Fortum bags President's spokesperson as head of corporate communications

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Fortum, a leading energy company in the Nordic countries, issued a press release on Thursday stating that Maria Romantschuk, currently the Head of Press Relations at the Office of the President of Finland, has been appointed as the corporation's Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications.
      The current holder of the position, Carola Teri-Lehtinen, will move to a new role, becoming Corporate Vice President, Sustainable Development.
     
The appointments are part of Fortum’s new phase, with President and CEO Mikael Lilius wanting to kick-start the change by moving the heads of business units to new positions and by bringing some new blood into the organisation.
      The new appointments will become effective on September 1st.
      Another new member in the Fortum management team will be Maria Paatero-Kaarnakari, the current Vice President of Corporate Development, who will become Senior Vice President, Corporate Strategy.
     
The 50-year-old Romantschuk has been the Head of Press Relations at the President’s Office since Tarja Halonen’s first term in 2000, after working for Halonen already when she was the Foreign Minister from 1995 to 1997. From 1997 to 2000 Romantschuk acted as Press Counsellor at the Finnish Embassy in Stockholm.
      According to Lilius, Romantschuk was not specifically approached because she is the Head of Press Relations at the Office of the President, though her professional skills, her connections with important interest groups, her three years in Sweden, and her relations with influential persons in Russia are all highly appreciated by Fortum.
     
Lilius noted further that Fortum has now reached a new phase during which the corporation will make an effort to adopt new success factors, including sustainable development and particularly climate.
      "As we see it, renewable and emission-free sources of energy are essential", says Lilius.
      Romantschuk herself dismissed any talk of drama surrounding her departure. No successor has as yet been chosen in the Office of the President.
      The vacancy will apparently be filled over the summer.


Links:
  Presidential website: Maria Romantschuk
  Fortum press release : Appointments in Fortum Management (14.6.2007)

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