Paradox Interactive CEO Fredrik Wester is stepping down this August after nine years at the helm. 

Although he'll no longer be directly steering the ship, Wester will be staying on in a full-time capacity as the company's new executive chairman of the board. 

Ebba Ljungerud will then step up as the publisher's new CEO, having already served as a member of the Paradox board for the past four years.

As well as being involved with Paradox, Ljungerud has worked in a number of different business areas, guiding large personnel teams to profitability and building several strong management teams of her own.

It's hoped the reshuffle will allow the Swedish outfit, famous for its work on strategy titles like Stellaris and Cities: Skylines, to better capitalize on growth opportunities and strengthen its existing operations. 

"Ebba will be responsible for all of our existing operations in her role as CEO, while I will be focusing on better capitalizing on Paradox’s growth opportunities," explained Wester.

"This is something I have focused heavily on during my years at Paradox, but I've had very limited time for it over the past two years."

Wester says he'll spend the bulk of his time scoping out merger and acquisition opportunities, but will also be on hand to offer more direct support to the company if needed.

"One of the main reasons we have gotten to where we are today is that we have built on what we do best, while we've had the courage to challenge ourselves and have not been afraid to make the changes needed to take the company to the next level," he added.

"An important step in doing so is to have the right people in the right positions. Ebba has a good understanding of Paradox and our culture, along with extensive experience and the competence we need now and, perhaps most importantly, a strong will and ambition to continue developing the company."