On June 1, 2021, Sari Pohjonen,MSc (Econ), was appointed as a member of the Board of Oilon Group. Pohjonen is an experienced manager and financial expert, who currently serves as a Member of the Board for both VR Group and Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation. Her latest managerial position was for the Fiskars group, where she served as the Group CFO until August 2021. Pohjonen has held key positions in various major companies, such as Sanoma Group and Reima.
“Oilon operates right in the middle of the energy revolution, which provides incredible opportunities. This both puts Oilon in a slightly peculiar position and presents a very positive challenge: we need to pick and choose very carefully to grab the best opportunities,” Pohjonen says.
Pohjonen has had an extensive career in international companies. According to Pohjonen, she was quite surprised by the number of countries in which Oilon operates.
First and foremost, Pohjonen will reinforce the Board with her financial expertise. “The company’s operational management must have the best possible information available. It is the Board’s duty to remind the management of long-term planning amidst their busy schedule. We must always aim for the continuous improvement of our business.”
According to Pohjonen, she can hardly wait to get to meet new people within the Oilon organization. She has already visited Oilon’s home town of Lahti in Southern Finland; however, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, she could meet up with only a few people.
Corporate responsibility is very important to Pohjonen. “Oilon takes corporate responsibility very seriously. This is great, because this way, corporate responsibility isn’t something that you simply stick on to look better. But Oilon could stand to better show the world how we address these matters.”
How does Pohjonen feel about joining a family company?
“Both Fiskars and Sanoma had a strong family ownership, which means that I’m quite familiar with this viewpoint. Operating as a family company is absolutely a strength,” Pohjonen says. Pohjonen balances out her personal and work life with outdoor activities, such as running and skiing. As an architecture lover, she is especially fond of Helsinki’s functionalist buildings from the 30s, many of which she can visit in her own neighborhood.