Investment Banking will gather product areas that work with advice for corporate transactions, capital markets and loan financing, as well as the equities business including, sales, trading and research. In all it encompasses more than 400 employees located in Stockholm and the international offices.
“We compete with both global and regional banks in investment banking. We have a genuine edge on the basis of relationships, local knowledge and long-term commitment – all of which are valuable for our customers. Our greatest strength is our people, our customer base and our history. Investment banking is a part of our identity and heritage, and we have been committed to this business for decades”, says Kristian Skovmand.
Kristian Skovmand was born and raised in Denmark but has spent most of his career outside the country. He has a long record of experience in investment banking, including 15 years at Morgan Stanley, in various senior roles based in London, Hong Kong, Mumbai and Stockholm.
Following a period in Australia, where his wife is from, in 2015 he moved with his family back to Denmark, and in 2017 he joined SEB as deputy head of LC&FI in Denmark, and responsible for advisory units.
Kristian Skovmand will assume his new position on 1 January.
What will you be focusing on from the start?
“There’s a great group of competent people here – some with whom I have worked with and known for 20 years – and others who I still need to meet. Hence my immediate priority is to meet as many of our people as possible, to properly immerse myself in all of the businesses.”
What is SEB’s greatest strength in investment banking?
“It’s our people, our customer base and our history. You can argue that the sum of these are our brand within investment banking. Investment banking is part of our identity and heritage and we have been committed to this business for decades.”
What are the challenges in investment banking?
“The role in investment banking is traditionally to serve as an intermediary between providers and users of capital. The main risk in such a business is that the parties find each other in a more direct manner, e.g. through the use of technology or own relationships (a.k.a. “disintermediation”). To stay relevant we need to make sure we continue to add value. From a big picture perspective, we do this by utilising our people, relationships, ideas and capital in the smartest possible way.