Raute strengthens its strategy implementation - Changes to Executive Board

RAUTE CORPORATION STOCK EXCHANGE RELEASE AUGUST 28, 2019 at 2:30 p.m.


RAUTE STRENGTHENS ITS STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATION – CHANGES TO EXECUTIVE BOARD

Raute renews its management structure in terms of the Executive Board’s areas of responsibility. Compared with the previous organization model, the new organization makes it possible to better meet the requirements for implementing the strategy, the company’s growth targets and different customer needs.

Our goal is to become the preferred supplier for a growing number of customers in more and more market areas, in particular in the emerging markets.

Tapani Kiiski, President and CEO, will continue to be in charge of Group sales.

In the allocation of responsibility areas in our Executive Board, the growth and development of our business are divided into four separate areas of responsibility based on different customer needs. 

• Our goal is to reinforce our position at the forefront of development in our industry and as a technology leader (Power market). Timo Kangas (54) is appointed Group Vice President, Power as of September 1, 2019. In addition, Kangas’s area of responsibility includes marketing and other customer excellence functions. Timo Kangas has been with Raute Group since 2004 and a member of the Executive Board since 2004, his most recent position is Group Vice President, EMEA.
   
• We also wish to significantly increase our share in the basic technology and emerging markets by developing our solutions, which improve the resource-efficiency of customers’ production and quality of wood-based panel products (Grow market). Jukka Siiriäinen (57) is appointed Group Vice President, Grow as of September 1, 2019. Siiriäinen has been with the Raute Group since 1987. His earlier positions have included sales and marketing in Asia, most recently as Vice President, APAC.
   
• We will also supplement our traditional service offering and strengthen our position as a digital service forerunner (Basic Services). Kurt Bossuyt (44) is appointed Group Vice President, Basic Services as of September 1, 2019. Bossuyt joined the Raute Group in 2016. His earlier positions have included product management and global sales tasks in technology services, most recently as General Manager, Basic Service Unit.
   
• In our new solutions we exploit particularly digitality and our Mecano and Metriguard products’ latest measurement technology for sorting veneer, plywood and LVL (Metrix). Jani Roivainen (44) is appointed Group Vice President, Metrix as of September 1, 2019. Roivainen has been with the Raute Group since 2011. He was head of the Mecano unit in Kajaani 2011-2017 and after that President of Metriguard Technologies, Inc. in Pullman in the United States.             

Our goal is also to enhance the performance of our global organization in different demand situations in terms of growth and profitability. This is divided into four areas of responsibility in our Executive Board: 

• Innovations, products and services, R&D (CTO), still headed by Mika Hyysti (54). Hyysti has been with Raute Group since 1990 and a member of the Executive Board since 2013.
   
• Supply Chain, Quality (COO), still headed by Petri Strengell (56). Strengell has been with Raute Group since 1987 and a member of the Executive Board since 2004.
   
• People excellence, Safety (CHRO), which is still headed by Marko Hjelt (50). Hjelt has been with Raute Group since 2013 and a member of the Executive Board since 2013.
   
• Finance, ICT, Other business support, still headed by Group CFO Tarja Järvinen (56). Järvinen has been with Raute Group and a member of the Executive Board since February 2019.             

Raute Group’s Executive Board and the members’ areas of responsibility as of September 1, 2019:

• Tapani Kiiski, President and CEO, Chairman – Sales
• Kurt Bossuyt, Group Vice President, Basic Services – Basic Services market
• Marko Hjelt, Group Vice President, CHRO – People excellence, safety
• Mika Hyysti, Group Vice President, CTO – Innovations, products and services, and R&D
• Tarja Järvinen, Group Vice President, CFO – Finance, ICT, other business support
• Timo Kangas, Group Vice President, Power – Power market, customer excellence functions
• Jani Roivainen, Group Vice President, Metrix – Metrix market
• Jukka Siiriäinen, Group Vice President, Grow – Grow market
• Petri Strengell, Group Vice President, COO – Supply chain and quality.

As of September 1, 2019, Tarja Järvinen, CFO, will function as deputy to President and CEO Tapani Kiiski.

Arja Hakala, a member of the company’s Executive Board since 2001, will continue with the company in a development capacity.

RAUTE CORPORATION
Tapani Kiiski
President and CEO


FURTHER INFORMATION:
Mr. Tapani Kiiski, President and CEO, Raute Corporation, mobile phone +358 400 814 148

DISTRIBUTION:
NASDAQ OMX Helsinki Ltd, main media, www.raute.com

RAUTE IN BRIEF:
Raute is a technology and service company that operates worldwide. Raute’s customers are companies operating in the wood products industry that manufacture veneer, plywood, LVL (Laminated Veneer Lumber) and sawn timber. Its technology offering covers the entire production process for veneer, plywood and LVL and special measurement equipment for sawn timber. As a supplier of mill-scale projects, Raute is a global market leader both in the plywood and LVL industries. Additionally, Raute’s full-service concept includes technology services ranging from spare parts deliveries to regular maintenance and equipment modernizations. Raute’s head office is located in the Nastola area of Lahti, Finland. The company’s other production plants are located in Kajaani, Finland, the Vancouver area of Canada, the Shanghai area of China and in Pullman, Washington, USA. Raute’s net sales in 2018 were EUR 181.0 million. The Group’s headcount at the end of 2018 was 772. More information about the company can be found at www.raute.com.