Nathalie Ahlström is set to take over at one of the most iconic Finnish brands.
Nathalie Ahlström M.Sc. (Tech.) (born 1974) has more than 20 years of experience in international business, and now she has been appointed president and chief executive of Fiskars Corporation. Fiskars is one of the most iconic Finnish companies known for its cutting products and lawn and garden accessories. It has several globally recognized brands under its umbrella including Fiskars, Iittala, Gerber, Wedgwood and Waterford.
Nathalie Ahlström joins Fiskars from Fazer Group where she has been working since 2018 as an EVP (employee value position), a Fazer confectionery and a member of the Fazer Group management team.
Before that, she held several leadership positions at Amcor Ltd., a global consumer packaging company and was based both in Asia and Europe. She is a member of the board of directors at Ahlstrom-Munksjö Oyj.
Chairman of the board at Fiskars Group Paul Ehrnrooth said in a news release that they are “very pleased” that Nathalie is joining the company. “She has a proven track record in both strategic planning as well as operational execution. I’m convinced that the combination of her results-driven and values-based leadership style will help Fiskars pursue profitable growth and the ambition to be the first choice in the garden and outdoors, at the table and in the kitchen,” he said. “We conducted a thorough and intensive international search process and concluded Nathalie to be best suited to lead the company and build sustainable growth.”
Nathalie Ahlström said in the news release that she is “honored to join Fiskars Group and take the responsibility to lead this great company in its next phase with strong brands that are loved by so many people.” “Together with the team, we will focus on creating shareholder value and delivering on Fiskars Group’s purpose of making the everyday extraordinary.”
Sari Pohjonen has acted as interim president and CEO since April 2020 and will continue in this role until Nathalie Ahlström assumes her duties as CEO. After this, Sari Pohjonen will continue as chief financial officer, deputy to the CEO and member of the group leadership team.
Ahlström will start in the position in January 2021, at the latest. At the start, she will step down from the board at Fiskars where she has been a member since March 2020.
One of the challenges that Ahlström will face is the growing demand for internet shopping. Big retail stores have, according to Petri Kajaani, an analyst at Inderes, been key in distributing Fiskars’ products. However, many brick-and-mortar stores are facing difficulties in the time of online shopping and the coronavirus pandemic. Fiskars has to update its “products and sales channels to meet the requirements of this new world,” Kajaani said.
