By Helene Auramo

Hello curious minds,

Monday is here again, which means it’s time for Listeds Pulse Nordic!

This is your weekly Monday briefing on the most relevant leadership shifts shaping the corporate landscape in Finland. We are also almost done collecting the moves in the Swedish market, so stay tuned. :)

This edition covers changes between September 1 – September 7, 2025. We tracked 28 management changes and 4 board changes across Finnish listed companies.

This week we tracked a lot of changes which I’m excited about. Let’s start with the board changes.

The board moves

This week saw some board departures and one notable new chair appointment, although within the same company. Wulff-Yhtiöt named Lauri Sipponen as its new Chair of the Board, effective September 4, 2025. Sipponen is best known for leading Lidl Suomi, and later went on to head VR Group and Laitilan Wirvoitusjuomatehdas.

The management team changes

28 management team changes this week (a notably high number).

A new era at eQ

eQ Plc has a new CEO: Jouko Pölönen, who stepped in on September 1. He brings extensive experience from Ilmarinen, where he served as CEO for seven years, and nearly two decades at OP Financial Group, including roles as Head of Banking and CEO of OP Corporate Bank, Helsinki Area Cooperative Bank, and Pohjola Insurance Ltd.

On his very first day, another announcement landed: Pölönen accepted 100,000 stock options with an exercise price of €0. The options give him the right to buy eQ shares in the future, creating a strong incentive to lift the stock above its current price of €12.60.

We’ll be closely watching how he shapes eQ’s strategy  and whether the management team lineup shifts under his leadership.

From Board to CEO: Partnera’s new leader

Another notable CEO move this week: Partnera appointed Erja Sankari as its new CEO, effective September 1, 2025.

Sankari has an extensive track record in international business leadership and global supply chain management, with expertise in Industry 4.0, digitalization, and innovation.

She spent the past three years as COO and Deputy CEO of iLOQ, and prior to that more than two decades at Nokia, where she rose from development projects in the late 1990s to Vice President of Mobile Networks Global Supply Chain and Head of Nokia’s Oulu unit.

What makes this move especially interesting is her transition from board member to CEO: Sankari has served on Partnera’s board since 2022 before stepping into the top role. In 2025 she also joined the board of Summa Defence Oyj, adding another listed-company dimension to her leadership portfolio.