Are Group is changing its CEO
Published 24 March 2021
Are is changing its CEO. The current CEO of Are, Heikki Pesu, is due to leave his duties by 6 April 2021. The chairman of the Board, Timo Kohtamäki, will take over as the CEO on a temporary basis. He will also continue in his role as the chairman of the Board. The Board of Directors will instigate the search for a new CEO with immediate effect.
Heikki Pesu has been in charge of Are since 2011. Mr Pesu will remain at the company’s disposal for the next six months.
– On behalf of the whole Board of Directors, I would like to thank Heikki Pesu for his long and dedicated service in our company. Under his stewardship, Are has grown into a leading operator in its field. He has played an important role in the merger of Lemminkäinen Talotekniikka and Are, the launch and profitable growth of our operations in Sweden as well as building our operational culture. Are is a strong and stable business and, measured by many indicators, a pioneer in its field. Heikki’s deep knowledge of the sector, combined with his inspirational leadership skills, has been tremendously important for our company and the entire work community, says the chairman of Are’s Board of Directors, Timo Kohtamäki.
– I have been the CEO of Are for nearly a decade. The work has been stimulating and rewarding in so many different ways. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all of Are’s employees, customers and partners for these years. It has been amazing to be able to build growth and new solutions with such highly skilled professionals. I would also like to thank the Board of Directors and the owner for their trust and smooth collaboration. These years have seen some great success stories but, of course, also some setbacks. I am particularly proud of Are’s culture, which has shown its strength while we have been wrestling for over a year with the special arrangements arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. Are’s future is bright. It has been my honour to be the CEO of Are. Now, it is the right time to hand over the baton to the next person, says Heikki Pesu, CEO.
– The increasing demand for maintenance and repair services as well as the increased scales of projects and collaborative project models have supported Are’s growth. The mega trends of urbanisation, climate change and digitalisation will also strengthen the business trend in the long term. Even though the exceptional situation resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic has worsened the situation, the company’s operating environment has been favourable over the last few years. That said, Are’s profitability in the Finnish project operations has not met the set targets. Implementing our strategy and ensuring operational efficiency will be the new CEO’s key priorities in this challenging market situation, says Timo Kohtamäki.
For further information, please contact:
Are Oy, chairman of the Board, Timo Kohtamäki
Enquiries via Are’s PR department:
Maiju Nupponen. Head of Communications
+35 (0)40 300 5995. maiju.nupponen@are.fi
