Katarina Fjording

COO, Coastal 8
Founder and CEO, Fatum LLC

Katarina is a senior executive and a mechanical engineer with over 35 years of global experience from Europe, Asia and America, that includes R&D, Industrial Operations, Supply Chain, Sustainability, Education and Customer Experience.

Katarina has held several senior positions with Volvo Cars including Vice President Manufacturing Asia and Vice President Purchasing & Manufacturing America, leading the establishment of Volvo Cars’ first industrial footprint in America including overseeing the build of the production facility in South Carolina, a greenfield mega project. Most recently, Katarina was the Head of Volvo Car University and Sustainability for Volvo Cars America.

At present, Katarina works with Sustainability and Blue Green Economy Transition as the COO for Coastal 8, a Resiliency Systems Integration Partner. As a senior advisor, she also shares her vast experience with various industries and business leaders.

Katarina believes in giving back and is an active board member and community volunteer. Among her previous board assignments are Clemson University President’s Advisory Board, Cradle to Career Board, the Swedish Chamber of Commerce in China and the Executive Board of the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce.

She currently serves on the Board of Governors of the College of Charleston School of Business, the Red Cross SC Lowcountry Board, which she previously chaired, the Gibbes Museum Board and she is a co-founder of the College of Charleston ‘Women for Women Summit’, and a SDG ambassador for Sustain SC.

As a former Honorary Commander and Palmetto Leader at the Joint Military Base Charleston, she now serves on the Honorary Commander’s Advisory Council at the Joint Military Base.

Katarina is an Honorary Doctor of Science with Claflin University, a Manufacturing Institute STEP Ahead Award Honoree and a Founder’s Award Honoree with the Trident Literacy Association.  

Katarina loves the outdoors and is an avid sail racer and hunter.  She is passionate about the ocean and marine biology and has vacationed on expedition ships in the Arctic and Antarctica.