William Blair Adds Nordics Managing Director Focused on Private Equity

LONDON & STOCKHOLM--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep 16, 2025--

William Blair announced today the expansion of the firm’s private equity coverage in the Nordics with the addition of Daniel Nilsson as managing director in the firm’s Financial Sponsors Group. Based in Stockholm, Daniel will focus on delivering integrated advisory services to private equity clients in the region.

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“Daniel represents the latest in recent strategic additions by William Blair in Europe as we work to further expand our investor coverage across the continent,” said Stewart Licudi, head of European Investment Banking at William Blair. “With a deep commitment to fostering a culture of success and an exceptional track record of high-touch client service, Daniel will be a valuable asset to our clients in the Nordics and around the world.”

With more than 20 years of experience advising private equity firms, other financial sponsors, and corporates across the Nordic region and Europe, Daniel has held senior roles at Morgan Stanley in Stockholm and Goldman Sachs in London, and most recently was a partner at ABG Sundal Collier. He earned an M.Sc. in finance from the Stockholm School of Economics.

“I am excited to join William Blair’s Financial Sponsors Group and support its expanding coverage throughout Europe,” Nilsson said. “William Blair has a strong reputation for its holistic investment banking model that aligns deep sector expertise and global geographic reach with M&A, capital-raising and strategic advisory capabilities to provide tailored advice and solutions.”

Daniel’s addition follows the London hirings earlier this year of Delaney Brown as a senior director on the Private Capital Advisory team and Tim-Oliver Seidel to lead William Blair’s European secondaries team.

About William Blair Investment Banking

William Blair’s investment banking group enables corporations, financial sponsors, and owner/entrepreneurs around the world to achieve their growth, liquidity, and financing objectives. Drawing on the collective intellectual capital and deep sector expertise of a global team that reaches over 20 cities on four continents, the investment banking group brings a rigorous and innovative approach to corporate board advisory projects, mergers and acquisitions, and equity and debt financing. From July 2020 through June 2025, the team advised on more than $825 billion in completed transaction volume.

About William Blair

William Blair is the premier global partnership with expertise in investment banking, investment management, and private wealth management. We provide advisory services, strategies, and solutions to meet our clients’ evolving needs. As an independent and employee-owned firm, together with our strategic partners, we operate in more than 20 offices worldwide.*

*Includes strategic partnerships with Allier Capital, BDA Partners, and Poalim Capital Markets.

Daniel Nilsson

KOHALA, Hawai‘i--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan 15, 2026--

Kuleana Rum Works, the Hawai‘i-based distillery known for its additive-free, award-winning rums, today announced the release of “An Open Letter on Additive-Free Rum,” written by Founder & CEO Steve Jefferson, addressing why rum is now facing the same scrutiny and market shift that reshaped tequila a decade ago.

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Consumers across spirits are demanding more honesty about how products are made. Additive-free labeling has already transformed tequila and is reshaping whiskey and RTDs. Drinkers now expect producers to protect natural flavor instead of masking it, and bartenders increasingly use transparency as a measure of quality. The letter positions rum as the next category entering this accountability cycle, as more consumers begin to question undisclosed sweeteners, flavorings and added color.

Tequila provides the clearest precedent. Producers who embraced additive-free methods helped premiumize the category, while brands relying on undisclosed additives now face growing skepticism. According to the letter, rum is approaching the same turning point. Jefferson explains that Kuleana Rum Works was founded on additive-free principles: growing heirloom Hawaiian kō (sugarcane), fermenting and distilling fresh juice at lower proof to preserve natural character, adding nothing after distillation and holding all blending partners to the same standards. Every rum — whether distilled in Hawai‘i or sourced — is verified additive-free through independent lab testing and supplier documentation.

“Consumer expectations are changing fast across spirits,” said Steve Jefferson, Founder and CEO of Kuleana Rum Works. “People want honesty in what they drink, and they’re rewarding producers who protect natural flavor rather than covering it up. Additive-free isn’t a trend — it’s becoming the standard, and rum is now facing that shift head-on.”

Additional detail in the letter underscores how production choices such as fresh juice fermentation, low-proof distillation and a strict no-additives policy create transparency and flavor integrity that align with what the market is valuing.

About Kuleana Rum Works

Founded on the island of Hawai‘i in 2013, Kuleana Rum Works crafts award-winning, additive-free rums — led by its signature Hawaiian Rum Agricole® — from fresh kō (heirloom Hawaiian sugarcane) grown on its regenerative Kohala farm. Now available in 17 states and Japan, Kuleana Rum Works champions excellence, transparency and community stewardship. Visit kuleanarum.com to learn more.

https://kuleanarum.com/additive-free/