Meet Finland's Future Leaders 2026

Nordic Listed Leaders recognised six of Finland's most promising young listed-company leaders in Helsinki today; a spotlight on the next generation of leadership inside listed companies, which Finnish capital markets rarely give in public.

The winners:

🏆 CEO of the Year — Janne Paavola, Nokian Panimo

🏆 CFO of the Year — Lauri Isotalo, Framery Group

🏆 CMO of the Year — Sanna-Kaisa Niikko, Marimekko

🏆 COO of the Year — Tapani Salminen, Canatu

🏆 CTO/CDO of the Year — Ilari Richardt, Terveystalo

🏆 CLO of the Year — Tuulia Niemelä, Springvest

🏆 Jury’s special recognition — Peter Hänninen, Nanoform

The event's most senior honor, CEO of the Year, went to Janne Paavola, who rose to the role from within Nokian Panimo and took the company public on the Nasdaq First North in April 2025.

"Finland's listed companies have an exceptionally strong generation of young leaders who often remain invisible in public," says Helene Auramo, founder of Nordic Listed Leaders. "We want to bring them forward, and show that a listed company, too, can be a dynamic and inspiring place to build a career."

Winners were shortlisted on the Listeds platform and selected by an independent jury chaired by Future Leader 2025 Minja Salmio, joined by Mikael Rautanen (Future Leader 2024), Niko Pakalén (Cevian Capital), Riikka Aaltonen (Talouselämä), Sonja Siggberg (Hannes Snellman), Rasmus Alopaeus (PwC Finland) and Alexandra Therman-Londen (Nordea).