Jonas Engström received a warm and dignified tribute on Saturday. We said so after the game against MoDo, and we stand by it. Number 17 belongs up there.
But once the applause has faded, another question remains.
When will Jonas Engström become IK’s club CEO?
For us, he is the obvious candidate.
In our column on 15 October, we called for a permanent club leader who could represent IK and explain its ambitions. Someone who could bring together the finances, the hockey and the club’s relationship with Oskarshamn. Now we want to put a name to that argument.
There is evidence of his leadership
Engström was captain for eight seasons and led the team when IK won promotion to the SHL in 2019. He was there as the club changed, as expectations grew and as success gave way to the daily demands of competing at an entirely different level.
Those experiences should carry real weight when the club looks for its next leader.
There is also a concrete example that says a great deal about his leadership.
When Oscar Engsund took over the captaincy in 2023, he said Jonas had helped him settle into the role.
That is a concrete example of the value Engström brought even after someone else had been given the C. Our reading is that he continued to take responsibility for the team and to help its next leader succeed. That kind of behaviour matters a great deal to us.
We also see Jonas as someone who can represent IK with both seriousness and an approachable manner. Professional in front of a microphone, easy to talk to around town. He understands the hockey and the people who make it possible in Oskarshamn.
When reflecting on the SHL years, he specifically credited the supporters and local businesses with making that success possible. Whoever leads the whole club needs that perspective.
He has moved forward beyond hockey, too
There is also an important part of his background that deserves more attention in this discussion.
In March, Hockeynews reported, citing an interview with Barometern-OT, that Engström had studied leadership and business administration and started working as a production supervisor for a port operator.
He has therefore taken steps towards applying his leadership in working life. That makes him a more interesting candidate. We need to know more about the scope of his responsibilities, but this experience should be part of any assessment of his suitability.
IK’s youth website also lists him as a coach for Team 17. His connection to the club continues in a different part of its operations from the one where we were most used to seeing him.
It is the combination that makes him such an obvious candidate for us: his hockey knowledge, the trust he commands, his roots in the club and community, and his willingness to develop his skills.
Take the job itself seriously
IK advertised for a club CEO in June. The club’s contact page still lists Jonas Lennartsson as finance director and acting club CEO.
The job specification includes much that we recognise in Engström: assured leadership, the ability to bring people together and the ability to represent the club. But it also calls for several years of responsibility for operations, budgets and staff, as well as commercial experience.
This is where the case for him needs to stand up to proper scrutiny.
Eight seasons as captain tell us a great deal about his leadership. They do not, in themselves, show what experience he has of running an organisation, driving sales or taking responsibility for financial results. The board needs to explore those areas with him.
The IK group reported turnover of SEK 45.9 million and a loss of SEK 0.9 million for 2025/26. This is an organisation that carries significant responsibilities. The club CEO must understand the finances, grow revenue and be able to make uncomfortable decisions.
But when we see such a strong candidate, the next step should be to examine how he would handle the job and what support he would need. His documented strengths justify that conversation.
Build a leadership team that works together
Jonas Lennartsson’s financial expertise is an important part of what makes this possible. IK already has that competence within the organisation.
A carefully considered division of responsibilities could give Engström the scope to lead the organisation, hold it together and represent the club publicly, while making full use of Lennartsson’s experience. Engström would still have to take responsibility for the whole operation. The budget would have to be his concern, too.
The new board makes the prospect interesting. Thomas Högklint has extensive experience in company management. The board also brings expertise in business development, local business, branding and voluntary organisations.
In our view, that provides a good foundation for supporting and challenging a new club CEO. The board’s task would be to give him a clear mandate, decide which results to monitor and make sure the arrangement works day to day.
And IK has done something similar before.
Martin Åkerberg was 25 when he became club CEO in 2012. He had worked his way up through the club office and the role of office manager. When he later reflected on that step, he highlighted the board’s plan and backing as decisive.
Their experiences differ, but that part of IK’s history is relevant: the club has previously recognised potential in someone with strong roots in the organisation and created the conditions for him to succeed.
Åkerberg would also be a natural person to approach about mentoring or regular conversations, if both he and Engström wanted that. His experience of this particular club should be valuable. It is an option worth exploring.
Arsi needs a boss who understands and asks questions
Engström and Arsi Piispanen know each other from their years as teammates. They finished level at the top of IK’s scoring list across the full season when the club won promotion in 2019.
There is shared experience to build on.
As club CEO, Engström would also need to be able to hold the sporting director to account. What are we trying to achieve? What can it cost? How does a decision fit with what we have said IK should be?
That relationship must be strong enough to accommodate disagreement.
This is also where we see value in Jonas’s authority. We believe he has the integrity to listen, understand and challenge when necessary. A leader needs to be able to explain a decision to the town and ask uncomfortable questions before it is made.
Knowing Arsi well could make their working relationship stronger, provided their mandates and responsibilities are clear.
Time to move forward
Jonas’s playing career at IK did not end as he had hoped. The captaincy passed to someone else in 2023, and after relegation in 2024 he was not offered a new contract. In his interview with Barometern-OT, reported by Hockeysverige in March, he spoke about his disappointment and his wish to continue. The sporting director at the time, Oscar Alsenfelt, said IK’s decision had been made on sporting grounds.
But circumstances have changed. Since then, IK has appointed a new sporting director, a new head coach and a new chair. There are now good reasons for a fresh conversation about the future. Jonas’s ability to contribute to the club did not end when his playing contract expired.
Now it is about his next role
With number 17 in the rafters, we can turn our attention to what Jonas Engström could contribute in the years ahead.
We do not know whether he wants the job or what conversations may already have taken place. That is for him and the board.
Our view, however, is clear.
Engström combines leadership we have seen over many years with an understanding of the club and the town that would be difficult to find in another recruit. Add to that his education and experience since leaving professional hockey. With Lennartsson’s expertise and carefully considered support from the board, there are good reasons to try to make this arrangement work.
That is why we want IK to take the next step with Jonas Engström.
Find out what he wants. Discuss the full responsibilities of the job with him. Give him a clear mandate and the right support if both sides want to proceed.
When Oskar Nilsson addressed the crowd at the jersey retirement, he put into words the kind of person Jonas is: “People like this do not grow on trees.”
We agree. And our conclusion is that IK should do everything it can to put him at the head of the organisation.
Number 17 has its place in the rafters.
Now the question should be when Jonas Engström becomes IK’s club CEO.