Johanna Sommarlund

Describe your role and what you do overall and on a day-to-day basis.

I work in Investor Relations at Coeli Group, with a focus on the Asset Management leg of the business. My role spans both group-level communication and the more specialised IR work related to our public equity funds, including specialised strategies within Frontier Markets, small/micro-cap and energy.

As the company has grown, the IR function has also become more structured. Part of my role is contributing to the continued professionalisation of our IR agenda, clarifying positioning, strengthening consistency in communication and formalising processes that support long-term investor dialogue.

On a day-to-day basis, I work closely with senior leadership to develop presentations, written market updates and other external materials. I am also involved in broader communication initiatives at group level, including PR and external positioning. The work requires both financial understanding, coordination across teams and an eye out for what story is important and interesting to the reader or listener.

What interested you about the field/company/role you are currently in? What excites you about your work?

Before moving into Investor Relations, I worked in compensation advisory, where I started during my studies at SSE and later became a Partner. Over those years, I not only specialised in governance and incentive structures, but was also involved in a really fun journey of building and scaling the firm as it grew. That meant contributing to new service areas, strengthening our market position and thought leadership, as well as helping shape how we worked internally as the organisation expanded.

Through that work, I developed a strong interest in how capital is evaluated and how long-term value creation is assessed from an owner’s perspective. Over time, I became increasingly interested in the broader capital markets dialogue - how strategies are positioned, how investors interpret information and how trust is built externally.

In my current role, I am closer to the dialogue between investment teams/asset managers and investors. What excites me about my work is that it is creative and high-paced, but requires consistency and credibility over time. It is less about single messages and more about building understanding gradually. 

How did you become involved in sailing? How have sports affected your professional career (or vice versa)?

I started sailing at a young age and competed for several years before focusing fully on my studies and career. In recent years, I have returned to it more seriously, and today I compete internationally in keelboat classes.

Sailing has influenced my professional life in many ways. At a competitive level, preparation is systematic - analysing performance, reviewing decisions and making incremental adjustments over time. That approach to improvement is something I recognise in my work as well.

At the same time, sailing constantly reminds you that not everything can be controlled. Conditions shift, and decisions often have to be made with incomplete information. Learning to adapt and accept uncertainty has been valuable professionally as well. The sport is also highly team-dependent. Results are built on trust, communication and clearly defined roles rather than individual performance, which has influenced how I approach collaboration.

Finally, sailing provides a contrast to professional life. You are out on the water just embracing any weather. During training and regattas, your only focus is on the team, the boat, the decisions. That period of full dedication to something different allows me to return to work with renewed perspective and energy. Balancing the two has required prioritisation and discipline, but I love it.

How has SSE contributed to where you are today?

SSE gave me an analytical foundation and an appreciation for structured problem-solving that I still rely on. The emphasis on connecting theory to practice shaped how I approach complex questions, whether related to governance, capital markets or communication.

Equally important were the people and opportunities. SSE connected me to my first role in advisory as well as people who are still some of my closest friends today. It was also an environment where ambition and intellectual curiosity were encouraged, which has influenced how I approach both professional development and competitive sport.