Kemira will restructure its group management by combining the administrative organizations of Kemira Oyj, Chemicals and Paints and Coatings. Also a shared services center, Kemira Services, will be set up. These measures are expected to reduce the number of personnel, and negotiations to this effect will be started in August.
In line with its strategy Kemira will focus on intensive growth in, pulp and paper chemicals, water treatment chemicals and paints and coatings, and on continued development of industrial chemicals. Investigations concerning the spin-off of the Agro business into a separate company on its own continue.
The restructuring of administrative and service functions will further improve operational efficiency and productivity as parallel tasks can be eliminated and new work combinations founded. The development project was started as part of the separation process of Kemira Agro, and Agro has initiated similar development work in their own organization at the same time.
The new leaner Group management will be responsible for active strategic leadership, raising productivity, the steering of operation and enhancing the use of group synergy benefits in the areas of e.g. procurement and logistics..
Kemira Services will offer services to group business units in the areas of administration, finance and accounting, information technology, personnel management and engineering. In addition to enhanced profitability, combining these functions will bring about considerable qualitative benefits. Kemira's group policy is to operate through established networks that are formed between functions for synergy benefits.
CEO Tauno Pihlava reports to the board of directors of Kemira Oyj for the overall operation of the Group. The following members of group management will report to Tauno Pihlava:
Esa Tirkkonen, Executive Vice President, CFO
Finance and treasury, accounting, administration, IT, risk and legal management
Anne Haggrén, Senior Vice President
HR development and Communication
Hannu Toivonen, Senior Vice President, R&D and Technology
Research and product development,
Environmental, health and safety -related matters.
Current management will continue in charge of Kemira's business areas and strategic business units.