Kettel Thomsen comes from a position as vice-president of the European Investment Bank, the central bank said.

"Danmarks Nationalbank contributes to stable economic development in Denmark, not least through the fixed-exchange-rate policy, by overseeing and assessing financial stability and taking responsibility for efficient and robust payment systems," Kettel Thomsen said in the statement.

"It will have to be done in collaboration with, authorities and the financial sector, among others," he said.

(Reporting by Essi Lehto, editing by Anna Ringstrom and Terje Solsvik)