She will also become a member of the Kalmar leadership team, reporting to President and CEO Sami Niiranen. De Gruyter succeeds Thomas Malmborg, who will step down after more than 36 years with the company and remain until year-end to support the transition, Kalmar Corporation announced today.
In the role, de Gruyter will lead Kalmar’s global services operations and drive its transition toward a more service-driven business model, overseeing the full lifecycle of the company’s service portfolio. De Gruyter brings almost three decades of experience from Wärtsilä, where she most recently led the energy storage business.
Kalmar Corporation, a Finland-based provider of material handling equipment and services for ports, terminals, and logistics operations, was formed following the partial demerger of Cargotec in June 2024 and listed on Nasdaq Helsinki in July 2024. The company reported 2025 sales of €1.74 billion, with comparable operating profit of €223 million and a margin of 12.8%, alongside record order intake of €1.82 billion.
“We are excited to welcome Tamara,” said CEO Sami Niiranen, citing her track record in transformational leadership. De Gruyter added that she looks forward to accelerating Kalmar’s services growth journey and delivering stronger customer value.
Follow moves like this on the Listeds Executive Intelligence Platform.
