Ken Villum Klausen hands over the baton – Søren Kyhl appointed new CEO of Lunar

Lunar’s Board of Directors has appointed Søren Kyhl as Chief Executive Officer effective June 1. He succeeds founder Ken Villum Klausen, who has led Lunar since its founding in 2015.

Since the company was founded, more than one million users have chosen Lunar, and Ken Villum Klausen has played a defining role in Lunar’s journey from idea to Nordic digital challenger bank.

The leadership transition marks the next step in Lunar’s development. Going forward, the focus will be on continuing to scale the business across the Nordics, strengthening commercial and operational delivery, further expanding the bank’s products – including lending – and continuing growth across both the consumer and business segments on the path toward profitability. At the same time, Lunar is backed by a strong and long-term group of owners who continue to support the bank’s future development.

“I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve built since 2015. Together with a strong team, we have built a bank from the ground up, challenged a traditional industry, and created a platform with meaningful scale across the Nordics. Now feels like the right time to hand over the baton. I look forward to seeing Søren and the entire Lunar team continue building on the foundation we have created together,” says Ken Villum Klausen.

Lunar Chairman Jens Peter Leschly Neergaard thanks Ken Villum Klausen and highlights his significant contribution to the bank’s development:

“Ken has been the driving force behind Lunar – from vision and idea to a Nordic digital challenger bank. His energy, entrepreneurial mindset, and clear direction have been instrumental in shaping the position Lunar holds today. On behalf of the Board, I would like to extend a sincere thank you to Ken for his extraordinary contribution over many years. I’m also pleased that he will continue to play an active role as founder and board member during the coming period.”

Ken Villum Klausen will continue as active founder and board member and will support a smooth leadership transition while continuing to contribute to Lunar’s development as a leading digital challenger bank in the Nordics.

Søren Kyhl brings extensive experience from the financial sector, tech-driven businesses, and scaling digital financial platforms. He has been part of the executive leadership team at Saxo Bank for more than a decade, most recently as Deputy CEO and COO, where he played a central role in developing the business, strengthening the organisation, and driving growth across multiple markets.

“Lunar was founded with the ambition to rethink how a modern bank should work and feel – digital, simple, and built around user needs. Ken and the team have created a strong foundation with thousands of business and private users across the Nordics and significant potential ahead. I look forward to continuing to develop the business together with the organisation and driving the strategy forward with a focus on growth, strong products, and even better user experiences. An important part of the next phase will also be to continue strengthening the bank while maintaining a strong focus on compliance and regulatory quality – something that is absolutely critical for a digital bank in growth,” says Søren Kyhl.

Chairman Jens Peter Leschly Neergaard looks forward to working with Lunar’s new CEO:

“With Søren, Lunar gets a CEO with deep understanding of both the financial market and the regulatory requirements that come with running a modern bank. He brings a strong background in execution, commercial development, and leadership, along with a clear ability to continue developing the bank together with Lunar’s talented employees and create even more value for our users. We are very pleased that Søren has accepted the role,” says Jens Peter Leschly Neergaard.