Kemira will combine the administrative organizations of the parent company and the core businesses by creating a new Corporate Center. Simultaneously, the service functions will be grouped together in a separate service center, Kemira Service. The actions primarily concern administrative functions in Finland and it is estimated that headcount will be reduced by approximately 40 people. In addition, the outsourcing of approximately 50 tasks is being considered.
Kemira Oyj will initiate the relevant personnel consultation process concerning the effects on personnel of the organizational restructuring on Tuesday the 3rd of September. The negotiations are to be concluded in October.
Personnel reductions will be carried out through job transfers, pension arrangements and the non-renewal of temporary employment contracts. In cases where the reduction would result in redundancies, the so-called early pension terms of the Pension Fund will be used, together with the outplacement service and other support functions.
Through these measures, the group seeks to achieve increased efficiency and productivity. This procedure is part of the separation process of Kemira Agro, a manufacturer of plant nutrients, which is also currently creating a new corporate and service center of its own.
Kemira Oyj Corporate Center
The new Corporate Center of Kemira Oyj is responsible for the group's strategic planning, the development of productivity, the guidance of business activities and increasing the beneficiation of group synergy for example in the fields of procurement and logistics. It is estimated that the organizational restructuring will result in a reduction in headcount of approximately 10 people in the business areas managed by the Corporate Center
The Kemira Corporate Center will include the following functions, and their leaders will report to CEO Tauno Pihlava:
Esa Tirkkonen, Senior Vice President, CFO
- Legal Affairs
Juhani Kari, Vice President
- Group Treasury
Kaj Friman, Vice President, Group Treasurer
- Finance and Accounting
Raija Arasjärvi, Vice President, Group Controller
- Risk Management
Leena Laakso, Vice President
- Information Technology
Tauno Lovén, Vice President, also works at Kemira Service
Anne Haggrén, Senior Vice President, HR
- Group Communications
Timo Leppä, Vice President
Hannu Toivonen, Senior Vice President, R&D, Technology
- EHS
Aarno Salminen, Vice President
Esa Karhula, Vice President, Internal Audit.
The current management will continue in charge of Kemira's core business areas and business units.
Kemira Service
Kemira Oyj's new service center, Kemira Service, will provide services to all business units in finance and accounting, information technology, human resources and engineering. Options for outsourcing some areas are being examined. At the outset, the service center will employ approximately 320 people. The changes in organization result in the need to reduce headcount by about 30 people. The outsourcing under examination will involve approximately 50 jobs.
Matti Lapinleimu, Executive Vice President, is responsible for Kemira Service. The following personnel report to him:
Finance and Accounting
Tuomo Kaipanen, Vice President
Information Technology
Tauno Lovén, Vice President
HR and Personnel Services
Eero Katajavuori, Vice President
Kemira Engineering
Seppo Pirinen, Managing Director.
Both new organizations will become operative on 1 October 2002.
According to its strategy, Kemira will focus on strong growth in its core business areas, pulp and paper chemicals, water treatment chemicals and paints, including the development of industrial chemicals. The investigations into the separation of Kemira Agro to its own company will continue.
Further Information (from 11.00 Helsinki time onwards):
Kemira Oyj, Helsinki
Tel. +358 (0)10 8611
Anne Haggrén
Tel. +358 (0)10 862 1730,
Senior Vice President, HR
Kemira Service
Matti Lapinleimu
Tel. +358 (0)10 862 1786
Executive Vice President