Boardman’s CG and Board Work in Finland Training Concluded with a Memorable Dinner at Hanasaari
22.05.2024
Boardman’s English-language board work training program concluded at Helsinki’s Hanasaari under summery skies. It was a pleasure to see how many participants were able to join us in person at Hanasaari. All four modules of the training were conducted in a hybrid format, allowing participation from anywhere in the world.
Boardman’s English-language board work training program concluded at Helsinki’s Hanasaari. All four modules of the training were conducted in a hybrid format, allowing participation from anywhere in the world.
This spring, the participants have learned about the roles of board members and the Nordic governance model. Additionally, they have gained insights into board strategy work, financial reporting, internal control arrangements and CEO selection.
A lineup of experienced board professionals have been spoken at the training. The trainees have received insights from, for example, Nokia’s former CEO and Digicel Group Chairman Rajeev Suri, several Boardman Partners including Laura Raitio, Arja Talma, JT Bergqvist, and Philip Aminoff, as well as Manne Airaksinen from Roschier.
Boardman’s CG and Board Work in Finland Training is aimed for international executives and board members working in Finland or in Finnish companies.
Dinner Highlighted by Ed Santamaria’s, CEO of Normet Group, speech
Networking plays a significant role in Boardman’s board training programs. This spring’s participants, attendees from previous years, the training lecturers and members of the Boardman Membership were invited for the dinner.
The evening began with drinks on Hanasaari’s outdoor terrace, where lively conversations started immediately. People began getting to know each other and enjoyed the summery weather.
Networking plays a significant role in Boardman’s board training programs. The training offers a great opportunity to network with board professionals in Finland.
Dinner continued indoors, where we heard a speech from Ed Santamaria, CEO of Normet Group. Santamaria participated in Boardman’s English-language board training program in 2021 and a year ago he received his first external board position at Forcit Group.
Santamaria shared his story with the participants. He explained how he, an Australian, became the CEO of a Finnish company, why he chose to attend Boardman’s training and how he secured his board position.
Boardman Training Helped to Understand on CEO and Board Collaboration
Santamaria said that his dream has always been to work in Europe. His first experience in Europe was in Amsterdam, where he worked for eight years.
Aaro Cantell, the principal owner and chairman of Normet Group, contacted Santamaria several times, and he decided to come to Finland to meet Cantell. This began a process that ultimately led to Santamaria being selected as the new CEO of the company.
Initially, in his role as CEO, Santamaria was more tentative in his role in board meetings. When he attended the meetings, he felt that they didn’t spend enough time on the more important board issues. To better understand the functioning of a Finnish board, Santamaria attended Boardman’s training program.
The dinner featured a speech by Ed Santamaria, a 2021 training alumnus and CEO of Normet Group, who shared with the attendees how the training has benefited him in his role as CEO and in board positions.
In the training, Santamaria realized that as CEO, he needed to inform the board sufficiently about operational matters so that the board would not have to spend too much time on them during meetings. Santamaria began systematically developing his relationships with board members and sharing information about the company’s operational activities with them.
A year ago in the spring, Santamaria accepted his first external board member position at Forcit Group. He explains that an executive search company contacted him and asked if he would be interested in a board position.
Santamaria’s advice to the training participants was to network with Finns, as these networks can be helpful in securing board positions. He encouraged them to confidently promote their international background, as Finnish company boards are looking for diverse and international perspectives.
Interested in Boardman’s Training Program? Get in Touch
If you are interested in Boardman’s English-language training program, please contact Karoliina Kuhalampi at karoliina.kuhalampi@boardman.fi. We are currently gathering a list of interested participants for the upcoming training.
This spring’s training participants, attendees from previous years, the training lecturers and members of the Boardman Membership were invited for the dinner.
International executives who complete the training, can apply directly for Boardman Membership. It is Boardman’s English-language membership for international executives and board members working in Finland or in Finnish companies. The network organizes networking events, various activities and the Board Buddy program.
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We inform about our English-language events and interesting opportunities through Boardman’s English-language newsletter. The newsletter is sent out about four times a year.
Text and pictures: Karoliina Kuhalampi