How do you lead a fast-growing company, bring the entire team along in the same direction, and make goals something that actually engages people in day-to-day work? In this episode of Nå mål, Ebba Lagercrantz, CEO of Pändy, joins the show and shares her experiences from e-commerce, marketing, and the journey from operational roles to leading an entire company.

The interview is hosted by Sofie Hederstad, CEO and co-founder of Noxit.

From e-commerce to CEO of Pändy

Who is Ebba Lagercrantz, and what did your journey to the CEO role look like?
My name is Ebba Lagercrantz, I’m 32 years old and grew up in Stockholm. I have a background in e-commerce and marketing and today I lead Pändy, a confectionery company within FMCG. When I started at Pändy five years ago, we were only three people, however today we are 17 employees and part of Humble Group.

What is Pändy?

Tell us about Pändy who are you and what do you do?
Pändy is a Swedish confectionery company focused on reduced-sugar candy. We start from classic candy varieties that many people recognize from pick and mix candy color, taste, and shape. We remove the sugar and replace it with our own patented fiber solution. The result is candy with no added sugar, without compromising the taste experience. When the company was founded, the focus was protein-enriched products for a niche fitness audience. Shortly before I joined, a complete repositioning of the brand took place, shifting from protein to sugar reduction. I came in as Marketing Manager in 2020 with the task of leading that transition.

Where are Pändy’s products available?

Where can you buy Pändy today?

Pändy’s products are widely distributed in the Sweden and Norway in grocery retail, convenience retail such as Pressbyrån and 7-Eleven, online via online pharmacies, Amazon, and our own e-commerce store. For customers outside the Nordics, Amazon is the easiest way to find Pändy.

Early experience with goals and KPIs

How did you start working with goals and KPIs?
My background in e-commerce has shaped how I work with goals. In e-commerce, almost everything is measurable. Early in my career, I worked with influencer marketing at a large e-commerce company, where goals were extremely concrete, often tied to sales through discount codes.
We had clear KPIs that showed exactly how much revenue each campaign generated. That built a strong understanding of the relationship between activity and results, something I’ve benefited greatly from later as a leader.

From individual goals to company governance

How does goal-setting differ as a CEO compared to operational roles?
It’s a huge difference. As CEO, it’s not just about your own KPIs it’s about getting the entire organization moving in the same direction. At Pändy, we are 100% owned by Humble Group, which means overarching goals and priorities are set at the group level.
My role is to translate these owner directives into concrete, realistic goals for Pändy at the company level, team level, and individual level. Everyone should understand why the goals exist and how their work contributes to the bigger picture.

How Pändy works with goals

How do you break goals down across the organization?
The work starts in the budgeting process, often with forecasts from the sales team. Logistics, operations, and marketing are then involved to ensure the goals are achievable. Once company goals are set, they’re broken down into team goals and then further into individual KPIs.
Everyone at Pändy has clear goals—individual KPIs, team goals, and company goals. That creates accountability, transparency, and engagement.

Follow-up: monthly, quarterly, and yearly

How often do you follow up on your KPIs?
We work with monthly KPIs and follow up both monthly and quarterly. At the same time, the full-year budget is what ultimately governs. Individual months can vary, but over time the quarters and the year should align with the plan.

Engagement in a fast-growing company

How do you get different personalities aligned behind the same goals?
Transparency is crucial. Employees need to understand where the numbers come from and feel that the goals are both challenging and realistic. In a growth company like Pändy, you often attract people who are driven and open to change, which helps.
If someone still feels resistance, we try to break the goals down into smaller parts and understand what’s creating uncertainty. Engagement is created through participation.

Balancing short-term and long-term

How do you balance daily operations with long-term transformation?
That’s one of the biggest leadership challenges. Pändy has grown quickly and shifted from a strong growth focus to an increased focus on profitability. At the same time, day-to-day operations have to work.
We work agilely and have always had a three-year strategy, but it has been revised several times. For us, it’s about daring to think ahead without losing momentum in everyday work.

A success factor: digital-first

What are you most proud of in Pändy’s journey?
That we dared to do things differently. We had a clear digital-first perspective early on, both in marketing and sales. Through e-commerce and digital marketplaces, we could quickly gather data, understand our target audience, and build the brand.
That laid the foundation for our rapid growth and made it easier later to step back into physical retail with better insights than many traditional players.

How Pändy celebrates when goals are reached

How do you celebrate successes?
Celebrating goals is important to us. We have monthly after-works where we highlight both big and small successes. That can include everything from personal achievements to reaching major milestones.
Recently, we celebrated that Pändy passed SEK 100 million in year-to-date revenue—with a big party. Pausing to celebrate strengthens both culture and motivation.

Ebba’s leadership at Pändy is characterized by clear goals, transparency, and strong commitment to both people and results. By combining a data-driven approach, realistic KPIs, and a clear direction, Pändy has grown from a small team into an established candy-shelf brand—and the journey continues. We thank Ebba for joining the Nå mål podcast.