Swedish national pension buffer fund AP6 has appointed Katarina Staaf as its new permanent chief executive, replacing Margareta Alestig who has been acting chief executive since the beginning of March.

Staaf, who has been a member of the SEK34.7bn (€3.26bn) fund’s supervisory board since 2017, will fill the position left open following the departure of Karl Swartling nearly four months ago.

Staaf said: “It feels very honourable to have been given the trust to lead an organisation who has the task to manage pension capital through investments in unlisted companies.

“In my role as a board member, I have been able to take part of AP6’s specialist expertise. In my new role, I will become operative, which I really look forward to.”

She will start work on 1 September, the fund said.

Staaf has held several roles in private equity and asset management, according to AP6. She has previously worked as portfolio manager for unlisted investments within life science at Swedish insurance firm Skandia Liv and as a customer and portfolio manager for banking group SEB.

She has also worked as chief executive of Evli Funds and chief financial officer and real estate manager for Swedish housing developer Riksbyggen.

AP6 is distinct from the other four buffer funds backing the Swedish state pension in that it specialises in private equity, and is significantly smaller.