Born: 1940 Jan. 3rd
Family: Wife Anna, Children: Ia, Jacob, Jarl and Maria and grandchildren: Moa, Max, Greta, Sixten, Harald, Jens, Mimmi, Simon and Josephine.
University Degree: MBA at the Gothenburg School of Economics 1964 after studies abroad. Services: Swedish Chamber of Commerce, Dusseldorf 1961, Kaufhof AG, Cologne 1962, Finmar Ltd, London 1963 and Magasin aux Bon Marché, Paris 1964.
Languages: English and German fluently. Some knowledge in French and Spanish.
Profession: In the board of the family business GÄRSNÄS (est. 1893) after the death of his father in 1964. Managing Director 1969 – 2000. The company had the highest reputation for production of quality furniture already since the turn of the century 1800/1900. Under the management of Leif H. Hjärre cooperation started with the most skilled and well-known designers of Sweden. Recognized deliveries: all Swedish embassies, the Swedish parliament building in Stockholm, The Australian parliament in Canberra, most head quarters of major Swedish companies, the Opera House in Gothenburg, Museum of Modern Art in Stockholm and the Swedish Government premises Rosenbad. The Swedish prime minister´s office furniture is from GÄRSNÄS. The Nobel section at the library of Alexandria.
Under the management of Leif Hjärre his company was recognized as a leading furniture industry in Scandinavia. At the National Museum in Stockholm ten products from his company are in the collections. The Swedish Society of Crafts and Design awarded in the years 1980 – 1999 twentyfive design awards to his company. In 1990 two Swedish companies were awarded the Design Management Prize by the Swedish Society of Crafts and Design and the Svenska Dabladet: SAAB – SCANIA and GÄRSNÄS.
Public Assignments: Member of the board of the Swedish Furniture Industry Association 1968 – 1998. Chairman of the Board of the Swedish Furniture Center 1980 – 1998. Member of the Board of Form Design Center 1985 – 1992, the Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken, Simrishamn 1985 – 1990, the central Board of Nordbanken 1991- 1996, the Board of Swedish German Chamber of Commerce 1996 – 2002. Chairman of the Board of the Gösta Werner Art Museum since the start in 1981. Chairman of the Swedish Furniture Association´s Council Against Plagiarism 2000 – . Member of the board of The Scandinavian Committee for the Bibliotheca Alexandrina 2001-.
Elected Member: Egypt Exploration Society (founded 1882), London. Travellers´ Club (founded 1911), Stockholm. Club of Sällskapet (founded 1800), Stockholm. Idun Literary Society (founded 1862), Stockholm. Academy of Scania.
Honorary Assignments: At the University of Lund: the Students´Choral Society and the Students´Association. The Royal Patriotic Society´s grand medal of gold.
Lectures: “Design Management” at universities and conferences. “History of Egyptologi” at the Museum for Mediterranean and Near Eastern Antiquities, the Stockholm Fair Conference Center, the City Hall of Aas, Norway and at Rotary Clubs. “Travel with Ramses” at the Royal Academy of Arts and the National Museum of Ethnography.
Performances: The library in Alexandria, the Cairo Opera House and the Swedish Embassy in Cairo. The theatre of Ystad. The Royal Academy for Arts in Stockholm and the University of Lund. Summer host in the Swedish Radio program “Summer” 2003.
Published: Several papers and journals over the years i. e. Svenska Dagbladet and Swedish Export. Author of the books: “Pharao´s Gold” 2000. “Travel with Ramses” 2002.