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The Aalto University Academic Affairs Committee has appointed President of Sitra Mikko Kosonen, PhD (Econ), born 1957, as a member of the Aalto University Board from 1 January 2016. Three board members were due to depart. Matti Alahuhta announced that he would no longer be available for the Aalto University Board. The other two members due to depart, Anne Brunila and Liqiu Meng, were re-elected.

Mikko Kosonen has served as President of Sitra, the Finnish Innovation Fund, since 2008. Before that he served in different positions at Nokia, for example as senior vice president of strategy and as senior advisor. He received his doctoral degree from the Helsinki School of Economics and has written several books on strategy.

– I look forward to working on the Aalto University Board. Aalto University has every possibility to be successful both here in Finland and in the international fields. I hope that my own expertise and background will help move the university toward its goals, says Mikko Kosonen.

Matti Alahuhta has served as Chairman of the Aalto University Board for nearly seven and a half years since the Aalto University Foundation was established in 2008.

– During this time, Aalto University has undergone significant development to become an internationally interesting university. Matti Alahuhta has played a pivotal role in this building work. On behalf of the Academic Affairs Committee and the whole Aalto community, we would like to thank him sincerely for the uncompromising work he has done for the university, says Provost Ilkka Niemelä, Chairman of the Academic Affairs Committee.

– I would like to thank Matti Alahuhta for seamless cooperation. The board’s added value in developing the university has been considerable during his term, says President of Aalto University Tuula Teeri.

– I am very pleased that we will have Mikko Kosonen on the board. He is a visionary leader, who is a member of large networks and has strong experience in the digital transformation that is also challenging universities, Tuula Teeri continues.

From 1 January 2016, the Aalto University Board will comprise Professor Anne Brunila, Professor Bengt Holmström, President Mikko Kosonen, Professor Saku Mantere, Professor Liqiu Meng, Director Susanna Pettersson and Professor Colin Whitehouse. The board will choose a new chair in its first meeting in January 2016. A board member’s term of office is three years.

More information:
Ilkka Niemelä, Provost
Chairman of the University
Academic Affairs Committee
tel. +358 50 511 3013
ilkka.Niemela@aalto.fi

Photo: Sitra, photographer: Sami Kulju