“The SBL program gives you a deep and broad understanding of the business.”

Emma Gremo has been the CEO of the construction services company, Metrolit Service, since January 2026, having previously worked in a number of different roles at Oljibe AB, latterly as a member of the management group, thanks to her roles as project manager and Head of Quality, Sustainability and EHS. In 2025, Emma completed the Executive Management for Construction and Real Estate – SBL program.

The increased understanding of economy and finance, business, and management she gained gave her the tools she needed to take better decisions, to understand clients’ businesses, and to lead the organization with a clearer focus on its commercial aspects. 

Why did you choose to take the course?

“I knew about production and operations, thanks to my managerial roles and my membership of the management group, but whilst I did have experience of working as an entrepreneur, I’d never studied economics at university level. So, a big part of why I chose to do the course was a desire to increase my understanding of strategic and commercial aspects, over and above the operational ones and the things I had learned during my career. I wanted to broaden by competence when it came to strategic issues and to gain a better understanding of my clients’ businesses, for example. My boss recognized that the course would be a good fit for me, and the Stockholm School of Economics is, after all, an acknowledged educational establishment for developing your business and economy and finance skills.”

The course has been around since 1980 and is a comprehensive and thorough one, covering a broad range of subject areas. Were there any particular elements that were especially useful for you?

“The elements that I particularly appreciated included the one on values-based leadership, which involved us using workshops to train each other in coaching leadership. That was both inspirational and of practical use. The actual economy and finance section sometimes felt overly detailed when I was in the midst of it, but I’ve latterly come to really appreciate all the things I learned. I’ve always had a good head for project economics, but financial analysis and strategy used to be weak points for me, and the course really opened up new doors for me. The course gave me the bigger picture strategic understanding of business administration and economics I was looking for. The first module, on external developments, sustainability, and digitalization, and their impact on our sector, was incredibly beneficial too. It was interesting to see the bigger picture and to use scientifically supported arguments to think about how you can build robustness into your organization in the changeable and unpredictable world in which we live.”

What is your personal view of the challenges that the construction and property industry now faces?

“The situation in the outside world is extremely volatile and even experts find it hard to predict economic trends. We are also, at the same time, facing enormous challenges in relation to things like climate change, digitalization, and AI. The most important thing we can do right now is recognize that the world is constantly changing and focus on how that affects all of us in this industry. It’s vital to build stability into your company while remaining open to change and having the courage to learn something new, to try out different things and to evaluate them. It’s more important than ever, in an uncertain world like this, that we work together within the industry. We must be transparent, support each other, and face the challenges standing shoulder to shoulder.”

“IT’S VITAL TO BUILD STABILITY INTO YOUR COMPANY WHILE REMAINING OPEN TO CHANGE AND HAVING THE COURAGE TO LEARN SOMETHING NEW, TO TRY OUT DIFFERENT THINGS AND TO EVALUATE THEM.”

How would you rate the standard of the program and the teaching methods used overall?

“As someone who really wanted to learn something new and to be challenged, I thought that the standard of both the actual program and the lecturers was as high as I’d hoped. Which didn’t stop it all feeling accessible and grounded in reality and I found I could relate most of what we studied to our own company and sector. I also appreciated the opportunities to share with other participants. The group included representatives from different parts of the industry, which meant you could step outside your own bubble. Developers, property owners, and entrepreneurs were all able to give their respective views on a range of different issues, and it was just as important to discuss things with your counterparts and take the different mindsets and approaches on board as it was to listen to the tutors and lecturers. The group composition was also really good in terms of experience levels, in that everyone was at management group level and had experienced similar situations.”

“I HAVE A BETTER GRASP OF THE KPI:S THAT ARE IMPORTANT IN TERMS OF MONITORING FINANCIAL AND ECONOMIC ISSUES AT CORPORATE LEVEL AND A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE BIG PICTURE.”

Have the new tools you have gained and lessons you learned from the program been of concrete use to you?

“I have a better grasp of the KPIs that are important in terms of monitoring financial and economic issues at corporate level and a better understanding of the big picture. I also learned to flip the perspective and look at things from a different angle, which not only makes it easier, generally speaking, to navigate in uncertain times but also improves the prospects for collaborations with clients, suppliers, and subcontractors. It also fosters creativity, which I think is essential when it comes to tackling rapid changes. And the elements of the program that addressed feedback culture and how to work systematically with change management gave me a toolbox of methods that I can use in real life, which has also been hugely useful.”

What sort of commercial benefits can companies reap, in general terms, from having their managers take this course?

“I think this a fantastic course and I’m positive that companies will find their investment more than offsets its initial outlay in terms both of increased knowhow and a shift in how managers think and act. The industry needs leaders who have both depth and breadth in their understanding of business, and the SBL program provides precisely that. The course also really yields dividends in the form of better leadership. Once you’ve completed it, you see your own organization with fresh eyes and are able to focus correctly on navigating a course to improved decision making based on a clearer strategy. Having leaders with solid educational background also generates credibility with the clients. Different participants will obviously get different things from the program, but for me, I’d say that my helicopter perspective became more comprehensive and that my business mindset developed. My self-confidence improved too.”

“THE INDUSTRY NEEDS LEADERS WHO HAVE BOTH DEPTH AND BREADTH IN THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF BUSINESS, AND THE SBL PROGRAM PROVIDES PRECICELY THAT.”

What did you think of the makeup of the group?

“The fact that the participants came from different parts of the sector was rewarding and generated lots of interesting discussions. I gained a better understanding of our clients and, at the same time, learned how to explain things to them from the contractor’s perspective. We gained an understanding of each other’s business models and of how we work with things like sustainability. And that’s important, because I’m convinced that better collaboration and cooperation is the key to being able to bring about improvements and meet the common challenges that the industry faces nowadays. Plus, those of us who were on the course stayed in touch once the course was over. We really got to know each other at a deeper level, and I wouldn’t hesitate to get in touch with any of them and ask them questions if I needed to.”