Six of Finland’s most promising young listed-company leaders were recognized in Helsinki today at the Nordic Listed Leaders Future Leaders event. The evening’s most senior honor, CEO of the Year 2026, went to Janne Paavola, CEO of Nokian Panimo Oyj.

The event set out to do something Finnish capital markets rarely do in public: put a spotlight on the next generation of leadership inside listed companies.

“Finland’s listed companies have an exceptionally strong generation of young leaders who often remain invisible in public,” says Helene Auramo, founder of Nordic Listed Leaders and co-founder of Slush. “We want to bring them forward and show that a listed company, too, can be a dynamic and inspiring place to build a career and leadership.”

The Future Leader winners

CEO of the Year — Janne Paavola, Nokian Panimo Oyj. Paavola rose to CEO from within the company and took Nokian Panimo public, listing it on Nasdaq’s First North growth market in April 2025. The jury singled out a successful listing in a challenging market, along with his personal, learning-oriented way of building the company — combining, in the jury’s words, bold building with sustainable growth.

CFO of the Year — Lauri Isotalo, Framery Group Oyj. Isotalo played a central role in Framery Group’s transformation from a founder-led business through a private-equity phase to a company listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki. The jury particularly valued a successful initial public offering and two refinancings within the same year, in which the CFO held a strong role.

CMO of the Year — Sanna-Kaisa Niikko, Marimekko Oyj. Under Niikko’s leadership, Marimekko has strengthened its brand and international visibility, with sales growing across all of the company’s main markets. The jury rewarded a bold and distinctive approach to marketing Finnish design internationally.

COO of the Year — Tapani Salminen, Canatu Oyj. Salminen has built Canatu’s operational capabilities through a fast and demanding growth phase. The jury was convinced by his hands-on approach and the concrete steps with which he has moved the company forward.

CTO/CDO of the Year — Ilari Richardt, Terveystalo Oyj. As CDO and SVP Digital Services, Richardt has led Terveystalo’s wide-ranging digitalization and delivered tangible business benefits through the company’s operational development programme. The jury recognized him as a visionary leader who has produced concrete results.

CLO of the Year — Tuulia Niemelä, Springvest Oyj. Niemelä stepped up to general counsel and joined the management team in October 2025, having rapidly built the legal function of a fast-growing, First North-listed investment-services company.

How the winners were chosen

The awards were decided through a careful evaluation process. Initial screening was carried out on the Listeds platform, which analyzes listed-company leadership and financial metrics. Finalists were then asked to provide written answers, assessed by an independent jury, with any potential conflicts of interest taken into account.

The 2026 jury comprised Minja Salmio (Future Leader 2025, chair), Mikael Rautanen (Future Leader 2024), Niko Pakalén (Cevian Capital), Riikka Aaltonen (Talouselämä), Sonja Siggberg (Hannes Snellman), Rasmus Alopaeus (PwC Finland) and Alexandra Therman-Londen (Nordea).

“This year’s standard was impressive,” says jury chair and Future Leader 2025 Minja Salmio. “Among the finalists were leaders who, early in their careers, have already taken companies through listings, international expansion and demanding growth phases. It was a pleasure to see how varied and ambitious leadership is in Finnish listed companies.”