Understanding change is no longer enough
Most organizations have access to more information than ever before.
Yet many struggle to create clarity, alignment and coordinated movement.
The challenge is rarely a lack of intelligence.
It is the ability to interpret change, orient around what matters and move together before uncertainty becomes disruption.
MKAdvise was created to help leaders strengthen that capability.
Not through more frameworks.
But through better strategic conversations, stronger governance and clearer collective orientation.
From Insight to Movement
My work sits at the intersection of:
Strategy
Understanding how industries, business models and competitive landscapes evolve.
Governance
Creating structures and conversations that help organizations adapt rather than simply control.
Business Models
Identifying how value creation shifts before traditional assumptions become constraints.
Execution
Helping leadership teams translate strategic intent into coherent organizational action.
Leadership Dialogue
Creating the conditions for better conversations, stronger alignment and clearer decisions.
I believe organizations rarely fail because they lack intelligence.
They struggle when orientation weakens and movement becomes fragmented.
That is where I focus my work.
What music has taught me about collective performance
My perspective has been shaped not only by strategy, governance and business transformation, but also by years of experience in collaborative musical performance.
In both organizations and ensembles, success rarely depends on individual excellence alone.
It depends on interpretation, listening, timing and the ability to move together around a shared direction.
Music has taught me that alignment is not created through control.
It is created through understanding.
That perspective continues to influence how I think about leadership, governance and organizational movement today.
About Maria
Maria Karlsson is a strategic advisor, speaker and business transformation leader with almost three decades of international experience across Europe, Asia, Africa and North America.
Throughout her career, she has worked at the intersection of strategy, business model evolution, governance and organizational change—helping organizations navigate complexity, align around direction and turn strategic ambition into coordinated action.
Her experience spans industries including telecommunications, industrial manufacturing, financial services, cybersecurity and higher education. She has worked with organizations including Telia, Scania, DeLaval, Husqvarna Group, Crypto International, SEB and Johnson & Wales University.
A recurring theme throughout her work has been helping leadership teams understand change earlier, challenge established assumptions and create the conditions required for meaningful organizational movement.
Today, Maria combines her role at SEB with selected advisory, speaking and board-related engagements through MKAdvise, where she focuses on adaptive governance, strategic orientation and leadership dialogue in uncertain environments.
Selected Experience
Across industries and geographies, a recurring theme has been helping organizations adapt to changing markets, evolving customer expectations and new business realities.
The contexts have varied. The challenge has often been the same:
Creating clarity, alignment and movement when established ways of working are no longer enough.
Telia
Business Model Innovation & Digital Services
Helped shape new digital service offerings and business models as telecommunications markets evolved beyond traditional connectivity.
Scania
Service Transformation & Solution Business
Supported the shift from product-centric thinking toward long-term customer value through services, solutions and new commercial models.
DeLaval
Subscription Services & Strategy Execution
Contributed to the development of recurring revenue models and helped strengthen the connection between strategic intent and operational execution.
Husqvarna Group
Portfolio Strategy & Digital Business Development
Worked with business development and portfolio strategy in an environment shaped by digitalization, changing customer behavior and new growth opportunities.
Crypto International
Business Transformation & Cybersecurity Positioning
Part of the executive team establishing the new company and helping transform a traditional encryption business into a modern cybersecurity-focused organization.
SEB
Strategy Execution & Governance
Supporting leadership teams in translating strategic direction into governance structures, prioritization and coordinated organizational action.
Johnson & Wales University
International Growth & Market Entry
Helped establish and expand an international education initiative, creating partnerships and market presence in a new geography.