Nele Leht appointed Head of Legal at Coop Pank
03.11.2026
Nele Leht has joined Coop Pank as Head of Legal, bringing more than 15 years of experience in law, corporate governance, compliance and business development.
Leht has previously worked as a lawyer, an adviser to senior management, Head of Compliance and Head of Business Development. Her professional experience includes advising company boards and management, managing legal and regulatory risks, developing business processes and implementing strategic projects.
“What attracted me to Coop Pank was a rare combination: an Estonian-owned bank that is also publicly listed, ambitious leadership and a highly professional legal team,” said Leht.
Leht believes that the legal department should act as a strategic partner to the business, understanding its objectives and helping to find legally sound and practical ways to achieve them.
“I believe that a good lawyer’s value lies not only in their knowledge of the law, but also in their understanding of the business and their ability to help leaders make sound decisions. A lawyer’s role should not simply be to explain why something cannot be done, but to help clarify what we are actually trying to achieve, what risks we are prepared to take and how to make it happen,” said Leht.
According to Arko Kurtmann, Chairman of the Management Board of Coop Pank, a strong legal team plays an important role in achieving the bank’s ambitious growth objectives. “Coop Pank aims to maintain its rapid growth and develop new services. To achieve this, we need to make decisions quickly and thoughtfully, while carefully assessing the risks involved. Nele’s extensive experience gives her a strong understanding of both the regulatory requirements of the financial sector and the commercial needs of businesses. I believe that with her support, we can successfully deliver the bank’s plans for further development,” said Kurtmann.
In addition to her experience in the financial sector, Leht has worked at technology companies Veriff and Skeleton Technologies. Most recently, she served as Head of Business Development at LHV Kindlustus. Leht holds a master’s degree in law from the University of Tartu and has completed additional training in insurance at Tallinn University of Technology.
