Mats Urde is the author of The Brand Strategy—Corporate Brand Leadership Starts from the Inside. A brand strategist and speaker with a long track record of practical experience, he helps corporations and organizations become more brand-oriented.

As a researcher, teacher, and consultant in strategic brand management and a pioneer in corporate branding, Mats Urde bridges theory and practice. He is an associate professor at Lund University in Sweden with a passion for case-based teaching and learning. He has been voted Coach of the Year in the International MBA John Molson case competition in Montreal.

As a business advisor, he has brought his concept of the Brand Matrix to businesses, organizations, and institutions worldwide, from Volvo to Komatsu to the Nobel Prize Foundation. His articles have appeared in leading publications, including Harvard Business Review (“What Does Your Corporate Brand Stand For?” 2019), and he is an appreciated keynote speaker. In his spare time, he enjoys sailing and riding Icelandic horses.

Brand Orientation

A brand-oriented organization aims to create, develop, and protect brands as valuable resources and sustainable competitive advantages. The brand is the business. Being brand-oriented means that brands become a strategic hub. The organization thinks of itself as a brand, communicates, lives up to its promises, and changes as a brand – all while maintaining continuity as a brand. The brand’s identity must engage the whole organization and affect all processes, behavior, and communication.

Welcome to the world of corporate brand leadership – a realm where business strategy, brand identity, storytelling, and reputation converge to shape organizational and business success.