The transformation playbook: lessons from Europe’s leading photography company

What does it take to photograph more than four million subjects a year across four countries?

In the first of our four-part interview series, Glen Nelson sits down with Magnus Bagge, CEO of Exakta Photo AB, to discuss how the business has evolved over the past two decades and the lessons learned along the way.

Today, Exakta Photo operates across Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and the UK, photographing between 4 and 4.5 million subjects each year. But as Magnus explains, reaching that scale wasn't simply a matter of signing more schools. It required rethinking the way the business operated.

One of the biggest changes came when customer expectations started shifting. The traditional model of printing photo packages and sending them home with families was becoming increasingly difficult to sustain. Parents wanted more choice, schools wanted less administration, and the industry needed a more efficient approach.

Moving ordering online was a significant step forward. It gave families the ability to choose exactly what they wanted while reducing waste and simplifying the process for both schools and photography businesses.

The conversation also touches on technology and the importance of reducing business risk. After years of running internally developed systems, Exakta Photo made the decision to move to Netlife in 2019.

As Magnus puts it:

"If you are dependent on one or two key IT people and they leave or go on leave, you are incredibly vulnerable. Part of my job is risk minimisation."

For Magnus, one of the most important lessons has been understanding the difference between growth and scale. Growth often means adding more people and resources as volume increases. Scale comes from improving systems and processes so the business can handle more volume without adding the same level of complexity.

It's a thoughtful discussion about change, efficiency, and building a business that's prepared for the future.

Watch the first interview segment below, and stay tuned for the next instalments. In the upcoming interviews, Magnus takes a closer look at the operational systems behind Exakta Photo's scale, discusses why many businesses struggle to embrace change, and shares his thoughts on where the school photography industry is heading over the next decade.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dqz3ixXb2KY

• Watch Part 2: In the second instalment of Glen Nelson's interview with Magnus Bagge, the focus shifts to the operational decisions that helped transform the business into one of Europe's leading photography companies.

  
  

• Watch Part 3: Magnus tackles one of the biggest challenges facing photography businesses today – the fear of change. From evolving customer expectations and faster delivery demands to the financial realities of modernising operations, he shares practical advice for businesses looking to remain competitive in a rapidly changing market.
  

• Watch Part 4: In the final instalment, Magnus shares his thoughts on the future of the photography industry, including the role of AI, industry consolidation, and what these changes could mean for photography businesses in the years ahead.