Finnair has appointed Kaisa Aalto-Luoto as Finnair's Chief People Officer and member of the Executive Board. Aalto-Luoto will start in her new role at the latest on 23 November 2023. Johanna Karppi, Finnair's current Senior Vice President, Human Resources, continues in her role until autumn 2023 and will leave Finnair at a date to be decided later.
"Johanna has done an excellent job in extremely difficult circumstances as Finnair has faced a double crisis caused by the pandemic and the closure of Russian airspace, both of which have also required difficult decisions regarding our personnel", says Topi Manner, Finnair CEO. "Cooperation with our personnel groups has been central to Finnair's survival and recovery, and Johanna has played a key role. I would like to thank Johanna warmly for her contribution to Finnair and I wish her all the best for the future."
"At the same time, I want to warmly welcome Kaisa to the Finnair team. Kaisa's broad experience will be valuable as we take Finnair to the next stage. The acute crisis is now behind us, and in our next phase, employee experience, competence development and new ways of working are essential elements in implementing Finnair's strategy."
"I joined Finnair a few months before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the perseverance and commitment of Finnair employees both during the pandemic and following the closure of Russian airspace will always remain in my mind", says Johanna Karppi. "I want to thank both my team and colleagues for these years, as well as for all the shared achievements and learnings."
Kaisa Aalto-Luoto currently works as Chief Human Resources Officer at Sanoma Media. She has previously worked as Senior Vice President, Human Resources and Communications in Outotec, and has a long career in demanding HR management positions at Outotec and Mandatum Life.
"I'm looking forward to diving into the world of Finnair. Aviation is an industry that combines the fast pace of consumer business, strict regulatory requirements, and 24/7 operations”, says Kaisa Aalto-Luoto. "Employee experience plays a strong role in the continuous improvement of the company. Finnair connects Finland to the world, and I am delighted for the opportunity to be a part of its future."