Stockholm (HedgeNordic) – Nordea Asset Management (NAM) has appointed Lea Vaisalo (pictured) as the head of its freshly-restructured alternatives unit, which now incorporates the asset manager’s entire range of alternative investment offerings, including private equity. According to a statement seen by AMWatch, the restructuring process is designed to strengthen NAM’s illiquid investment offering.

“The closer collaboration between the Private Equity-professionals and the broader Alternative Investments team will continuously enhance investment processes and strategy development as well as ESG integration,” Nordea Asset Management writes in the statement. Lea Vaisalo, who has been heading Nordea’s external products team within structuring and private credit, will lead a team of 15 investment professionals within the restructured alternatives unit.

“The closer collaboration between the Private Equity-professionals and the broader Alternative Investments team will continuously enhance investment processes and strategy development as well as ESG integration.”

The restructuring of NAM’s alternatives arm has coincided with the departure of three private equity professionals – Christen Estrup, Alexander Reventlow and Julien Marencic, according to AMWatch. Nordea Asset Management says the three departures are unrelated to the alternatives unit’s restructuring process.

“NAM wants to thank the three colleagues for their contribution to NAM’s success and wish them all the best in their future professional endeavours.”

“NAM wants to thank the three colleagues for their contribution to NAM’s success and wish them all the best in their future professional endeavours,” Nordea Asset Management writes in the statement seen by AMWatch. “Recruitment of three senior Private Equity professionals has started to ensure the continuation of the strong Private Equity-strategies.”