Jouni Hakala, LLM, MBA, has been appointed Director, heading the fund investments team, and a member of Finnish Industry Investment Ltds Management Group as from 15 September.
Previously Mr Hakala has worked for altogether 12 years in Luxembourg in the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the European Investment Fund (EIF), where he was in charge of investments in European funds. Since 2007 Mr Hakala has been a special ministerial advisor for state ownership steering issues.
I collaborated very closely with Industry Investment during my years in the European Investment Fund, and it will be good to continue that cooperation. The investment sector in Finland is maturing, and consequently the challenges are growing. One such challenge at the international level is raising new capital, says Jouni Hakala.
Born in Ilmajoki and now living in Kirkkonummi, Jouni Hakala enjoys playing any game where theres a bat and a ball such as tennis and floorball.
Heli Kukko, MSc (Industrial Management) has started as Investment Manager in Finnish Industry Investment Ltds direct growth investments team. Ms Kukkos duties include assessing growth companies as potential investment prospects and preparing investment decisions.
Ms Kukko comes to Industry Investment from the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation Tekes, where she worked for over 6 years, most recently as Director, Technology. Before that Ms Kukko worked in TeliaSonera.
Its extremely interesting being able to work directly with growth companies. Both Industry Investment and the growth company sector are known to me from my earlier job, where I was in charge of a financing programme focusing on young, innovative companies, says Kukko.
Heli Kukko, who lives in Espoo, likes to relax with her family on among other places a sailing boat, a golf course or a ski slope.
Kati Ojaluoma, MSc (Econ), has started as Investment Manager in Finnish Industry Investment Ltds fund investments team. Her duties include assessing new investment prospects, preparing investment decisions and administering fund investments.
Kati Ojaluoma moved to Finland from Copenhagen, where she worked for altogether five years as a portfolio manager in employment pension company PensionDanmark and as an analyst for ATP Private Equity Partners. Before that Ms Ojaluoma worked in the Reuters news agencys corporate customer service department in London and in the banking sector in Finland.
Industry Investment is a large investor in funds, and as such gives a grandstand view of the fund investment sector in Finland. The company is an investor in over 80 private equity investment funds, with investments amounting to EUR 375 million, says Ojaluoma.
Ojaluoma, who lives in Helsinki, likes jogging, travelling, reading and socialising with friends.
Finnish Industry Investment Ltd (FII) is a government-owned investment company. The company invests the proceeds accrued from the privatisation of state-owned companies in promoting the growth and internationalisation of Finnish businesses. FII invests in growth companies directly and through venture capital funds, together with private co-investors. FIIs portfolio companies operate in all sectors. Capital investments are needed for financing the growth of portfolio companies, and for spin-offs, major industrial investments, and sector and corporate restructurings. FIIs investments amount to some MEUR 470. www.industryinvestment.com
Interview requests:
– Asta Sjöblom, Communications Manager, Finnish Industry Investment Ltd,
mobile +358 50 552 7273, asta.sjoblom (at) industryinvestment.com
Further information:
– Juha Marjosola, President & CEO, Finnish Industry Investment Ltd,
tel. +358 9 6803 6811, juha.marjosola (at) industryinvestment.com
– Jouni Hakala, Director, Finnish Industry Investment Ltd, as from 15.9.2008:
mobile +358 50 400 1767, jouni.hakala (at) industryinvestment.com
– Heli Kukko, Investment Manager, Finnish Industry Investment Ltd,
mobile +358 400 772 833, heli.kukko (at) industryinvestment.com
– Kati Ojaluoma, Investment Manager, Finnish Industry Investment Ltd,
mobile +358 50 545 5402, kati.ojaluoma (at) industryinvestment.com