Kalmar has appointed Katri Hokkanen as its chief financial officer designate and is also seeking a new president of operations.
The appointment of Hokkanen follows the planned departure of the current chief financial officer Sakari Ahdekivi, at the end of this year when he will be 63. He will remain in the role until the end of September and then support his successor during the fourth quarter.
The company has also launched a search for a new president of services, to replace Thomas Malmborg, who plans to step down at the end of September after more than 36 years with the company. He will celebrate is 62nd birthday this year and also remain with Kalmar until year end to ensure a smooth transition.
Katri Hokkanen joins Kalmar from pulp, paper and packaging group Valmet, where she has been chief financial officer since 2022. She began her career in 2000 in an entry level finance role with what was then Metso, which had been formed a year earlier by the merger of Valmet and Rauma.
In 2008, she was promoted to assistant controller, and then at the end of 2013, when Metso demerged into two separate companies – Metso and Valmet – Hokkanen remained with the Valmet side of the business, and became manager of financial services for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. In 2015, she was appointed head of finance for Asia Pacific in Thailand, and two years later took over as vice president of finance and business systems for the Pulp & Energy business, where she remained until taking up her current role. She will remain with Valmet for a transition period of up to six months.
Kalmar chief executive Sami Niiranen said: “I am very pleased to welcome Katri to our team to drive our operational excellence and business growth even further. At the same time, I would like to thank Sakari for his significant contribution and for his leadership during our first years as an independent company.”
“I also want to thank Thomas for his long and distinguished career within Kalmar and his instrumental role in the Services division and the company’s overall success. His dedication has positioned us well for future growth. I already now warmly wish both Sakari and Thomas all the success in their future endeavours.”
“I trust our leadership team is well equipped to drive Kalmar’s future growth and long term strategic initiatives. As a forerunner, we are shifting our focus to 2030 and beyond, driving sustainable innovations, service growth, and securing our leadership in a rapidly changing environment.”
