EQT announced Monday that founder Conni Jonsson will step down as chairperson at the company's annual meeting in 2026, capping more than three decades at the helm of the Swedish investment firm.
The firm’s nomination committee has proposed Jean Eric Salata, the current chair of EQT Asia, as his successor, subject to shareholder and regulatory approvals.
Salata founded Baring Private Equity Asia, which merged with EQT in 2022, and will continue to lead the firm's Asia business in addition to the chairperson role, the company said.
Jonsson established EQT in 1994 and expanded it from a 300 million euro Nordic-focused fund into one of the world's largest private markets investors, with 266 billion euros in assets under management.
"I know EQT is in the best hands possible, so I have decided that now is the right time to step down," Jonsson said in a statement, expressing confidence in Salata and CEO Per Franzén.
Jonsson will be named Honorary Chair following the transition.
The planned succession follows the appointment of Per Franzén as chief executive earlier this year, marking a broader leadership transition at the Stockholm-based company.
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