Lego Ventures, the investment arm of the Danish toy company, named Cecilia Qvist, formerly Spotify’s global head of markets, as its new head.
With Qvist’s appointment, Lego Ventures will boost its focus on two strategic investment spaces: digital play and “super-charging education,” Lego Group said in a statement.
Qvist had joined Spotify in 2017 and oversaw the music and audio streamer’s global growth strategy in existing and new territories with a focus on international expansion, product localization and user growth. She currently sits on the board of tech venture investment firm Kinnevik, Trustly, a digital account-to-account payments provider, and digital market-research firm Cint.
Last year, Qvist transitioned out of the role of Spotify’s global head of markets and into an advisory position before leaving the company last month. Prior to Spotify, Qvist worked at companies including Ericsson, Swedbank and NASDAQ OMX.
“We’re thrilled to announce Cecilia joining us taking up the role as head of Lego Ventures as there’s no doubt that she can take the Lego Brand’s venture efforts to the next level together with its dedicated team,” Jørgen Vig Knudstorp, executive chairman of Lego, said in a statement.
Qvist commented, “To explore the connections between learning, creativity, and ‘digital play’ by working with innovations that will shape the future of playful learning is massively exciting. Industries like gaming, adaptive education and virtual reality will have an immense impact on our daily lives in the years to come.”
The previous head of Lego Ventures, Alexis Horowitz-Burdick, has transitioned to the role of external adviser.
In addition to Qvist’s hiring, Lego Ventures announced the appointment of Jacob Fonnesbech Aqraou to its advisory board. Currently, he is investor in and chairman of online marketplaces Boats Group, Chronext and Wallapop. Previously Fonnesbech Aqraou spent nine years with eBay as finance director for Europe.
Founded in 2018, Lego Ventures investment portfolio includes game studio Klang, social-emotional skills app Peppy Pals, kid activities and strength assessment platform Thrively, and Monti Kids, a subscription-based Montessori program for kids.
