Jenny Vikström new Chief financial officer of the Municipality of Boden

Jenny Vikström takes on the role of CFO at a time when the Municipality of Boden is undergoing a societal transformation of a rarely seen magnitude.

“A natural consequence of this transformation is that the financial situation is challenging, of course. Housing construction is the key to increasing in-migration, which in turn will lead to higher tax revenues,” Jenny notes.

At the same time, it is precisely this situation, combined with her background and deep familiarity with the Municipality of Boden, that draws her back. After more than 17 years in the municipal sector, she knows exactly what she is taking on. She has worked for the Municipality of Boden for 14 years, eleven of them in municipality-wide roles within the finance department.

“In Boden, I started as a controller in what was then called the Technical Administration, before moving to the finance department. There, I managed the budget process, which among other things results in the strategic plan, and I was also involved in the governance model and follow-up reports (monthly reports, interim reports, and the annual report). I also worked with borrowing, taxation, and more.”

Jenny took part in the most recent reorganization of the Municipality of Boden and has helped develop several of the municipality-wide strategic financial plans in recent years, together with the municipal executive management. Three years ago, she left the Municipality of Boden for a temporary assignment as Deputy CFO in the neighboring municipality of Luleå, where she also worked extensively with municipal companies.

“It was great fun and very educational in many ways to work in a larger municipality. But here in Boden, the finance department is larger because, among other things, procurement and purchasing are part of the same department. There are many advantages to being located close to one another, and in a smaller municipality the lines of communication are faster and a bit simpler.”

Even though she has not been away for long, there is much to familiarize herself with as she has recently stepped into her new role as CFO.

“But both new and former colleagues here are incredibly skilled and highly competent, which makes things easier. There are many capable employees in the organization working to make things as good as possible. It’s an exciting time, and I am optimistic about the future. In general, I find working in the municipal sector very rewarding, things are constantly happening. Now I look forward to contributing what I can in my own home municipality, no longer commuting, and being able to enjoy närhetsliv, a close-to-home lifestyle, with everything nearby here in Boden.”