
Why Skills-First Leadership Is Replacing the Ivy League Playbook in the C-Suite
The old prestige pyramid—where Ivy League degrees and blue-chip consulting backgrounds paved the way to the CEO seat—is cracking.
July 7, 2022: -On Tuesday, Electric vehicle battery maker Northvolt announced a $1.1 billion funding increase, with a scope of investors, including Volkswagen and Goldman Sachs Asset Management, taking part in the capital increase.
In a statement, Sweden-based Northvolt said the $1.1 billion convertible note would be used to finance the company’s “expansion of battery cell and cathode material production in Europe to support the rapidly expanding demand for batteries.”
Other investors in the raise include Baillie Gifford, Swedbank Robur, PCS Holding, and TM Capital.
Recently, Northvolt said its initial gigafactory, Northvolt Ett, had started commercial deliveries to European customers. The company says it has orders amounting to $55 billion from businesses such as Volvo Cars, BMW, and Volkswagen.
Gigafactories are skills that create batteries for electric vehicles on a large scale. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has been credited as coining the term.
Northvolt’s most recent funding announcement comes when major European economies plan to move away from road-based vehicles that use diesel and gasoline.
For instance, the U.K. wants to stop selling new diesel and gasoline cars and vans in this decade. All latest cars and vans will require zero-tailpipe emissions by 2035. The European Union, which the U.K. left on Jan. 31, 2020, is pursuing similar targets.
As the number of electric vehicles on roads increases, the competition to develop factories capable of manufacturing EV batteries at scale is intensifying, with companies like Tesla and VW looking to establish a foothold in the sector.
In a statement issued Tuesday, Northvolt’s CEO and co-founder, Peter Carlsson, was bullish about the future.
“The combination of political decision making, customers, engaging even more firmly to the transition to electric vehicles, and a rapid rise in consumer demand for cleaner products has created a perfect storm for electrification,” he said.
According to the International Energy Agency, electric vehicle sales will hit 6.6 million in 2021. In the initial quarter of 2022, EV sales came to 2 million, a 75% increase corresponding to the first three months of 2021.
The old prestige pyramid—where Ivy League degrees and blue-chip consulting backgrounds paved the way to the CEO seat—is cracking.
Loud leaders once ruled the boardroom. Charisma was currency. Big talk drove big valuations.
But the CEOs who make history in downturns aren’t the ones with the deepest cuts
Companies invest millions in leadership development, yet many of their best executives leave within a few years. Why?
The most successful business leaders don’t just identify gaps in the market; they anticipate future needs before anyone else.
With technological advancements, shifting consumer expectations, and global interconnectedness, the role of business leaders
May 30, 2025: Canada’s economy expanded at an annualized rate of 2.2% in the first quarter of 2025, outperforming the market forecast of 1.7%.
May 28, 2025: SpaceX’s latest Starship test flight, conducted on May 27, 2025, ended in failure when the spacecraft’s upper stage broke apart during its descent over the Indian Ocean.
May 27, 2025: Greek Coastguards Charged Over 2023 Pylos Migrant Shipwreck That Killed Hundreds
May 27, 2025: Volvo to Cut 3,000 Jobs in Europe as Part of $1.9B Restructuring Amid EV Slowdown and Tariff Pressures.
Leave us a message
Subscribe
Fill the form our team will contact you
Advertise with us
Fill the form our team will contact you