With roots stretching back to 1852, adaptation has always been part of Loomis. From its early beginnings transporting valuables to today’s international business spanning cash management, digital payments, secure storage and transportation, the company has continuously evolved alongside changing markets and customer needs.
Today, that evolution is accelerating. Loomis is broadening its offering, developing new services and moving closer to customers in a market where expectations, technologies and buying behaviors are changing rapidly.
For Mårten Lundberg, CHRO & CMO at Loomis AB, this transformation begins with the business and has direct implications for leadership and HR.
Today, that evolution is accelerating. Loomis is broadening its offering, developing new services and moving closer to customers in a market where expectations, technologies and buying behaviors are changing rapidly.
For Mårten Lundberg, CHRO & CMO at Loomis AB, this transformation begins with the business and has direct implications for leadership and HR.
“Our ability to adapt has been a common thread throughout Loomis’ history. What that means for leadership today is that we need to manage both at the same time: continue developing the businesses we rely on today while also building and introducing the revenues of tomorrow.”
Starting with the business, not the HR process
Loomis takes an outside-in approach to its people agenda.
The starting point is not recruitment, development or succession planning in isolation. It is understanding where the market is moving, what customers will need, how the business needs to respond and which capabilities are required to make that strategy successful.
Mårten describes the sequence simply: understand the market, define the right business plan, determine how the organization should be structured, identify the critical capabilities, and then decide which people are needed.
Only after that do the HR processes come into play.
The starting point is not recruitment, development or succession planning in isolation. It is understanding where the market is moving, what customers will need, how the business needs to respond and which capabilities are required to make that strategy successful.
Mårten describes the sequence simply: understand the market, define the right business plan, determine how the organization should be structured, identify the critical capabilities, and then decide which people are needed.
Only after that do the HR processes come into play.
“Where does the business need to be? How should we organize to succeed? What are the key capabilities, and which players do we need? Once you have that picture together with the management team, you can apply the HR toolbox: recruitment, development, compensation, engagement and the other people processes.”
This business-to-HR perspective is particularly important as Loomis expands beyond its traditional businesses. Leaders increasingly need to develop strong existing operations while also building new products, services and customer relationships.
That creates new requirements on leadership and makes it increasingly important to understand what capabilities are needed for future success.
That creates new requirements on leadership and makes it increasingly important to understand what capabilities are needed for future success.
A more data-driven foundation for people decisions
As those requirements change, Loomis is also strengthening how data is used in recruitment, development and succession.
The CohrEx Platform is one of the tools supporting that approach. Based on the capabilities required for a role, the assessment platform provides an additional, structured perspective on candidates and employees alongside interviews, experience and managerial judgment.
For critical recruitment decisions, Loomis has used CohrEx as a second opinion, helping strengthen the decision basis and reduce uncertainty in the selection process.
The platform is also used to support team dynamics & development, helping leaders better understand and optimize how individual strengths come together within a team.
Mårten also sees an important organizational effect. When HR and business leaders work from the same data, people decisions become a shared business discussion rather than a separate HR process.
The CohrEx Platform is one of the tools supporting that approach. Based on the capabilities required for a role, the assessment platform provides an additional, structured perspective on candidates and employees alongside interviews, experience and managerial judgment.
For critical recruitment decisions, Loomis has used CohrEx as a second opinion, helping strengthen the decision basis and reduce uncertainty in the selection process.
The platform is also used to support team dynamics & development, helping leaders better understand and optimize how individual strengths come together within a team.
Mårten also sees an important organizational effect. When HR and business leaders work from the same data, people decisions become a shared business discussion rather than a separate HR process.
“I now see line managers and HR managers sitting on the same side of the table, taking decisions based on the same information.”
Today, Loomis US, France, Spain, Norway, Switzerland, Argentina and Loomis Pay use the CohrEx platform across recruitment and development initiatives.
The applications vary by market. In the US, the approach has supported decisions around critical operational leadership hiring for the last two years. Beyond recruitment, countries as Spain, France, and Norway are emphasizing leadership development in changing market environments.
This reflects the decentralized structure of Loomis. The objective is not to impose one universal leadership profile, but to understand what success requires in a specific business, role and market.
The applications vary by market. In the US, the approach has supported decisions around critical operational leadership hiring for the last two years. Beyond recruitment, countries as Spain, France, and Norway are emphasizing leadership development in changing market environments.
This reflects the decentralized structure of Loomis. The objective is not to impose one universal leadership profile, but to understand what success requires in a specific business, role and market.
Building leadership capability for what comes next
Loomis is also strengthening its leadership pipeline through several development initiatives, including the global Catalyst program and local management programs, which focuses on the journey from talent to executive leadership.
At the same time, Mårten believes the transformation of the business requires Loomis to combine internal development with new capabilities from outside the organization.
Whether recruiting externally, developing an existing leader or planning succession, the principle remains the same: start with where the business is going and assess people against what will be required next. The same insights can also support team development, helping leaders better understand team dynamics and how different strengths can complement each other.
Data and AI are expected to play an increasing role in supporting those decisions. For Mårten, the opportunity is not to replace leadership judgment, but to give leaders better information while freeing more of their time for the work that requires human judgment.
At the same time, Mårten believes the transformation of the business requires Loomis to combine internal development with new capabilities from outside the organization.
Whether recruiting externally, developing an existing leader or planning succession, the principle remains the same: start with where the business is going and assess people against what will be required next. The same insights can also support team development, helping leaders better understand team dynamics and how different strengths can complement each other.
Data and AI are expected to play an increasing role in supporting those decisions. For Mårten, the opportunity is not to replace leadership judgment, but to give leaders better information while freeing more of their time for the work that requires human judgment.
“We need to spend more human brainpower on analyzing, understanding and making decisions in a very complex world.”
For Loomis, becoming more data-driven is therefore closely connected to its broader transformation.
Better information helps HR and business leaders understand the capabilities they need, make stronger people decisions and focus their time on moving the business forward.
For a company approaching 175 years of continuous adaptation, that connection between business strategy, leadership and people will, as it always has, be an important part of the next chapter.
Better information helps HR and business leaders understand the capabilities they need, make stronger people decisions and focus their time on moving the business forward.
For a company approaching 175 years of continuous adaptation, that connection between business strategy, leadership and people will, as it always has, be an important part of the next chapter.
