---
title: E-COM LEADERS IN THE HOT SEAT AT D-CONGRESS – LIVE FROM QLIRO’S PODCAST STUDIO
description: Hear top Swedish e-commerce leaders share exclusive insights live from D-Congress in Qliro’s podcast studio. Growth tips, trends, and behind-the-scenes stories with profiles from Lyko, Meds, Adlibris, Essnce, Lager 157 and Qliro.
---

[Qliro blog ](https://content.qliro.com/for-merchants/blog)

# [E-COM LEADERS IN THE HOT SEAT AT D-CONGRESS – LIVE FROM QLIRO’S PODCAST STUDIO](https://content.qliro.com/for-merchants/blog/e-com-profiles-grilled-in-qliros-podcast-studio-during-d-congress)

 Written by [Qliro](https://content.qliro.com/for-merchants/blog/author/qliro) | Mar 12, 2024 3:00:00 PM

Sweden’s largest digital commerce event, D-Congress, occurred as usual at Svenska Mässan in Gothenburg in early March. On-site to speak with some of Sweden’s sharpest e-commerce leaders was Stefan Lundell from Breakit.

The e-commerce sector is buzzing with renewed energy. After a few challenging years, signs of recovery were evident at this year’s D-Congress. Among the more than 100 exhibitors, payment provider Qliro had a booth featuring a mobile podcast studio. There, Breakit founder Stefan Lundell hosted a series of live interviews with some of Sweden’s most influential e-commerce profiles. Visitors on site had the opportunity to listen to the interviews live. For those who couldn't attend, we've gathered the interviews in a special podcast filled with industry insights and a fair share of revealing moments.

> "If it takes too much analysis, it's probably not a good investment."

One of the guests in the podcast studio was Stefan Palm, founder of Lager 157. During the conversation, Stefan revealed plans for a major investment in a secret tech company and shared insights on his involvement with Nelly:

*“Nelly has made several positive cost-cutting actions, which sent good signals. Also, I saw it as a personal challenge – I wanted to test my arguments outside my usual environment. Now there’s a balanced ownership group with strong e-commerce expertise.”*

Stefan continues by sharing his perspective on sponsorship, a hot topic given Lager 157 Ski Team’s participation in the Vasaloppet race. He believes deep commitment is key to sponsorship success and that its value is easy to assess:

*“If you need to calculate the return, it’s not interesting enough. A good investment delivers tangible value both externally and internally.”*

More top e-commerce leaders interviewed at D-Congress and highlights from their talks:

- **Björn Thorngren**, founder of Meds, on why retailers are the new winners in e-commerce and why Caia copies are losing.
- **Erika Lyko**, major co-owner of** **Lyko,** **on a near-catastrophe, a chaotic store opening that changed everything, her relationship with her brother, and why analysts get it wrong.
- **Christoffer Rutgersson**, CEO of** **Qliro, on how he joined the payment company undercover and led a turnaround aiming to make Qliro the leading European payment solution for e-commerce merchants.
- **Jonna Gustafsson**, founder of Essnce, on starting in a garage and selling perfumes worth SEK 50 million three years later (with solid profits), her smart TikTok strategy, and how she declined Carola and “discovered” Bianca Ingrosso.
- **Jonas Karlén**, CEO of Adlibris, on strategies to increase profits and investments in hot new e-commerce trends.

Listen to the special podcast with all the interviews here:

<https://open.spotify.com/episode/6Hh1ssJCDchqZ9ruokVMCg>

<https://podcasts.apple.com/se/podcast/special-stefan-lundell-grillar-e-handelsstj%C3%A4rnorna/id962159150?i=1000648863827&l=en-GB>

 

 

 

 

 

 

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