Board of Directors

The Board of Directors of Aktia Bank Plc oversees that the Aktia Group is managed efficiently and follows prudent business principles in accordance with the provisions of applicable laws, and the bank's Articles of Association. The Board of Directors approves the bank's business strategy, strategic objectives, risk strategy and systems for management and governance as well as monitors and oversees them. The Board of Directors also appoints Aktia Bank Plc's Managing Director.

Election of the Board of Directors and Principles concerning diversity of Board of Directors

The members of the Board of Directors are appointed for a period reaching from the General Meeting to the next General Meeting. Appointments are prepared by a Shareholders' Nomination Board comprising representatives of the five largest shareholders.

The Board of Directors shall be composed in a way that takes the company's business operations, development stage and other circumstances into consideration; diversity and broad range are key in respect of the members' fields of expertise, experience and background in general as well as their regional distribution and language background, and an equal distribution according to sex shall be pursued. The Board of Directors shall be experienced in banking business and risk management related to it. The expertise and experience of the Board of Directors is evaluated collectively. The preparation of nominations to the Board of Directors is based on an overall evaluation of the Board of Director's profile of expertise. The suitability and trustworthiness of members of the Board of Directors is evaluated before they are nominated and later on a regular basis. The objective is, at all times, to ensure the competence and diversity of the Board of Directors required by a sound corporate culture, to preserve shareholder value through effective monitoring of business operations, and to increase shareholder value with insight and strategic thinking.

In order to ensure that members of the Board of Directors have enough time for the position, the Board member's main position, number of boards the person is on and other positions are monitored before the person is nominated and later on a regular basis.

New board members are introduced in their tasks with an introduction programme comprising Aktia Group's business operations, risk management and other systems for management and governance.

The Board of Directors consists of 9 members. The company's Principles concerning diversity of Board of Directors have been taken into account in the composition of the Board of Directors. The share of female board members is 33 per cent.

Apart from assignments given by the Board of Directors to its members in individual cases, Board members do not have individual duties related to the governance of the Group. The Board has set up three separate committees to deal with matters concerning risk management, auditing as well as remuneration and Corporate Governance. The rules of procedure adopted by the Board of Directors define, in greater detail, the general duties of the Board and its committees, meeting procedures, meeting minutes, ordinary meeting business, preparation and presentation of matters to be dealt with at Board meetings and procedures for operative management reports to the Board of Directors.

The work of the Board of Directors is evaluated regularly.

Board and Committees

Lasse Svens, Chairman of the Board
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Joakim Frimodig, Vice Chairman of the Board
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Ann Grevelius, Member of the Board
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Lasse Svens, Chairman of the Board

b. 1962

Member of the Board since 2016

Education

M.Sc. (Econ.)

Present position

Stiftelsen för Åbo Akademi

  • CEO 2015–

Main professional experience

Nordea and its predecessors

  • Executive Vice President, Head of Compliance and Operational Risk 2013–2014
  • Executive Vice President, Deputy Head of Retail Banking Finland 2008–2013
  • Head of Branch Region 1999–2008
  • Manager, Baltic Sea region 1997–1999
  • Sales Manager, regional sales, bank cooperation & Pohjola Finance 1994–1997
  • Branch Manager, member of management group of the branch region 1993–1994

Managerial positions in different savings' banks 1987–1993

Main positions of trust

  • Veritas Pension Insurance, Member of the Board 2016–
  • Novia University of Applied Sciences, Member of the Board 2015–
  • Förlags Ab Sydvästkusten, Chairman of the Board 2015–
  • Ab Kelonia Oy, Member of the Board 2015–
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Joakim Frimodig, Vice Chairman of the Board

b. 1978, Finnish citizen

Member of the Board since 2024

Education

Bachelor of Arts (Oxford)

Main professional experience

CapMan Oyj

  • CEO, 2017–2023
  • Director, Strategy and Growth, management group member 2016–2017

Summa Capital

  • Deputy managing partner, 2004–2016
  • Alfred Berg / ABN Amro, Associate Director, Corporate Finance, 2000–2004

Main positions of trust

Inderes Oyj

  • Vice Chairman of the board, 2024–

Society of Swedish Literature in Finland

  • Member of the board, 2024–

CapMan Oyj

  • Chair of the board, 2023–

Silvertärnan Ab

  • Member of the board, 2019–
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Ann Grevelius, Member of the Board

b. 1966, Swedish citizen

Member of the Board since 2023

Education

Master of Science in Business and Economics

Main professional experience

Optise AB

  • Founder and Chairman of the Board 2014– 

Alecta

  • Interim Head of Equities 2023

P Bullhound

  • Co-owner/senior adviser 2015–2020 

SEB

  • Chief Investment Officer & Global Head of Investment Strategy, SEB Wealth Management 2013–2015 
  • Head of Family Office, SEB Private Banking 2010–2011 
  • Head of Swedish & Nordic Equities, SEB Investment Management 2010–2011 

Handelsbanken Asset Management

  • Various leading positions 1996–2010

Main positions of trust

  • Stena Sessan AB, Member of the Board 2022– 
  • OX2 AB, Member of the Board 2021– 
  • Alecta, Member of the Board 2020–2023
  • Stenvalvet AB, Member of the Board 2020– 
  • Slättö Förvaltning AB, Member of the Board 2020– 
  • The European Smaller Companies Trust PLC, Member of the Board 2019– 
  • Hallvarsson & Hallvarsson Group, Member of the Board 2018– 
  • Stiftelsen för Strategisk Forskning, Chairman, Kapitalförvaltningskommittén 2017– 
Carl Haglund, Member of the Board
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Maria Jerhamre Engström, Member of the Board
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Harri Lauslahti, Member of the Board
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Carl Haglund, Member of the Board

b. 1979, Finnish citizen

Member of the Board since 2023

Education

Master of Science in Economics and Business Administration

Main professional experience

Veritas Pension Insurance

  • CEO, 2022–
  • Director, 2021–2022

Accenture Financial Services

  • Director, 2018–2021

Sunshine Kaidi New Energy Group

  • Vice President, Europe and Strategy, CEO Sunshine Kaidi (Finland), 2016–2018  

Finnish Parliament

  • Member of the Parliament, 2015–2016 

Finnish Government

  • Minister of Defence, 2012–2015
  • Minister of Sports, 2014–2015

European Parliament

  • Member of the Parliament, 2009–2012

Main positions of trust

  • Pohjantähti Mutual Insurance Company, member of the Board 2024–
  • Enersense International Oyj, Member of the Board 2023–
  • The Finnish Pension Alliance TELA, Member of the Board, 2022– 
  • Nordic Rescue Group Oy, Chairman of the Board, 2020– 
  • EVA and ETLA, Chairman of the Board, 2018– 
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Maria Jerhamre Engström, Member of the Board

b. 1969

Member of the Board since 2018

Education

eMBA

Present position

Länsförsäkringar Uppsala

  • Head of Insurance, 2022–

Main professional experience

Jerhamre Consulting AB

  • Founder, Management consultant focusing on IT and IT transformation, 2018–2022

Nordax Bank AB

  • Interim Chief Information Officer, 2018–2019

Länsförsäkringar AB

  • Chief Information Officer, 2013–2017

Länsförsäkringar Bank

  • Head of Products & Processes 2012–2013
  • Head of Business Support 2009–2012
  • Head of Internet Bank 2006–2008

Main positions of trust

  • Brixo AB, Member of the Board
  • Olingo Consulting AB, Member of the Board 2016–2018
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Harri Lauslahti, Member of the Board

b. 1961

Member of the Board since 2020

Education

M.Sc. (Econ.)

Main professional experience

  • Kohtas Marketplace, Managing Partner 2020–
  • Digital Workforce Services Ltd (Robotics & AI), Head of Banking & Insurance 2018–2019
  • LocalTapiola Group, various leading positions, 2002–2018, member of the Executive Committee, member of the Board and Chairman of the Board
  • Tapiola Bank Ltd, CEO 2002–2011
  • S-Bank Ltd, Deputy Chairman of the Board 2013–2018
  • Local Tapiola Service Ltd, CEO 2011–2014
  • Svenska Handelsbanken Ab, operations in Finland, various leading positions, e.g. Business Director, 1995–2011
  • Union Bank of Finland Ltd, various positions, e.g. Bank Manager and Business Controller, 1987– 1995

Main positions of trust

  • Tapio Oy, member of the Board 2018–
  • Pohjantähti Mutual Insurance Company, member of the Board 2019–
  • Oppiva Invest Oy, Chairman of the Board 2019–2024
Sari Pohjonen, Member of the Board
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Matts Rosenberg, Member of the Board
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Johannes Schulman, Member of the Board
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Sari Pohjonen, Member of the Board

b. 1966

Member of the Board since 2022

Education

Master of Science in Economics and Business Administration

Main professional experience

Oriola Corporation

  • Chief Financial Officer, 2021–2022

Fiskars Group, 2016–2021 

  • Chief Financial Officer, 2017–2021
  • Deputy to the CEO, 2018–2021
  • Interim CEO, 2020
  • Chief Financial Officer, Fiskars Living, 2016

Reima Group, 2013–2016 

  • Chief Financial Officer, 2013–2016
  • Deputy to the CEO, 2015–2016

Fiskars Group

  • Senior positions, 2008–2013 

SanomaWSOY

  • Senior positions, 2001–2008 

Main positions of trust

Kalmar Corporation

  • Member of the Board, 2024–
  • Chairperson of the audit and risk management committee, 2024– 

Lindex Group plc

  • Chairperson of the Board, 2023–
  • Member of the Board, 2022–2023

VR-Group Ltd

  • Vice Chairperson of the Board, 2022–
  • Member of the Board, 2019–
  • Chairperson of the audit committee, 2020– 

Oilon Group Oy

  • Member of the Board, 2021– 

Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation

  • Member of the Board, 2021– 
Matts Rosenberg, Member of the Board

s. 1977, Finnish citizen

Member of the Board since 2024

Education

Ph.D. (Econ.)

Main professional experience

Rettig Ltd

  • CEO, 2019
  • Deputy CEO and Head of Core Investments, 2018–2019
  • COO, 2016–2018

Purmo Group Plc

  • Interim CFO, 2023

Fortaco Group Oy

  • Deputy CEO and CFO, 2015–2016
  • CFO, 2014–2015

IK Partners

  • Investment professional, 2005–2013

Main positions of trust

Terveystalo Oyj

  • Vice chair of the board, member of the audit committee, 2022–

Purmo Group Plc

  • Vice chair of the board and chair of the M&A-committee, 2021–
  • Member of the audit committee, 2018–
  • Member of the board, 2016–2021
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Johannes Schulman, Member of the Board

b. 1970

Member of the Board since 2018

Education

M.Sc. (Econ.)

Present position

Miltton

  • Senior Advisor

Main professional experience

Virala Acquisition Company

  • CEO, 2021

Miltton Markets

  • Partner, Chairman of the board and acting CEO 2017–2021

FIM Corporation

  • Board member 2010–2016
  • CEO 2008–2011
  • CEO, FIM Asset Management (Glitnir) 2008
  • Managing Director, Business Development (Glitnir) 2007–2008

Deutsche Bank

  • Managing Director, Head of Nordic Equities, Institutional clients, and CEO of Nordic Operations 2003–2007
  • Director, Head of Nordic Research 2000–2003

Aros Securities, Helsinki

  • Head of Finnish Research 1998–2000

Enskilda Securities, Helsinki

  • Finnish Country Analyst 1996–1998

Handelsbanken, Helsinki

  • Junior Equity Analyst 1995–1996

Main positions of trust

  • KSF Media, Member of the Board 2016–2023
  • Swedish speaking party (SFP; RKP), Member of the Finance Board

The Board of Directors' Committees

According to the rules of procedure adopted by the Board of Directors, the Board in itself elects and relieves a risk committee, an audit committee and a remuneration and corporate governance committee to decide on certain predefined matters and to draw up issues to be resolved upon by the Board of Directors.

Risk committee

Within the framework established by the Board of Directors, the risk committee can make independent decisions on risk-taking and risk management issues. In addition, the committee lays down measurement, limit and reporting structures for risk issues, oversees the capital management process and lays down methods for calculating economic capital, plus addresses reporting on risk issues, and draws up risk-related matters for the Board of Directors to pass decision on. The Audit Committee makes decisions about routines and procedures for compliance and participates in the Compliance unit's reports.

Members of the risk committee are

  • Maria Jerhamre Engström (Chairman)
  • Joakim Frimodig
  • Harri Lauslahti
  • Lasse Svens

Audit committee

The audit committee draws up matters to be decided upon by the Board on preliminary information on Financial Statements, Final Accounts and Interim Reports. The committee determines the principles for internal auditing and sets down the Group's internal audit schedule and adopts routines and procedures for compliance with statutory requirements. The Committee receives reports from external auditors and the internal audit, and monitors the internal reporting in general. The audit committee assesses the independence of the auditor or firm of auditors and, in particular, the provision of accessory services.

Members of the audit committee are

  • Sari Pohjonen (Chairman)
  • Ann Grevelius
  • Matts Rosenberg
  • Johannes Schulman

Remuneration and corporate governance committee

The remuneration and corporate governance committee prepares and puts forward proposals to be decided upon by the Board concerning guidelines for the remuneration and incentive schemes of executives, and approval of the Managing Director's most important external engagements. The committee prepares and takes initiatives in matters relating to the development of the Group's administration and control system. Further, the committee is responsible for regular assessment of the Board of Directors' work and of the methods for selection of executive management members.

Members of the remuneration and corporate governance committee are

  • Joakim Frimodig (Chairman)
  • Carl Haglund
  • Matts Rosenberg
  • Lasse Svens
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