EQT on Transparency
According to recent market research, private equity investors find transparency to be one of the most important factors when selecting a fund manager, and the public in the markets where EQT operates desire more information on companies and owners. EQT strives to be at the forefront of this development with the ambition of becoming an even more trusted owner.
EQT launched a new company website in June this year, which is now available in three languages (English, German and Chinese). This will be the center for EQT’s communication efforts going forward. In addition to providing important facts about EQT, the website explains how EQT transforms businesses into good and sustainable companies, illustrated by case stories from the portfolio companies and articles on topics where EQT can provide expert insight. Financials, investment rationale and future plans are disclosed for a number of portfolio companies in order to describe and explain what EQT wants to achieve with its investments.
Moreover, EQT is currently developing a new investor reporting package to place even more focus on increased transparency, assuring qualitative information in a timely manner and improving the effectiveness of the reporting in order to assist investors in analyzing the performance of the funds and its portfolio companies.
In June, EQT took a lead in moving towards increased transparency and accountability by implementing a new corporate structure. Going forward, operations, fund administration and investments in general partners will be brought together under EQT Holdings AB, a company based in Stockholm. EQT Holdings AB will be 81% owned by partners of the investment advisor EQT Partners. The remaining 19% will be owned by Investor AB.
The new Board of Directors of EQT Holding AB consists of five members: Dr Josef Ackermann, Finn Rausing, Marcus Wallenberg, Leif Östling and Conni Jonsson, all of whom have strong industrial competence from a variety of businesses and geographies.
“The Board will be very important for EQT. It will focus on securing future growth and on becoming more transparent, thus creating an increased trust amongst EQT’s various stakeholders” says Conni Jonsson, CEO and Chairman of the Board of EQT Holdings AB.