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VIPsight

Corporate Governance – portrayed in the individual cultural and legal framework, from the standpoint of equity capital.

VIPsight is a dynamic photo archive, sorted by nations and dates, by and for those interested in CG from all over the world.

VIPsight offers, every month:
transparent and independent current information / comments / facts and figures on corporate governance locally and internationally,

  • written by local CG experts,
  • selected and structured by the Club of Florence,
  • financed by its initiator VIP and other sponsors with a background of “Equity and Advisory” interests.
     

VIPsight International


Authors Finland


Olli V. Virtanen Henrik Immonen
Olli V. Virtanen is Secretary General of the Finnish Association of Professional Board Members, and Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of Board News, a magazine devoted to corporate governance and board-related issues. He is also Member of the Board of the European Confederation of Directors’ Associations and Chairman of ecoDa’s Sponsorship and External Communications Committee. In addition he is Member of the Private Sector Advisory Group of the IFC’s Global Corporate Governance Forum; member of the European Corporate Governance Institute (ECGI); and member of the Club of Florence.

Virtanen is also CEO and owner of Virtanen Associates Oy, a management consultancy, which specializes on corporate governance, board development and investor relations. During his career as investor relations consultant Virtanen was Member of the Board of the International Investor Relations Federation (1996-98), and Chairman of the IIRF’s Development and Education Committee (1996-98). He was Member of the Board of the Finnish Investor Relations Society in 1995-1999.

Virtanen has lectured extensively on his specialty at universities, conferences and private companies in Europe and beyond. He has co-authored five related books “Investor relations as a strategic tool” (in 2000), “Annual General Meeting in the Spirit of Corporate Governance” (in 2004), Guide for the Chairman of the Board (in 2006), Good Board Practise (in 2009) and Governce for Local Government (2011).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Henrik Immonen has worked full time on board assignments since 2000, when he finished an eighteen year long career as managing director, CEO and president, restructuring several enterprises, both in consumer business and industrial goods. He re-established the direction of these businesses and their profitability, and thus increasing significantly the shareholder value.

Henrik Immonen began his working career at the Finnish Army Computer Center, where he planned and programmed the first computerized pay-system. The next assignment was Framatome (today Areva) in Paris, where he analyzed accidents and their transients in nuclear power plants. From Paris he moved back to Finland, Ahlström Osakeyhtiö, to be responsible of the development and production of the main circulating pumps for Lovisa NPP. When the construction of further nuclear power plants halted, he becomes the marketing and development director of the Ahlström Pump Factory (today part of the Sulzer Group). His main achievements where opening of the Asian market and the development of a new energy efficient pulp stock pumping technology.

He was offered to become the group director for SE Asia, but he decided to test his capacity as managing director by restructuring of one of the countryʼs messiest companies after three unsuccessful managing directors. He successfully restructured Sarvis/Aaltosen Tehtaat. The money loosing company became profitable and the owners could sell it for a good price. He continued as managing director to restructure and re-engineer other money loosing companies as Hackman TTT, a global special tools company.

These troubled companies opened his eyes for the importance of proper corporate governance, which today is his main activity. He is and has been engaged in board assignments for a number of companies as diverse as tourist submarines and special chemicals to ladies fashion footwear and wallpapers - in Finland, Poland, Sweden, Germany, France and USA, covering family and venture capitalist owned companies in various businesses from consumer, B-B to venture capital investors.

He has been active in various civic and public affairs. He is French Honorary Consul. He has twice been an IAEA expert in South America. He has written a large number of articles in daily papers and periodicals, and several books on marketing and management. He has been board member and deputy chairman of the Finnish Consultants Association, LJK, as well as had several duties in the local chamber of commerce and bank supervisory council.

Henrik Immonen holds a Licentiate of Science degree in Fluid Engineering and Industrial Economics from Helsinki University of Technology. He has also completed successfully the international Mahler Advanced Management Skills Program, a US program for international managers.