FINLAND – Helsinki-based forest industry group, Metsä Group has designated Pekka Kittilä as VP, Mill Manager for Metsä Fibre’s novel bioproduct mill, effective from February 1, 2024.
Formerly the Technical Director of the bioproduct mill project, Kittilä will now report to Metsä Fibre’s SVP of Pulp Production.
Simultaneously, Tomi Seppä has been appointed as the Project Director at Metsä Board starting February 1, 2024, subsequently transitioning to the role of VP for the Kemi Board Mill commencing June 1, 2024.
Seppä, currently serving as the VP and Mill Manager of the Kemi bioproduct mill, will report to Harri Pihlajaniemi, Metsä Board’s SVP of Production and Technology.
The successor for the existing VP of Kemi Board Mill, Timo Ahonen, effective June 1, 2024, will be announced later.
In other developments, Metsä Group has disclosed intentions to cease sawn timber production at the Merikarvia sawmill in Finland by the summer of 2024.
This operational cessation decision impacts all 79 employees, attributed to the sawmill reaching the culmination of its technical life cycle, as per Ismo Nousiainen, CEO of Metsä Fibre.
The Merikarvia sawmill currently operates with an annual production capacity of around 220,000 m3 pine sawn timber and an annual wood consumption of roughly 455,000 m3.
Lecta names Javier Abad Marturet new Chairman of BoD
Shifting gears, Lecta Ltd has appointed Javier Abad Marturet as the new Chairman of the Board of Directors, succeeding Dr. Dermot F Smurfit, who has opted for retirement from his role.
Dr. Smurfit assumed the Chairmanship in July 2020, while the incoming Chairman, Mr. Javier Abad Marturet, joined the Board in the same month.
Commenting on his assumption of the Chairman position, Javier Abad Marturet expressed gratitude for Dr. Smurfit’s significant contributions, noting the strengthening of the Board, the establishment of an adept management team, and the formulation of an appealing medium-term strategic roadmap during his tenure.
He lauded Gilles van Nieuwenhuyzen, CEO of Lecta, for enhancing operational efficiency and shaping the company’s new strategic direction.
Marturet, a seasoned executive with three decades of international experience, holds various directorial positions across renowned European companies and serves as a Senior Adviser to Mubadala Capital Private Equity in addition to his roles at Lecta.
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