Michael Obermayer

Michael Obermayer is a co-founder and partner of Fjord Capital Partners, a London-based thematic private equity firm he helped establish in 2007. Fjord describes its mission as "investing in a more efficient planet," concentrating on industrial resource efficiency, healthcare, and space-related businesses — positioning it as one of the few PE firms focused primarily on resource efficiency and clean energy. The firm is registered in London (14b Randolph Crescent, W9 1DR) with operations linked to Oxfordshire.

Before Fjord, Obermayer spent roughly 28 years at McKinsey & Company (approximately 1977–2005), where he became a Senior Partner and Director, working on more than 300 engagements — many with Fortune 100 corporations, with concentrations in energy and financial services. He is now listed as a McKinsey Senior Partner Emeritus. Between McKinsey and Fjord, he served from 2005 to 2007 as a Managing Director of the World Economic Forum in Geneva, where he was also Dean of the Global Leadership Fellows Programme.

Obermayer holds an MSc in Chemistry from the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Stockholm; a DSc in Biochemistry and Biophysics from Ludwig Maximilian University (LMU), Munich; and an MBA from INSEAD, Fontainebleau. This scientific-plus-strategy background maps closely onto Fjord's deep-tech, energy, and life-science thesis.

Beyond Fjord, he has held a series of board and operating roles tied to the firm's investments and his own angel activity — most notably as former Chairman of the Board of Nilar International AB (energy storage) and as Chairman and co-founder of Samplix ApS (genomics/biotech), plus a board role with Lihme Protein Solutions. Aggregator sources also cite past supervisory-board positions (e.g., in Finland and Austria).

• Invests through Fjord Capital's thematic PE strategy under the banner "investing in a more efficient planet" — resource efficiency, clean energy, healthcare, and space.
• Strong emphasis on deep-tech and hard-science companies (batteries/energy storage, lithium-sulfur cells, genomics, advanced proteins) — consistent with his chemistry/biochemistry training.
• Takes an active, hands-on role: he frequently pairs capital with board leadership (chairman/co-founder positions) rather than passive checks.
• Separately active as a personal angel investor, taking early/seed positions in science-led startups.
• Values companies that pair a defensible technology edge with a clear efficiency or sustainability outcome.