Pharmia has become one of the leading food supplement and medical device manufacturers and developers in the Nordic countries. In the spring of 2021, CapMan acquired a majority equity share in the company to help us build an even brighter future.
The prerequisite for our long-term development is having committed key personnel for years to come. Hannu Vakkari is retiring, and Petteri Laaksomo will take over as Pharmia’s new CEO, starting August 16th, 2021. Moreover, Vesa Virtanen will concurrently start as Director of Production. This position is brand new for Pharmia. Petteri and Vesa bring fresh insight and experience to Pharmia, enabling the company to grow and evolve on a long-term basis.
Hannu Vakkari:
“During my brief CEO spell at Pharmia, I was closely involved in the process of making CapMan the majority owner. Supported by a new strategy and an extended ownership, Pharmia has new opportunities to look forward to. This is also the perfect time to pass the baton to my successor who has the ability to commit to developing Pharmia’s business in the long run. I wish Petteri success in leading a great company and I expect Vesa to flourish in the further development of production with his skilled team.”
Petteri Laaksomo:
“I am proud and thankful to be able to continue the outstanding customer-oriented work at Pharmia. I eagerly await the major opportunities our new strategy and ownership will bring. They create a solid core that will help us continue on a growth path with our highly professional team. Thanks to our high-quality product portfolio and our excellent market position and competence, we are able to build a strong foundation for success in line with our values.”
Pekka Kaivola, Chairman of the Board:
“Hannu Vakkari was appointed CEO of Pharmia amidst a major change in our ownership structure. He has had an essential role in guiding us through this transition. Hannu will provide his know-how to Petteri Laaksomo, which will ensure that there is no disruption to Pharmia’s internal processes nor to customer and stakeholder functions. I want to thank Hannu for his remarkable contribution to Pharmia and wish him a happy retirement.
I have the pleasure of welcoming Petteri Laaksomo as Pharmia’s new Chief Executive Officer – to a role that is certainly interesting and demanding. Combining Petteri’s well-established, versatile leadership with the professional input of all Pharmia employees provides a solid base to build our company on and to help us achieve our highly ambitious goals.
In order to reach our growth targets, we will also bolster our organisation’s production management. I hereby welcome Vesa Virtanen as our new Director of Production.”
For more information, please contact Pekka Kaivola, +358 453 565 889.
