EQ Plc, the Finnish asset management and corporate finance group with €13.8 billion of assets under management, has appointed Pertti Vanhanen to expand the group’s business into international markets and to broaden its institutional client base, particularly in private equity and real estate.

In the newly created role of director of international business, he will sit on the executive management team, working from offices in London and Helsinki.

Vanhanen is a highly experienced real estate investor with an extensive track record working across private and public markets. Most recently, he was CEO of the European and Singaporean operations of the Australian REIT, Cromwell Property Group. Prior to that, he held several senior international leadership positions between 2002 and 2020 at Aberdeen, the UK-based asset management and investment company.

The appointment is part of EQ’s 2030 strategy and follows the recent appointments of Kasperi Putkonen, a former London-based Goldman Sachs banker, as director responsible for international sales, and Sara Hedberg Chance, former CEO of Altamar Capital Partners, as a partner to EQ.

Commenting on the appointment, Jouko Pölönen, CEO of EQ Plc, said: “Pertti is an excellent addition to the team. His strong track record in value creation in international real estate markets, combined with his solid expertise and international experience, complements our entrepreneurial approach to investment and growth. I believe that Pertti, Kasperi and Sara, together with the entire EQ team, will put our international business on the map.”

Pertti Vanhanen, director of international business, commented: “It is an honour to join EQ’s highly skilled team and to be part of the international expansion of this exciting and well-established Finnish asset management business. The EQ team has done outstanding work in the real estate and private equity sectors, making international growth a natural next step. While I believe our existing products are attractive to international investors, we are also exploring other opportunities to expand our business overseas.”