How does an ordinary Swedish plastics manufacturer become a Roving Ambassador to presidents and kings? For J. Gunnar Olson, it began with a simple willingness to go wherever God sent him.
God Opens Doors in Business
In the 1990s, as the ICCC expanded globally, doors began opening that no business plan could have predicted. Gunnar found himself being invited not just to business meetings, but to presidential palaces.
Divine Appointments with World Leaders
In 1997, through a government decree, Gunnar was appointed Roving Ambassador and Special Advisor to the President of the Republic of Benin in West Africa. This wasn't a ceremonial title - it was an active role advising a national leader on economic and spiritual matters.
Later, he served as Honorary Consul for the Republic of Burundi from 2009 to 2023. He became Special Envoy to leaders of three different nations. Each appointment came not through political maneuvering, but through relationships built on trust, integrity, and a clear witness for Christ.
"Business Unlimited" - the title of his autobiography - captures Gunnar's conviction: there are no limits to what God can do through a businessperson who puts the Kingdom first.
Business Ministry Transforms Nations
His story impacted not just businesses but nations. Through ICCC's influence, national policies have been shaped. Millions have learned to start businesses using biblical principles. Presidents have sought counsel rooted in Scripture.
What began as a Swedish entrepreneur's surrender to Christ became an extraordinary journey impacting presidents, kings, and nations - all because one man believed that business and the Kingdom of God were never meant to be separate.
"I am an ordinary man," Gunnar would say. "But I serve an extraordinary God."