Gunilla Girardo

About Gunilla

Gunilla is a Swedish professional with over 25 years in the U.S., helping companies capture business opportunities through her extensive network and cross-cultural expertise.

Prior to joining YER USA, she played a key role in expanding the Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce (SACC-USA) to the 2nd largest European chamber in the U.S. as its President, creating regional offices, launching a J1 trainee program, and establishing a business matchmaking program. Gunilla remains an active member and volunteer for the chamber.

As President & CEO of Mentor Foundation USA, she led the organization to become a national partner in youth drug prevention. Her previous roles include Program Director at the International Business School of Sweden, Manager of Membership at the Industrial Designers Society of America, and Senior Advisor at Twomentor.

Gunilla joined our team in 2018, and assists clients with market research and recruitment strategies in North America. Additionally, she serves as a Senior Advisor–Scandinavia at National Strategies. Gunilla holds a bachelor’s degree in communications, media, and english from Gothenburg University, Sweden, and a Mindfulness Intelligence (MQ) certification from the Inner Business Institute.

Awards and Publications 

Awards:

• 2016 Brava Award by SmartCEO
• 2007 Ambassador of Bollebygd, Sweden

Publications:

• Co-author of Mentor Foundation USA’s research paper on the Living The Example program
• Published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (JMIR Publications)

Active in the community, Gunilla is a strategic partner at Nordic Innovation House in Silicon Valley and a board member of SWEA Washington DC and the STS Foundation. In her free time, she enjoys gardening, home improvement, cooking, sewing, and mentoring young professionals.