Stockholm (NordSIP) – On 16 May, Storebrand Asset Management announced that Anna Jönsson is taking over the reins as the firm’s new Head of Institutional Clients in Sweden. The promotion should hardly come as a surprise to anyone who has witnessed Jönsson’s strong contribution to Storebrand’s success in Sweden for the past few years. Upon joining the asset manager in 2017, she brought with her plenty of energy and innovative spirit, as well as competence and an extensive experience in, among others, sustainable asset management.
Lately, Storebrand AM has been truly on a roll. Through organic growth and strategic acquisitions, the firm’s assets under management have almost doubled, to over NOK 1000 billion, in just five years. At the same time, the offering has expanded to include investments in everything from active and index-linked funds to alternative asset classes such as private equity, infrastructure, and real estate.
“It is incredibly exciting to work for a growing organisation with an ever-expanding range of products and services. It means that we can really position ourselves as a long-term partner to our clients and support them on their sustainability journey,” comments Jönsson. “We have a strong position in the Swedish market, but we still need to build Storebrand and everything our brand represents as a household name,” she adds.
In a somewhat unusual move, the former Head of Institutional Clients, Lars Pettersson, will continue to be a key player in the organisation, focusing on building customer relationships. “Anna and I have worked closely together for many years, so I look forward to a continued strong partnership under her leadership,” he comments humbly. “For me, it’s also important to signal that leadership doesn’t have to last forever and that it’s perfectly fine to take a break and let others step up. Who knows, in a few years, I might be there again with new experiences and new energy. We have an exciting journey ahead of us, and now I will focus on what I am most passionate about, which is sustainability and building customer relationships,” says Petterson.
After several solid and exciting years, Jönsson says she hopes to continue the positive trend. “I’m really looking forward to taking over the baton from Lars and taking a more leading role in strengthening us in the Swedish market. At the same time, I am very happy that I still have Lars in the team,” she continues.
That said, the new Head is clearly looking to shake things up as well. “I am a strong believer that in order to continue to grow and deliver a good client experience, we need to think outside the box and not be afraid to try new things, take influence from other industries etc.,” she shares. “Although Storebrand is a large organisation, we have an entrepreneurial spirit which makes it fun to work here. It also gives us many opportunities to constantly improve our offering and not least the customer experience.”
Jönsson will be leading a team of nine, with the most recent recruit, Elias Cicek, just joining Storebrand from Carneo. “Initially, my focus is to understand where we are and how I can further support my team and organisation to excel,” she says. “I am personal and open as a leader. I want to provide the direction and then let my team find solutions as they seem fit, allowing them to grow and develop,” explains Jönsson.
According to Jönsson, sustainability is crucial to Storebrand’s institutional clients. “It is at the core of every client discussion we have, but the content depends a little on the type of client,” she explains. “I want us to improve our sustainability reporting so that we can demonstrate the effect that our sustainability work and strategies have on our clients, which in turn will help them make investment decisions. The EU Sustainable Finance regulation will aid the development somewhat. Still, we need to have a broader reporting scope across all areas, E, S and G, and engagement,” concludes Jönsson.
