Changes in the KONE Executive Board
KONE Corporation, stock exchange release, January 20, 2021 at 9.30 a.m. EET
Changes in the KONE Executive Board
Johannes Frände has been appointed Executive Vice President, General Counsel and a member of the Executive Board at KONE as of February 1, 2021. Johannes will be based in Espoo, Finland and will report to Henrik Ehrnrooth, President and CEO, KONE Corporation.
Johannes succeeds Klaus Cawén, who has decided to focus on non-executive duties after 38 years of service at KONE. Klaus served as Executive Vice President, M&A and Strategic Alliances, Legal Affairs and has been a member of the Executive Board since 1991. Klaus will support Johannes during a transition period until March 31, 2021 and will continue in an Executive Advisor role as of April 1. The KONE Acquisitions team currently reporting to Klaus will transfer to the Finance team and report to Ilkka Hara, Executive Vice President and CFO.
Johannes began his career at KONE in 2012. He currently serves as the Head of Legal for KONE’s Service Business and KONE’s Technology and Innovation unit. Before joining KONE, Johannes worked with top tier law firms in the United States and Europe, including Debevoise & Plimpton and Roschier. He holds a Master of Laws degree from Helsinki University, a Master of Laws degree from Harvard Law School and a M.Sc. in Computer Science from Aalto University.
Thomas Hinnerskov has been appointed Executive Vice President, responsible for South Europe, Middle-East and Africa region as of April 1, 2021. Thomas continues as member of the Executive Board, reporting to Henrik Ehrnrooth. He will be based in Copenhagen, Denmark. Thomas has held responsibilities for Central and North Europe since joining KONE in 2016.
Thomas succeeds Pierre Liautaud, who will retire from the Executive Board after serving 10 years at KONE as Executive Vice President responsible for the South Europe, Middle-East and Africa region.
Axel Berkling has been appointed Executive Vice President responsible for Central and North Europe, succeeding Thomas Hinnerskov. Axel continues as a member of the Executive Board, reporting to Henrik Ehrnrooth. He will be based in Hamburg, Germany. Axel has been responsible for the Asia-Pacific region, excluding China, since 2016. The effective date for this transition will be confirmed once Axel’s successor is named. Until that time, both Thomas and Axel will continue in their current roles.
“I want to first extend my thanks to Klaus and Pierre for their outstanding contributions to KONE. Klaus has been a member of KONE’s Executive Board for almost 30 years and has been instrumental in our transformation and growth over the years. During the 10 years of Pierre’s leadership, our position in the South Europe, Middle-East and Africa region has grown and today we are clearly stronger throughout the region. Pierre has had an important role in the development of global transformations, for example in customer experience.
I would like to welcome Johannes to the Executive Board as General Counsel for KONE. Johannes is a multifaceted leader with a proven track record in legal affairs, and has a deep understanding of technologies. Axel and Thomas are both experienced values-based leaders. I am happy they have taken on these new roles on the Executive Board, as we continue to develop KONE’s culture and performance, in order to constantly deliver better outcomes for our customers,” says Henrik Ehrnrooth, President and CEO of KONE.
For further information, please contact:
Susanne Skippari, Executive Vice President, Human Resources tel. +358 20 475 4524
Sender:
KONE Corporation
Henrik Ehrnrooth
President and CEO
Susanne Skippari
Executive Vice President
Human Resources
About KONE
At KONE, our mission is to improve the flow of urban life. As a global leader in the elevator and escalator industry, KONE provides elevators, escalators and automatic building doors, as well as solutions for maintenance and modernization to add value to buildings throughout their life cycle. Through more effective People Flow®, we make people's journeys safe, convenient and reliable, in taller, smarter buildings. In 2019, KONE had annual sales of EUR 10 billion, and at the end of the year approximately 60,000 employees. KONE class B shares are listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki Ltd. in Finland.
www.kone.com