Patria’s Board of Directors has appointed Esa Rautalinko, 56, Master of Science (Economics), as President and Chief Executive Officer of Patria Group. Chief Financial Officer Ville Jaakonsalo has been acting President and CEO since January 2019.
Rautalinko will start in this position 1st of July 2019. He is currently the CEO of Örum Group and has also been Patria’s Chairman of the Board of Directors since November 2018. He has an extensive leadership experience in domestic and international companies and in the boards of several companies and organizations.
Due to this announcement, Petri Vihervuori, member of Patria’s Board of Directors, will be the acting Chairman of the Board of Directors.
“Patria will get a new President and CEO with significant international experience, and a firm and broad knowhow of leading companies successfully. I’m also confident that under his leadership Patria will continue to strengthen its service business’ internationalization strategy and its implementation further. Maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) strategy development and further strengthening Patria as one of the top service providers in the world was one of the critical criteria in the CEO recruitment process. I also want to thank Ville Jaakonsalo for his excellent work as acting President and CEO of Patria”, said Vihervuori.
“I’m very excited to step in to the position of President and CEO of Patria Group. Developing Patria further according to its strategy together with the company´s competent personnel and management supported by the Board of Directors, is a great possibility for us all and as a strong cooperating team we can utilize new possibilities as well as tackle challenges in front of us”, said Rautalinko.
Esa Rautalinko – CV
Born 1962, Finnish
Master of Science (Economics)
Primary Working Experience:
CEO, Örum Group 8/2017 – 6/2019
CEO, VAASAN Group 3/2012 – 10/2015
President and CEO, Honkarakenne Plc 11/2009 – 3/2012
President and Country Manager, Senior Vice President, TeliaSonera Finland Plc 12/2005 – 10/2009
Primary Board Memberships:
Board Member and Senior Advisor, Nest Capital, 5/2016 –
Chairman of the Board of Directors, Patria Group 11/2018 – 5/2019
Vice Chairman of the Board, State Security Networks Ltd 1/2011 – 12/2018
Chairman of the Board, Cinia Group Oy, 1/2015 – 10/2017
Member of the Board, Finnish Forest Industries 1/2010 – 2/2012
Board Member (2008), Chairman of the Board (2009), Finnish Federation of Communications and Teleinformatics (FiCom) 1/2008 – 10/2009
Patria is an international provider of defense, security and aviation life cycle support services and technology solutions. Patria provides its aerospace and military customers with equipment availability, continuous performance development as well as selected intelligence, surveillance and management system products and services.
Patria has several locations including Finland, Sweden, Norway and Estonia.
Net sales totaled EUR 476.1 million in 2018, and Patria employs 2,800 professionals. Patria is owned by the State of Finland (50.1%) and Norwegian Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace AS (49.9%). Patria owns 50% of Norwegian Nammo, and together these three companies form a leading Nordic defence partnership.
