Metsä Tissue appoints Esa Kaikkonen as new CEO

Esa Kaikkonen has been appointed CEO of Metsä Tissue Corporation, the tissue and cooking paper business of Metsä Group. Kaikkonen has since 2013 led Metsä Group’s Wood Products Industry, Metsä Wood, and he worked as Metsä Group’s General Counsel from 2003–2012. Petri Helsky, who was the CEO of Metsä Tissue Corporation since 2015, has left the company.

Juha Mäntylä has been appointed COO of Metsä Group’s parent company Metsäliitto Cooperative. In addition to his current position as the head of Metsä Group’s Wood Supply and Forest Services, Mäntylä becomes responsible for Metsä Wood. Mäntylä has led Wood Supply and Forest Services since 2008. He has had several other Metsä Group’s wood supply related managerial positions since 1998.

"Metsä Tissue is a strong tissue and cooking paper producer who operates in many different fields and has leading consumer brands. Petri Helsky has actively developed Metsä Tissue’s operations and I want to thank him for this work. A new development phase will now begin in Metsä Tissue with the target to reduce operational complexity and improve internal efficiency. Metsä Forest and Metsä Wood are from now on led as one entity, that will bring improvements in operational efficiency," says Metsä Group’s President and CEO Ilkka Hämälä.