Niam Group, a leading private markets investment firm in Northern Europe with a focus on Real Estate, Infrastructure, Credit and Private Equity, announces the appointment of Axel Karlsson as new CEO. The role has been newly created to drive Niam’s continued expansion. He most recently joined McKinsey & Company, where he worked for 26 years, most recently as Senior Partner, Global ExCo member and Global Leader of Functional Practices, with responsibility for revenues of $15 billion and over 10,000 McKinsey consultants globally.

“Axel brings a unique international experience from his almost two decades at McKinsey, where he has advised some of the world’s leading companies in Real Estate, Infrastructure, Digital and Credit. His strong leadership and client focus will be crucial as we continue to build a world-class team, expand our investment platform in Northern Europe and deliver strong long-term returns to our investors,” says Håkan Johansson, Chairman of the Board of Niam Group.

In his new role, Axel Karlsson will lead Niam into the next phase of growth and accelerate the company’s journey from being a leading Nordic real estate specialist to becoming a multi-strategy investor. He will have overall responsibility for Niam Group’s strategic development within real estate, infrastructure, credit and private equity, with a focus on creating sustainable long-term value for both investors and the communities in which Niam operates.

“I am really looking forward to joining Niam at this stage,” says Axel Karlsson. The company’s deep local expertise, discipline and focus on long-term value creation offer significant opportunities for investors. I look forward to working with the team, our investors and the communities we are part of to realize the full potential of Niam’s investment platform.

Axel Karlsson will take up his position as CEO in December 2025.

In parallel with the recruitment of Axel Karlsson, Niam is bringing in Max Ilmoni as Vice President and Head of Capital Formation & Investor Relations.

Max Ilmoni most recently joins from Partners Group, where he spent more than 17 years, most recently as Global Head of Business Development for Private Real Estate (with $32 billion in assets under management), responsible for capital raising for real estate funds, co-investments and tailored solutions for clients, supported by a global team in the US, Europe and Asia.

“Max brings deep expertise in capital raising and a proven ability to build strong, long-term investor relationships. His strong client focus and leadership skills, combined with experience from one of the world’s leading private markets players, will be invaluable as we expand our platform and continue to deliver exceptional results for our investors,” says Håkan Johansson.

As a member of Niam’s management team, Max Ilmoni will play a central role in driving the firm’s growth strategy and expanding its global investor base. He will focus on strengthening Niam’s capital raising capabilities while maintaining a strong commitment to investors, and deepening the long-term relationships that are core to the company’s success.

“I am very pleased to join Niam at such an exciting stage in the company’s journey,” says Max Ilmoni. With its strong Nordic roots, disciplined investment approach and growing multi-asset platform, Niam is exceptionally well positioned to create long-term value for investors and the communities in which it operates. I look forward to working with the team to further develop the platform and deepen our investor relations globally.

Max Ilmoni takes up his role as Vice President and Head of Capital Formation & Investor Relations with immediate effect.