Sweden’s KPA Pension is losing its new chief executive Erik Thedéen just six months into the job after he was appointed by the government as director general of the country’s financial regulator Finansinspektionen.

Jens Henriksson, chairman at KPA Pension and chief executive at Folksam, said: “It is sad Erik is choosing to leave KPA Pension, but, at the same time, it is an honour to have such sought-after and highly skilled people in the company.”

He wished Thedéen good luck in his new job.

Thedéen became chief executive of the local government sector pension fund in April.

He previously worked at the Ministry of Finance, Nasdaq OMX (the Stockholm stock exchange) and the Swedish National Debt Office. 

He will start in his new role at Finansinspektionen on 21 October, taking over from Martin Noréus, who was appointed acting director general in April.

Noréus stepped in when the regulator’s previous leader Martin Andersson left the post to become a partner with the consultancy firm Oliver Wyman.

At KPA Pension, 60% owned by Folksam and 40% owned by the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions (SKL), Mia Liblik has been appointed acting managing director in Thedéen’s place. 

She has worked at KPA since 2008, most recently as managing director of KPA Livförsäkring (life insurance) and head of market development at KPA Pension.