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Management Group

Vaisala’s Management Group is chaired by Vaisala’s President and CEO. The Management Group’s other members are Vaisala Business Area Directors and the Directors of finance and treasury, communications, marketing, research, technology, personnel, IT, operations and business development.

The Management Group does not exercise any decision making power as defined in legislation or the Articles of Association. The Management Group is an advisory organ that addresses Group-wide development undertakings, as well as the Group’s principles and operating practices in general.

Management Group members in the picture

Top row: Walter Dabberdt, Jussi Kallunki, Jouni Lintunen, Ari Meskanen, Scott Sternberg
In the middle: Kenneth Forss, Tapio Engström, Lauri Rintanen, Antti Ritvos
Bottom row:  Erkki Järvinen, Matti Ervasti, Helena Marjaranta, Kjell Forsèn, Marja Happonen.

Members of the Management Group

Walter Dabberdt
Chief Science Officer

Born 1942. Ph.D. Meteorology
In the current position and a member of the Vaisala Management Group since 2000. Previous employments at National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), 1985-2000 and at Stanford Research Institute, 1970-1985.
Board memberships in Atmospheric Sciences and Climate of the National Academy of Sciences as well as in CO-LABS Inc. President for the American Meteorological Society. Board Chair at the Environmental Prediction in Canadian Cities and Chair at the External Advisory Committee, NCAR Earth Observing Laboratory. Co-chair in THORPEX Global Atmospheric research Programme , Observing Systems Working Group. Member in External Steering Committee for Air Quality Forecasting, in Shanghai Meteorological Bureau.

Tapio Engström
Director, Business Development

Born 1963. M.Sc (Accounting)
In the current position, and as a member of the Vaisala Management Group since 2007.
Previously employed as CFO at Aspocomp Group, 2006-2007; CFO at Vaisala Group, 2002-2006; CFO at Vaisala’s North American operations in 2000-2002; Business Controller at Andritz Oy in 1998-2000; and as Finance Manager at Asko Kodinkone Oy, 1994-1998.

Matti Ervasti
Director, Global Sales and Marketing

Born 1955. M. Sc. (Chem)
In the current position, and as a member of the Vaisala Management Group since 2007. Previously as Managing Director at Oxford Instruments Analytical Oy; Distribution Director at Oxford Instruments Industrial Analysis. A position of trust at the Oxford Instruments Analytical Oy and Oxford Instrumens Oy, as Non Executive Director.

Kenneth Forss
Director, Vaisala Instruments

Born 1954. Engineer
In the current position and as a member of the Vaisala Management Group since 1991. Previously as Marketing Manager for Vaisala Instruments business area, in 1990-1991 and Regional Manager, 1988-1989.
Member of the Working group for business and technology in Technology Industries of Finland, and Board Member in Teräskonttori Oy.

Marja Happonen
Director, Human Resources

Born 1957. M.Sc. (Econ)
In the current position since 1994, and as a member of the Vaisala Management Group since 1996. Previously employed e.g. as HR Manager at Scribona Oy, 1989-1994.
Member of the Board of Directors at the Finnish Meteorological Institute, and Member of the Board at Deaconess Institute’s Hoiva.

Erkki Järvinen
Director, Vaisala Measurement Systems

Born 1960. M.Sc. (Eng)
Member of the Vaisala Management Group since 2000, and in the current position since 2005. Previously employed as Director of the Vaisala Soundings division, in 2002-2004, and as Business Unit Manager in 1998-2002. Product Development Manager at Rados Oy in 1997-1998 and at Instrumentarium Oy Imaging in 1990-1997.

Jussi Kallunki
Director, Information Management

Born 1956. M.Sc. (Eng)
In the current position, and as a member of the Vaisala Management Group since 2000. Previous employments as IT Manager at Outokumpu Technology Oy, 1998-2000; and in various management positions at Outokumpu Engineering Services Oy, in 1990–1998.

Jouni Lintunen
Chief Financial Officer

Born 1971. M.Sc. (Eng)
In the current position, and as a member of the Vaisala Management Group since 2006. Previously as Business Controller at Vaisala, in 2001-2006, before that various financial positions within Vaisala Oyj and its subsidiaries, since 1998.

Helena Marjaranta
Director, Communications

Born 1963. M.Sc (English Philology, Communication and Organizational Psychology).
In the current position, and as a member of the Vaisala Management Group since 2007.
Previously employed as Communications Director at Radio Access Business Unit, Nokia Siemens Networks in 2006-2007, Senior Communications Manager in Corporate Communications at Nokia Oyj in 2005-2006. Various Communications management positions within Nokia Networks –business Group in 1999–2005, and change and HR consultancy positions at Neste Oyj in 1991-1999.

Ari Meskanen
Chief Technology Officer

Born 1963. M.Sc. (Eng), eMBA
In the current position, and as a member of the Vaisala Management Group since 2007. Previously employed as Soundings Business Unit Manager, as Managing Director for Vaisala GmbH, and as Product Manager at Vaisala Oyj. Before that employed as Product Development Manager at Instrumentarium Oy.

Lauri Rintanen
Director, Operations

Born 1955. M.Sc. (Eng)
In the current position and as a member of the Vaisala Management Group since 2007.
Previously employed as Managing Director at JOT Automation in 2006-2007, as Executive Vice President for Supply Chain and Technology at Uponor Oyj in 2004-2006, Director for supply chain, quality and customer relationships at Nokia Multimedia in 2001-2004. Various production and quality related management positions at Nokia units in 1989-1991.

Antti Ritvos
Director, Vaisala Solutions

Born 1953, M.Sc. (Eng, Tech Physics), BA (Physics and Astronomy)
In the current position and as a member of the Vaisala Management Group since 2007.
Previously employed as Vice President at Mercuri Urval in 2005-2007. Before that various positions at General Electric Corp. (GE)/ Instrumentarium Oyj during 1986-2004, the last being Vice President and General Manager of Global Technology, GE Healthcare Information Technologies.
Board member in Oy Sten Ab, Wristop Oy and in URSA r.y.

Scott J. Sternberg
Director, Vaisala Services

Born 1964. M.Sc. (Physics)
In the current position and as a member of the Vaisala Management Group since 2007. Previously as Manager at Vaisala Thunderstorm Data Business Unit, in 2004-2007. Before that various management positions, the latest being Business Development Manager at Roper Industries-Photometrics in 1992-2004.