Teresa Utkovic: High-performer, board pro & football boss

Almost 100 matches for Sweden and an important role in a historic Olympic success. But after her playing career was over, Teresa Utkovic flourished even more. CEO, board pro, and football boss for one of the biggest football clubs in Sweden.
– I am a very positive person, and I always want to see how far I can reach, Teresa Utkovic tells GoHandball.

GoHandball is currently in the midst of an interview series where we talk to former players who, in different ways, are living interesting lives after handball. Espen Karlsen was the first out, and then we spoke to Frederic Volle. Karlsen had owned a pizza franchise, worked in politics, and is now the boss at a big bank in Norway. Volle? The former French international moved to Canada after his career was over, worked as a peace officer there, and is now living his best life in Panama.

Now it’s time for Teresa Utkovic, a former right wing who has achieved a lot since she stopped playing handball in 2009 (even though she made a brief comeback in 2016). Utkovic could be described as a high-performer considering she sits on several boards, is the CEO of a big company, and is chairman of IFK Göteborg, one of the biggest and most historic Swedish football clubs.

– I am a very positive person and I always want to see how far I can reach. The fact that I always want to do things better and my mindset is that only you can limit yourself, no one else, says Teresa Utkovic to GoHandball.

The 44-year-old draws comparisons to her time as a handball player, a career in which she played in the Olympics, and scored 172 goals in total for the Swedish national team until she quit playing in 2009.

– When I played handball and I missed a shot I used to think “Now you are one shot closer to scoring”. What I mean by that is that you always get another chance and there is no danger in failing. And that is something I have with me in my current life. You will always get knocked down but it’s about how you handle that. And playing sports at a high level has taught me a lot about that.

– I always try to only see the possibilities. But it’s about doing it as a team.

Teresa Utkovic during a brief comeback for Boden Handball during 2016. Photo: Michael Erichsen / BILDBYRÅN

Perhaps that is the mindset that has led Utkovic to have an incredible career after handball. She is currently the CEO of Queenslab, a design and development company. She sits on three boards in the IT business. And that is her involvement in the world outside of sports. In sports, she has been a board member of the Swedish Handball Federation for eight years.

– I help out with the championships that are taking place in Sweden. I sit on the education committee where I currently work on a project to get more female coaches in Sweden.

– I help out as a coach for a girl’s team in IK Sävehof, the team in which my daughter plays.

How important is it for you to stay in the handball world?

– Very important. I experienced so much as a player that I will always remember. And I want others to experience those things as well.

How did you end up on the board of the Swedish Handball Federation?

– I was on the board of IK Sävehof when I was recommended for the Swedish Handball Federation. They could see that I had played at all of the levels for the national team plus my time on the Sävehof board and I think that mix helped.

Ripple effect

And this ripple effect is what landed her a place on the board of IFK Göteborg, one of the biggest football clubs in Sweden. But more on that later. It was a bold job application when she was done playing that started it all.

– During my handball career I had studied system development because I wanted a base to stand on once my career was over. When I moved home from Denmark I saw a job ad for a manager in the IT world. But it said that you had to have at least ten years’ experience with complex sales and you had to be goal-oriented plus the ability to do a lot of things at the same time.

– I believe that the ad was written for me, which I wrote in my application. I got an interview and they asked me why I had applied for the job considering I didn’t fit any of the requirements boxes. But I explained that I had 13 years experience of making a name for myself as a handball player and that in a way is complex sales. And I was goal-oriented considering my handball career. And they also wanted a person who was able to handle stress. No problem for me, I said, as a handball player you know all about that. I had experience being a boss considering I had been a team captain.

– It ended up with me getting the job. And I usually tell that story to young players to prove to them that you can always do a lot more than you think you can. Who sets your boundaries? You have to challenge yourself.

Handing out gold medals to her former club IK Sävehof. Photo: Michael Erichsen / BILDBYRÅN

All of this led her to her perhaps biggest and most prestigious role so far. In 2022 Utkovic earned herself a spot on the board of IFK Göteborg. And during 2024 she became acting chairman.

– This is the role that takes most of my time at the moment. When I started here my time was mostly spent on digitalization, but also to bring a winning culture to the club. IFK Göteborg has everything it takes to be a winner and we want the club to return to glory.

Prestigeous role in IFK Göteborg

During 2024 chairman Richard Berkling left the club and then Utkovic was the person that took over. Utkovic will serve as acting chairman until at least the annual meeting in March. But she doesn’t seem that interested in staying on as chairman after the annual meeting.

– I have a demanding job already and I think that you need to have more time on your hands if you should be chairman at this big club, she says.

What does IFK Göteborg mean to you?

– It means family. And to be honest with you I never thought that I would feel part of a team again after I stopped playing handball. But I feel the same emotions now as I did as a player. That is why I spend all these hours here.

Which sport do you enjoy the most, handball or football?

– That is impossible to answer, she laughs.

– I love to play handball but it’s hard to beat a sold-out football stadium. It gives me chills just thinking about it.

Considering all of her time spent on different boards and her job at QueensLab it’s amazing how Utkovic and Henrik Signell, coach for the Netherlands women’s team, even find time to see each other. But the couple makes it work, she says.

– We make it work, but sometimes we wonder how…

– At least we don’t get tired of each other. And it’s important to always try to understand each other.

The Swedish King Carl XVI Gustavf and Teresa Utkovic during the 2008 Olympics. Photo: Bildbyrån

You had a great handball career with lots of great memories. But which memory or achievement stands out when you think back?

– My best memory is when we defeated Germany in the 2008 Olympics. We had to go through a couple of different qualifications to even get to the Olympics and when we made it there we were the first-ever women’s handball team from Sweden to play in the Olympics. And then in the final game, we won against Germany and qualified for the quarter-finals. That is a very special memory, says Teresa Utkovic.