Character Is Destiny - by Pehr Gyllenhammar (Paperback)

About the Book

In Character is Destiny, Pehr Gyllenhammar shares recollections of his 24-year tenure as CEO of Sweden's Volvo Group as well as his experiences in the international business community, as a Track II diplomat, and in the highest circle of global industrialists, politicians, and power brokers. He offers a compelling assessment of the characteristics necessary for a business or a leader to achieve longevity in today's world and takes a hard look at the state of the post-Brexit European Union and the US democracy under the disastrous Trump administration.

Book Synopsis

In Character is Destiny, Pehr Gyllenhammar shares recollections of his 24-year tenure as CEO of Sweden's Volvo Group as well as his experiences in the international business community, as a Track II diplomat, and in the highest circle of global industrialists, politicians, and power brokers. He offers a compelling assessment of the characteristics necessary for a business or a leader to achieve longevity in today's world and takes a hard look at the state of the post-Brexit European Union and the US democracy under the disastrous Trump administration.

Review Quotes

"A fascinating window into the life and work of Swedish businessman and European Round Table of Industrialists founder Pehr Gyllenhammar. Whether recounting his childhood during World War II, his years as Volvo's CEO, or his little known work as a Track Two diplomat in the Middle East, Gyllenhammar is always engaging and intelligent, offering an unflinching assessment of international business, US and European politics, and democracies under siege. Like its author, with whom I share a decades-old friendship, Character is Destiny is by turns insightful, amusing, and refreshingly direct."
-Henry Kissinger

"Business leader, diplomat, humanist and global citizen-Pehr Gyllenhammar has led a life of fruitful endeavor marked by the highest standards of integrity. This distinguished Swede has cleverly decided to write his impressive autobiography in English. Character is Destiny should be read by all aspiring leaders who want to build bridges, not walls."
-David Rockefeller, Jr.

"Pehr Gyllenhammar is one of the most respected and thoughtful leaders of his generation. His long awaited second book promises to be an important contribution to thinking about how to make the world a safer and better place through the lens of business and diplomacy."
-Glenn D. Lowry

"A sentient being of remarkable purpose in the pursuit of human qualities. Pehr's passion, curiosity, humility and absolute integrity have inspired countless individuals. The range of his perception belies his experience. I look inward after our dialogues. Pehr's legacy deserves this personal narrative for generations to ponder."
-David Thomson