On 1 October 2025, Sampo announced that Lars Kufall Beck, COO at If P&C, would take over as new Group CFO as of 1 April 2026 succeeding Knut Arne Alsaker.

With a proven track record as both CFO and COO in Topdanmark and If P&C, Lars comes with vast experience and a perspective that balances operational insight with financial discipline. We will let Lars introduce himself:

Where did you grow up, and what have shaped you early on in life?

I grew up in Denmark, just north of Copenhagen, with my mom, my dad, my younger brother, and a dog – it was a safe base, and my family has always been very supportive of me. I was an elite swimmer and part of the Danish national team, so early on I learned to prioritise and plan my time to balance teenage life and friends, schoolwork, and swimming.

Could you tell us a little about your career path and what led you to the insurance industry?

I graduated as an actuary, so a career in insurance was the obvious choice. I started out in reinsurance as an actuarial student, then moved on to underwriting, and then appointed actuary. After that, I moved on to the consultancy industry working for one of the big 4´s – before making an “odd move” to the facility services industry, spending more than 10 years with ISS Facility Services. There I went from being a specialist to take on more generalist roles, different CFO positions, and I spent four years in Sweden as an expat with my family. When working with ISS, I had growing interest to return to the financial services industry, and in 2019 I joined the Sampo family as CFO for Saxo Bank. From there, I moved on to become CFO for Topdanmark Forsikring, and after the merger, COO for If P&C, and now Group CFO of Sampo.

What insights from your career have stayed with you, and how would you describe your leadership philosophy in a few words?

The importance of leadership, having clear and ambitious goals and visions, and the importance of that we all understand what role we play in the cogwheel to make the entire engine run. As a leader and as a person, I am driven by values such as respect, transparency, and teamwork. I want to lead by example, and I am constantly pursuing how we can improve and do things better.

What excites you most as you take on the CFO role at Sampo?

What a fantastic company Sampo is, and the people across our organisation. We are extremely well-positioned for growth and being the digital leader in our industry. I will be doing my part to continue the strong legacy of Sampo.

Outside of work, what inspires you, and how do you recharge?

I like to cook, and I have an interest in wine. Outside work, I try to spend as much time as possible with my family as well as my occasional outdoor running. I recharge on flights and during outdoor running – those are opportunities for me to reflect.

Pernille Beck
Communications Specialist, Sampo plc