Finnish airline Finnair has appointed Kaisa Aalto-Luoto chief people officer and member of the executive board.
Aalto-Luoto, who currently works as chief human resources officer at Sanoma Media, will start in her new role no later than 23 November. She previously worked as senior vice president of human resources and communications in Outotec, and has had a long career in HR management positions at both Outotec and Mandatum Life.
Johanna Karppi, Finnair’s current senior vice president of human resources, will continue in her role until autumn 2023.
Aalto-Luoto said: “I’m looking forward to diving into the world of Finnair. Aviation is an industry that combines the fast pace of consumer business, strict regulatory requirements, and 24/7 operations. Employee experience plays a strong role in the continuous improvement of the business. Finnair connects Finland to the world, and I am delighted for the opportunity to be a part of its future.”
Topi Manner, Finnair’s chief executive officer, added: “Johanna has done an excellent job in extremely difficult circumstances as Finnair has faced a double crisis caused by the pandemic and the closure of Russian airspace. Cooperation with our personnel groups has been central to Finnair’s survival and recovery, and Johanna has played a key role. I would like to thank Johanna warmly for her contribution to Finnair and I wish her all the best for the future.
“At the same time, I want to warmly welcome Kaisa to the Finnair team. Kaisa’s broad experience will be valuable as we take Finnair to the next stage. The acute crisis is now behind us, and in our next phase, employee experience, competence development and new ways of working are essential elements in implementing Finnair’s strategy.”
Karppi said: “I want to thank both my team and colleagues for these years, as well as for all the shared achievements and learnings.”