Following Naava's EGM, the following changes to the board have been made. New members to the board are Jukka Ruuska, Helena Nordman-Knutson, Sami Laine, and Teemu Mäkitalo. Current board members that continue: Juho Risku, Johan Hammaren, Benoit Wiesser and Aki Soudunsaari.
Teemu Mäkitalo, Chair
Entrepreneur, senior advisor and venture builder with 20 years of experience in building digital businesses
- Founding partner of Good Ventures. Good Ventures builds sustainable growth with entrepreneurs, investors and corporates. Good Ventures represents early stage investments of Nidoco AB (Alexander and Albert Ehrnrooth).
- Entrepreneur background: Founder and board member of Beely > (car subscription marketplace), Co-founder of Moi > (mobile operator, exit to DNA 2019), Founder of Avanto Ventures (corporate venturing consultancy)
- Consultant background: 20 years of experience in growth consultancy, digital/techbusiness design and development at Avanto Ventures (founder), Avaus Consulting (director), TBWA\Helsinki (account director, strategist), Satama Interactive (consultant, service designer)
- Angel investor: Several startup investments and advisory roles
Helena Nordman-Knutson, member
With a strategic mindset, based on twenty years in the financial market and ten years as a communications advisor, her aim is to drive sustainable transformation through her board assignment(s).
- Experience: Senior Advisor at Safir Communication (current). Earlier: Executive Director at Hallvarsson & Halvarsson, Financial analyst at SEB Equities, Orkla Securities, Pareto Securities and Öhman Fondkommission
- Education: M.Pol.Sc. Helsinki University and M. Econ.Sc. Hanken. CESGA (Certified ESG Analyst)
Board experience: Board member Exel Composites (FIN), Alimak Group (SWE), USWE Sports AB (SWE), and Nidoco AB (SWE). - Other: Member of the Royal Academy of Sciences (RAS) investment committee.
Jukka Ruuska, member
Experienced business leader with specific insight and passion in service industry, value creation, strategy, capital markets, restructuring, M&A and business development.
- Currently chairperson and senior advisor working with companies and private equity houses
- Chair in for example in Edita Group, Oiva Isännöinti and Finnish National Theatre
- Education:
- LL.M (Helsinki University)
- MBA (Helsinki University of Technology)
- Highlights of the experience:
- CEO, Enento Group Plc
- Senior Partner, CapMan
- Senior positions in exchange industry (CEO of HEX Plc, CEO of Nordic Exchange, EVP of Nasdaq)
- Director of Corporate Planning, Elisa Plc
- Different positions in investment banking
Sami Laine, member
Experienced leader with track record in leading public and private real estate companies. Proven capability to lead listed company finance function, complete private equity exit and arrange funding from public and private markets.
- Broad understanding of real estate sector end users needs, knowledge of listed company finance processes and funding structures
- Experience
- Parmaco Group, CEO
- Technopolis Oyj, CEO and CFO
- Renor Oy, CFO
- Oriola-KD Oyj, Group Treasurer/Head of Investor Relations
- SATO Oyj, Group Treasurer
- Etteplan Oyj, Group Treasurer
- Positions of trust
- YIT Group Oyj, Member of the Board and the Audit Committee
Founded in 2011, Naava is an indoor nature technology company from the Nordics. We improve people’s physical and mental health by reconnecting them with nature. Combining air purifiers, humidifiers, and plant walls into one innovative product, we create solutions to enhance the connection between nature and human-friendly environments indoors.
We are on a mission to restore respect for nature, and guide people and the planet towards healthier, sustainable urban living. Employing more than 80 people, Naava operates in 16 countries and has more than 390,000 daily users.
Experience the power of nature – indoors.
www.naava.io.
Contact:
Arttu Salmenhaara, CEO, Naava, arttu@naava.io, +358 50 520 5970