Kemijärvi Biorefinery Ltd. has appointed Sampsa Lahtinen and Markku Hämäläinen to its Board of Directors, effective January 1, 2026, strengthening its governance as the company advances a large-scale biorefinery project in Northern Finland.
The two appointments bring complementary experience in industrial technology, pulp and board manufacturing, global markets and large investment projects—skills considered critical at this stage of project development.
Mr. Lahtinen adds more than 30 years of international leadership experience in industrial technology and telecommunications. Most recently, he served as Executive Vice President of Industrial Measurements at Vaisala Oyj, where he led sustained growth, market expansion and partnerships with global industrial customers.
Earlier in his career, Lahtinen held senior leadership roles at Nokia across Europe, Latin America and Asia, including Managing Director of Nokia México. He holds a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering and brings extensive experience in scaling international operations.
Dr. Hämäläinen brings decades of international leadership in the forest products sector. As former CEO of Kotkamills Oy, he led a full business turnaround and oversaw the launch of plastic-free board products that gained global market recognition. His career includes senior executive roles in Finland, Germany, France and the United Kingdom.
“He brings hands-on experience in complex industrial projects and sustainable product development,” said founder Harri Vatanen, noting that the appointment supports the company’s long-term industrial strategy.
Dr. Hämäläinen holds a Doctor of Science in Paper Technology from Lappeenranta University of Technology and has contributed to several patented innovations in paper and board manufacturing.
Founded in 2020, Kemijärvi Biorefinery Ltd. is a privately held company developing a premium pulp biorefinery project in Kemijärvi. The project has secured environmental and water permits and represents a total investment of approximately €1.7 billion. In addition to pulp, planned outputs include green energy and biogenic CO₂, developed in partnership with other operators.
Positioned as fully ESG-compliant, the project aims to support Finland’s green transition while contributing to regional economic development and the global supply of biobased materials.
