact, the outlook for growth has only been more positive on two previous occasions in the past ten years. These were the pandemic years of 2021 and 2022. If they are right, the coming years will bring great opportunities for companies to invest in technology, including AI, sustainability and business model transformation, says Sofia Götmar-Blomstedt, CEO of PwC Sweden.

Business leaders have high expectations for what AI can contribute in the future. Generative AI (GenAI) and other new technologies will transform business models, redefine work processes and fundamentally change entire industries. Nearly 60 percent of global CEOs say that employees’ time can be used more effectively with the help of GenAI, and more than 50 percent say that they have been able to use their own time more effectively. According to the survey, a third of CEOs believe that AI has contributed to increasing their company’s revenue and profitability in the past year. Unfortunately, the responses from Swedish business leaders are at a significantly lower level, 15 and 17 percent respectively.

– Sweden continues to lag behind in AI development, which is deeply worrying. We are still missing out on the major benefits that AI can offer. To accelerate AI implementation, we must immediately increase trust in the technology, both among the public and business leaders, says Sofia Götmar-Blomstedt.

27 percent of Swedish respondents plan to increase the number of employees in the coming year, and globally, a full 42 percent plan to hire more. Although we are still in the early stages of AI development, we can see that the survey does not signal staff reductions as a result of AI implementation. On the contrary, it is more common to hire than to reduce the number of employees as a result of AI. This trend applies both globally and in Sweden.

Source: CEO Survey 2025 – PwC’s annual CEO survey | PwC

At Upgraded, we always put our clients, consultants and partners at the center. By building strong relationships and working closely with both clients, consulting companies and freelancers, we ensure that the right skills are matched with the right assignments.

One of our partners in this work is Brainville, which, in addition to our own portal and website, is another window into finding the right consultant for our assignment requests. We apply a 360-degree view of the market to always find the right consultant for our requests and through strong collaborations we optimize these conditions. Last year, we placed third in Brainville’s prestigious category “Largest Assignment Volume 2024”, which, in addition to our organic revenue growth of 70%, is further proof of how well we position ourselves and create value in today’s market.

Birgitta Hedegård, CEO of Upgraded, emphasizes the importance of our relationships and collaborations:
“At Upgraded, it’s all about people. We are convinced that long-term relationships and strong collaborations are the key to success – both for us and for our consultants and clients. Our partnership with Brainville means another tentacle out into the market to find the right consultant for the right assignment”

Brainville’s CEO, Manuel de Verdier, also looks positively at the future and the development of the consulting market:
“In 2024, there were challenges, but also bright spots and signs that point to better times for consultants. We see an increased need for specialized expertise, and through collaborations with players like Upgraded, we can create even better opportunities for both freelancers and companies.”

At Upgraded, we always ensure that our contacts – both clients, consultants and partners – receive the support and help they need to succeed. We cherish our relationships and are determined to continue to be a safe and reliable player in the market. With strong partnerships, the right networks and a passion for creating opportunities, we look forward to an even brighter future for our consultants and clients.

Research and advisory firm Gartner estimates in its latest forecast that global IT spending will increase by 9.8% in 2025 compared to 2024, reaching a staggering $5.61 trillion (S$61.5 trillion).

Generative AI is having an impact on IT spending, and as a result of the AI ​​revolution, companies are estimated to spend 23.2% more on data center systems. Despite this increase, the segment represents the smallest spending item.

The distribution by expense item according to Gartner’s forecast:

Gartner Forecasts Worldwide IT Spending to Grow 9.3% in 2025

Rapid changes in the labor market are leading to a skills shortage. In Sweden, 76% of companies have difficulty finding people with the right skills, which is almost double the number from ten years ago. This is shown by ManpowerGroup’s 2025 skills shortage survey, Talent Shortage, which is based on interviews with more than 40,000 employers in 42 countries. The greatest shortage is in IT skills, with one in four employers having difficulty recruiting IT skills.

To attract talent, Swedish employers primarily use flexible working hours and higher salaries. Globally, however, it is most common to offer skills development and retraining.

ManpowerGroup CEO Per Johansson says the following in a comment:

– The skills shortage in the Swedish labor market is high, cross-industry and persistent. To counteract the problem, employers should review their methods. When it is difficult to recruit the skills needed, companies can work on several fronts, including developing the skills of existing employees.

Top list of skills shortages in Sweden 2025:

1. IT & Data, 26 %
2. Engineers, 17 %
3. Operations & logistics, 17 %
4. Sales & Marketing, 16 %
5. HR, 14 %

The skills shortage distributed across different industries:

The largest skills shortages are in the health, medical care and life science industries (84%), energy and community services and the IT industry (83%). However, all industries have a skills shortage of at least 60%.

The global skills shortage

Globally, the skills shortage is 74%. This figure has remained essentially constant over the past four years. Germany is the country worst affected, with 86% of companies reporting difficulty finding the right skills.

The countries with the biggest skills shortages in 2025:

• Germany, 86%
• Israel, 85%
• Portugal, 84%

Source: Three out of four Swedish companies still suffer from a skills shortage

2024 will go down in history as a challenging year characterized by great uncertainty and unpredictable markets, driven by higher interest rates, inflation and ongoing geopolitical conflicts. The tougher market situation persists and even though we see signs of recovery, it is too early to say that we have reached the bottom of the recession. Despite these challenges, the importance of innovation and new technology in society is increasing and both companies and authorities have a great need to drive their digital transformation even in a weaker economy. This means that the need for competence for the transition to a sustainable society through digitalization remains great.

-We have seen the market conditions as an opportunity for qualitative growth and have intensified sales work and had an increased focus on customer dialogue during the year. We have worked intensively to diversify our service offering, strengthen collaborations and improve the customer experience. Proactivity in customer dialogues combined with a focus on constantly optimizing and streamlining the organization has been crucial to Upgraded’s success and strong growth during the year, says Birgitta Hedegård, CEO of Upgraded People AB.

Despite the challenging business climate, 2024 has been a record year for Upgraded People AB. For 2024, sales amount to just over SEK 1.73 billion compared to SEK 1.06 billion in 2023, which corresponds to organic growth of approximately 63%. Looking at the last three years, sales growth is 246%.

-Going against the flow and being able to present such strong growth in a weak market feels fantastic and shows stability and competitiveness as well as the competence and driving force that exists in the organization, says Birgitta Hedegård, CEO of Upgraded People AB.

During the year, we have won several exciting procurements and been awarded many new assignments in both the public and private sectors. Among our new customers, we can proudly count ALMI, Landskrona and Eslöv municipalities, the Swedish Post and Telecom Agency (PTS) and Södertörn.

Looking at the private sector, it is primarily in the banking, finance and insurance segments; energy and the automotive industry that there is the most activity. In the public sector, we continue to be strengthened with increased trust from government agencies, municipalities and regions.

Important events during the year:

• Several new strategic framework agreements signed in both the public and private sectors.
• Internationalization as Upgraded establishes itself outside Sweden’s borders through its entry into Norway and Denmark.
• Ranked number 74 in Upsales Revenue Journal Ranking of Sweden’s fastest growing B2B companies.
• The growth journey is recognized by Dagens Industri by awarding DI Gasell for the second year in a row

As one of the leading consulting brokers in Sweden, Upgraded is well positioned to continue growing and taking market share when the market turns around.

“We have a strong position in the market. The year has given us several new assignments and we continue to strengthen our position in banking, finance, public sector and automotive. Furthermore, we are aiming for a turnover exceeding 2 billion in 2025. I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved together in 2024, which was, after all, the best year in Upgraded’s 15-year history. I look forward with great confidence and anticipation to everything the future has to offer and we will always emerge stronger from a tougher market.”

Birgitta Hedegård

CEO Upgraded People AB

About Upgraded

Upgraded offers the market tailor-made solutions to meet the unique needs and wishes of its clients, we have a focus on services that lead the digital transformation forward to sleeplessly take on the challenges and opportunities of the future. Upgraded’s clients are found in both the public and private sectors with resource deliveries in Sweden, Norway and Denmark with over 1000 consultants on assignment. The turnover for 2024 amounted to just over 1.73 billion sek.