EQT's Conni Jonsson - building a global private equity firm the Nordic way

It all comes back to the DNA.

The firms that know who they are will know who to be.

You can learn a lot about an investment firm by listening to what they say.

Alt Goes Mainstream’s AGM Originals Series - The DNA: Capturing Culture - is dedicated to capturing the DNA of a firm by listening to what they say.

The first season of The DNA stars EQT. In Stockholm, at EQT’s AIM this past summer, I sat down for conversations with nine EQT executives.

Each executive came from different parts of the firm — and different parts of the world.

Each had fascinating backgrounds and stories about how they ended up in private markets and worked to build EQT.

But there was a single throughline threaded throughout all of the discussions: the consistency and frequency that each executive talked about the firm’s mission, vision, culture, and values.

That’s why it all comes back to the DNA.

Episode 1 features EQT Founder and Chairperson Conni Jonsson. 

Conni founded EQT Partners AB in 1994. He has been Managing Partner since the company's foundation and as from March 1, 2014, Conni is full time working Chairperson.

Prior to founding EQT Partners AB, Conni was employed by the Wallenberg Family Holding Company for seven years as Executive Vice President.

Conni Jonsson graduated from the University of Linkoping in 1984, Bachelor of Science with majors in Economic Analysis and Accounting & Finance, and he has participated in the Program for Management Development at the Harvard Business School.

Please enjoy this conversation with one of the industry's leaders in Conni Jonsson.

You can stream all the episodes on AGM’s YouTube channel at AltGoesMainstreamAGM.

Show Notes

00:00 The DNA: Capturing Culture Episode 1

00:21 EQT's Origins and Global Reach

01:38 Conni Jonsson's Background and Journey

02:00 Founding EQT: Embracing Uniqueness

04:03 Balancing Responsibility and Financial Outcomes

05:09 The Wallenberg Family's Influence

06:36 Long-Term Thinking in Investing

07:20 Operationalizing Long-Term Values

08:13 EQT's Distinct Investment Approach

10:12 The Importance of Culture in Business

11:28 EQT's Focus on Core Competencies

12:53 Global Investment Strategies

13:20 Engaging with Institutional and Wealth Investors

14:15 Educating the Wealth Channel

17:10 Diversification and Global Exposure

18:19 Investing in Asia: Structural Alpha

20:40 Mitigating Political Risks

20:47 Future Skills in Private Markets

22:51 Aligning Good Business with Good Returns

24:38 Conclusion: The Winner Takes It All