Niam Group appoints new CEO and deputy CEO

Northern Europe private markets firm Niam Group, specializing in Real Estate, Infrastructure, Credit, and Private Equity, has announced two key leadership appointments to drive its growth strategy. 

Axel Karlsson and Mix Ilmoni

Axel Karlsson, a former senior partner at McKinsey & Company with 26 years of experience, has been appointed as the new CEO, a newly established position. Starting in December 2025, Karlsson will lead Niam's transformation from a Nordic real estate specialist into a multi-strategy investor, overseeing strategic development across all its private market sectors.
Concurrently, Max Ilmoni has been named deputy CEO and head of Capital Formation & Investor Relations, effective immediately. Ilmoni joins Niam from Partners Group, where he spent over 17 years, most recently as global head of Business Development for Private Real Estate. In his new role, Ilmoni will be crucial in expanding Niam's global investor base and strengthening its capital formation capabilities, emphasizing long-term investor relationships. 
Håkan Johansson, chair of Niam Group, commented: “Axel brings unparalleled international experience from his more than two decades at McKinsey, advising leading global companies spanning Real Estate, Infrastructure, Digital, and Credit sectors. His strong leadership and client focus will be instrumental as we continue to build a first-class team and expand our investment platform in Northern Europe and continue to deliver strong returns for our investors.”
Johansson added: “Max brings deep expertise in capital raising and a proven track record of building strong, long-term investor partnerships. His strong client focus and leadership skills, combined with his experience from one of the world’s foremost private market firms, will be invaluable as we expand our platform and continue to deliver outstanding results for our investors.”