Philanthropists making a difference
Take part in our customers' inspiring stories about how they choose to give back to contribute to something better. Here they share their thoughts on philanthropy and talk about their various projects.
Fearless, driven and steadfastly committed
For Fredrik Hillelson, entrepreneurship and social impact go hand in hand. He is the founder and CEO of the recruitment group Novare, but also the co-founder and driving force behind Beredskapslyftet – a non-profit organisation set up to deliver rapid, concrete action in times of societal crisis and challenge.
“I’ve never called myself a philanthropist. I usually say I’m a networking, impatient doer. But perhaps our work is a form of modern philanthropy,” says Fredrik.
Rooted in heritage
Fredrik grew up in Sweden as the child of war refugees. His father was born in Sweden in 1941, later moved to Germany with his mother, and returned with the White Buses in 1945. He was housed in a museum in Malmö that had temporarily been converted into a refugee reception centre. His mother was born in 1944 in the Sudetenland, a German-speaking part of what is now the Czech Republic, and came to Sweden a few years later.
“It means I’m the child of immigrants. When I was younger, I didn’t think much about it. But today I do, and I believe it’s part of why I do what I do.”
From barracks to business
His professional life began in the military. Fredrik thrived on the sense of belonging but felt restless. He switched path, studied behavioural science and soon found his way into business. After roles at Scania, Accenture and Investor, in the summer of 2000 he was asked to build a new recruitment company within the Wallenberg sphere: Novare.
Today, he is the main owner and leads the company from Blasieholmen in Stockholm, together with 130 colleagues.
A phone call that sparked it all
In March 2020, during the initial chaos of the pandemic, Fredrik received a call from Oscar Stege Unger – active within the Wallenberg sphere and a board member of SAS. The airline had just furloughed 1,000 cabin crew due to travel restrictions. Could something be done?
“As a former officer, it’s important for me to act. I immediately called the head of Sophiahemmet and proposed a project to retrain SAS cabin crew for healthcare. By the next day we had secured funding. That evening we communicated with SAS employees and two weeks later the first participants began their training.”
That was the start of Beredskapslyftet, a non-profit association that mobilises resources whenever society faces a crisis.
“We don’t start with theoretical processes. We start with pilot projects. If they work, then we scale. Speed is critical in our efforts.”
I’ve never called myself a philanthropist. I usually say I’m a networking, impatient doer. But perhaps our work is a form of modern philanthropy.
Fredrik Hillelson
Founder and CEO of Novare.
From response to infrastructure
Since then, Beredskapslyftet has launched rapid-response initiatives across several areas. During the second wave of the pandemic, 50 Swedish major companies were contacted to identify former healthcare workers who could temporarily return to relieve the heavily pressured healthcare system. More than 150 people were given the opportunity to take a leave of absence with full pay from their employers to contribute.
When war broke out in Ukraine, just a few phone calls later a temporary school for Ukrainian children was up and running in Stockholm.
“I have a wide network across business, culture, politics and civil society. When I call the Nordic Museum in Stockholm and ask if we can open a school in their premises, there’s a good chance I’ll get a yes. Within two weeks we had 150 children and ten Ukrainian teachers in place, right in the middle of the Nordic Museum.”
More schools soon followed, including at the Museum of Science and Technology in Stockholm and a museum in Finland. Beredskapslyftet also started a job centre. To date, more than 750 Ukrainian women have found employment in Sweden through the organisation.
Women behind the wheel
On the ground in Ukraine, an initiative trains women as lorry and bus drivers, shortage occupations that are vital in wartime.
“We started with 22 women in a pilot project. It was a great success. Last year we trained 350 with support from business and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. This work is concrete, measurable and important. In 2025, we will train 700 women and 100 war veterans in Ukraine with funding from SIDA and the business community.”
Preventing children from ending up on the wrong path
In Sweden, Rätt Kurva is one example of how Beredskapslyftet collaborates with other institutions. The method, developed in Germany, is used in Sweden by NOA, the National Operations Department of the Police. In close cooperation with NOA, Beredskapslyftet supports efforts to identify children aged eight to fifteen at risk of being drawn into gang crime and to give their families the tailored support they need.
“Imagine being told your child is on the way into crime. In these cases, we need to act quickly. If a neuropsychiatric assessment is needed, we fix it. If funding is required for leisure activities, we arrange it. Since last year we’ve received over 250 unique requests in this project.”
A network in motion
Every Saturday morning Fredrik sends an email to hundreds of people in his network with updates, results, concrete needs and real-life stories.
“It’s a simple way to keep in touch. People reply, share and engage as much as they want. It’s a great privilege, but also a responsibility. To be honest, it can be a little nerve-racking at times.”
Today Beredskapslyftet is run with six member companies, an independent board and close cooperation with government agencies, municipalities and other organisations.
“We run an NGO as if it were a limited company, with speed and efficiency. The next crisis will come. The question is not if, but when.”
Learn. Earn. Serve.
For Fredrik, engagement is about responsibility – historical, personal, and between generations.
“There’s a saying I like, about seeing life in three phases: Learn. Earn. Serve. I’m 63 now and I devote a large part of my time to giving back.”
Two of his children work at Novare. A third sits on the board.
“My children were born between 1991 and 2011. Their generation wants to make a difference earlier than we did. Many young people look for employers with genuine social commitment. That gives me hope.”
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