Online features
- Home page
- Products
- Technology
- Environment
- Profiles
- Corporate
- Investment
- Events
- People
- Countries
- Agenda
- Analysis
- Blog
Latest magazine
Corporate
Walki group changes name
Walki Wisa Group, Europe’s leading producer of wrappings and composite materials for industrial applications, has changed its name today to Walki Group Oy. The company’s logo has also changed. Leif Frilund has been appointed as the new President and CEO of Walki Group. The company has strengthened its marketing and sales organisation and the Board of Directors at the same time.
Leif Frilund, M.Sc. (Eng.), has been appointed as the President and CEO of Walki Group. Mr Frilund moves to Walki from his position as President of the Swiss based BTG Group. Mr Frilund has made a long career in Ahlstrom Corporation, where he has last served as the head of the Technical Papers business area and as a member of Ahlstrom Corporation’s Corporate Executive Team in years 2003–2006.
To strengthen the Walki Group’s marketing and sales operations Ari Rinkinen, the former Unit Director of Walki Wisa Group, transfers to head the company’s marketing and sales networks and he has been appointed as Senior Vice President and deputy CEO of Walki Group. The Group’s former deputy CEO Bjarne Sjöblom, 60, will retire during 2007.
”Walki’s strong market position, efficient manufacturing processes and successful R&D operations, together with the new entrepreneurial ownership base, create an excellent platform for developing the company into a leading global supplier of packaging solutions,” says Leif Frilund.
The Board of Directors of Walki Group comprises Esko Mäkeläinen as Chairman and Anders Björkell and Magnus Diesen as Board members.
The Walki Group is formed of parent company Walki Group Oy and five member companies, which are Walki Oy in Finland, Walki GmbH in Germany, Walki Ltd in the UK, Walki Packaging Paper (Changshu) Co., Ltd in China and Walki Converflex Ab in Sweden.
Previously Walki was a business unit of UPM’s Converting Division. In February 2007, funds managed by CapMan and UPM-Kymmene Corporation signed an agreement for the transfer of Walki Wisa Group into the ownership of CapMan funds. The transaction was finalised today, 8 June 2007, after proceedings by competition authorities. In accordance with the agreement Walki Wisa’s name was changed to Walki, because the Wisa brand name is used by UPM’s other businesses.
Walki Group’s new logo is formed of the word Walki and a symbol. The company’s existing well known profile has been considered in the logo’s design phase and strengthened with the new symbol, which visualises material composites.
