Karl-Petter Thorwaldsson
Karl-Petter "Kålle" Thorwaldsson, born 26 December 1964 in Kosta, Kronoberg, Sweden is a Swedish union leader. He is the president of the Swedish Trade Union Confederation (Swedish: Landsorganisationen i Sverige or LO). Thorwaldsson grew up in the industrial village of Kosta, part of the Crystal glass manufacturing region in the Småland region. He was the son of a glass blower.[1] Karl-Petter Thorwaldsson joined the Swedish Social Democratic Youth League (Swedish: Sveriges Socialdemokratiska Ungdomsförbund or SSU) and became its chair person 1990-1995. He later became a political advisor at the Prime Minister's Office and head of information at the Social Democrat Party before becoming ombudsman at the trade union IF-Metall. Since 2000 he has combined that position with being chairman of the Workers’ Educational Association (Swedish: Arbetarnas bildningsförbund, or ABF). IF Metall nominated him as president of LO in 2011 and he was elected on 26 May 2012.[2]