The Chairman of the East Office of Finnish Industries, Ilkka Salonen, has chosen to resign from his position, effective immediately as of October 11th.
During the past year, East Office has undergone a profound transformation, redefining its core focus towards active participation in the crucial task of reconstructing Ukraine. This strategic transition was carefully considered by Ilkka Salonen, who had been contemplating stepping down since the initiation of the strategic shift, recognizing the change in East Office’s priorities. However, he chose to remain in his position during the CEO transition last spring to ensure a seamless handover to new leadership, underlining his commitment to a smooth transition during this critical period.
This decision has been well thought out and is driven solely by what I believe is in the best interest of our organization. East Office has had a competent new CEO in place since the beginning of August, and therefore, the time is now right for me to step down. I want to thank all East Office shareholders for their excellent collaboration over the years and wish the entire East Office community success in future endeavors,” Ilkka Salonen says.
On behalf of the board, Topi Paananen, Vice Chair of East Office, expressed gratitude to Ilkka Salonen for his invaluable contributions to East Office over the years and thanked him for his commitment and outstanding service to the entire Finnish business community. Topi Paananen will assume the role of acting Chairman.
My full focus will be on supporting our CEO Janne Harjunpää and the vital steps he’s taken to implement our new strategy for Ukraine’s reconstruction. I am fully dedicated to ensuring that East Office remains steadfast in its mission to contribute to Ukraine’s recovery and prosperity”, Topi Paananen emphasizes.
Topi Paananen is the CEO of Peikko Group, a company that has placed a strong emphasis on participating in the ongoing reconstruction efforts in Ukraine. Notably, Peikko is the most recent Finnish company to establish an office in Ukraine earlier this month.
For further inquiries:
Topi Paananen
Acting Chairman, East Office of Finnish Industries
Email: topi.paananen@peikko.com
Phone: +358 50 384 3001
Sanna Hentunen
Head of Communications and Reports
Email: sanna.hentunen@eastoffice.fi
Phone: +358 40 7433500