Surprise candidate to lead Finnish National Opera

Päivi Kärkkäinen arrives from Finnish Broadcasting Company

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The Board of the Foundation of the Finnish National Opera has proposed Päivi Kärkkäinen, a programme director at the Finnish Broadcasting Company YLE, to be the new General Director of the Finnish National Opera.
      A final decision on the appointment will be made after the personnel has been heard in the matter. According to the collective agreement, the personnel groups of the National Opera will have to submit their statement by next Wednesday. However, even if the staff has something against the nomination, the Board could nevertheless go ahead and appoint the proposed candidate.
     
The 52-year-old surprise candidate was found on a list of some 40 names presented to the Board by a headhunting company.
      Kärkkäinen herself says that she would like to be nominated as the General Director of the Opera, as she feels that the post would be ”extremely interesting and even challenging”.
     
Sirkka Hämäläinen, the Chair of the Board of the Foundation of the Finnish National Opera, reports that the Board was looking particularly for a manager capable of pushing through changes, and Kärkkäinen has considerable experience in the motivation-based management of an expert organisation.
      The previous General Director of the Finnish National Opera Erkki Korhonen resigned in June, after major financial difficulties and fierce criticism by the staff over his leadership style and the management culture of the establishment.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  General Director Erkki Korhonen resigns from Finnish National Opera (15.6.2007)
  Former Governor of Bank of Finland to head new Finnish National Opera Board (8.3.2007)
  General Music Director Mikko Franck resigns from Finnish National Opera (15.2.2007)

Links:
  Finnish National Opera

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