EIF appoints Marjut Falkstedt as its new Chief Executive

Marjut Falkstedt is appointed as Chief Executive of the European Investment Fund (EIF) by the EIF’s Board of Directors. She will take up her duties on 1st January 2023.

EIF, Europe’s largest venture capital and private equity financier, plays a leading role in facilitating access to finance via EU programmes for Europe's micro, small and medium-sized businesses.

A seasoned professional

Marjut assumes the leadership of the EIF ahead of the roll-out of the European Tech Champions Initiative (ETCI) aimed at providing crucial financing for Europe’s high-tech companies in their late-stage development. She will also be in charge of coordinating the EIF’s contribution to the European Investment Bank Group’s support package for the REPowerEU plan, in the form of equity investments to clean energy ventures and innovative green funds.

Commenting on the appointment, Werner Hoyer, President of the European Investment Bank, said: “I am delighted to be announcing the appointment of Marjut Falkstedt as the Chief Executive of the European Investment Fund. I look forward to working closely with Marjut in her new role, after her positive contribution to the EIB in recent years. Marjut is a seasoned professional with extensive experience of working both in finance and the EU institutions, including at the EIF and the EU bank.”

Commenting on her new appointment, Marjut said: “I am pleased to be appointed as the new Chief Executive of the European Investment Fund, especially at a time when the role of the institution is becoming even more important. It is a huge pleasure for me to return to the EIF and be given a chance to lead an institution that plays a crucial role in supporting businesses across Europe.”

Extensive industry experience

A Finnish national currently serving as Secretary General of the EIB, Marjut began her career at Dresdner Bank before joining the Directorate-General for Economic and Financial Affairs at the European Commission in 1996. She held various roles in the field of SME and infrastructure financing until 2013 and was also advisor to the European Commission’s representatives on the Board of Directors of the European Investment Fund (EIF), part of the EIB Group, between 2001 and 2007.

From 2013 to 2015, Marjut (previously known as Marjut Santoni) was Deputy Chief Executive of the EIF, before being appointed to the position of Deputy Secretary General of the EIB in September 2015. She was promoted to Secretary General at the EU Bank in 2018.