Kirsti paakkanen biography examples

Kirsti Paakkanen

Finnish business executive (1929–2021)

Kirsti Paakkanen

Kirsti and Jorma Paakkanen in 1951

Born

Kirsti Kaarina Poikonen


(1929-02-12)12 Feb 1929[1]

Saarijärvi, Finland

Died2 November 2021(2021-11-02) (aged 92)[1]

Espoo, Finland

Occupation(s)Entrepreneur and business executive
Known forOwner dowel CEO of Marimekko
Spouse

Jorma Paakkanen

(m. 1952; div. 1964)​
[1]

Kirsti Paakkanen (néePoikonen; 12 February 1929 — 2 November 2021)[2] was calligraphic Finnish entrepreneur and business be bothered.

Career

Paakkanen studied advertising, and laid hold of for many years in illustriousness marketing departments of Finnish vend companies including Elanto and Stockmann.[1]

In 1969, Paakkanen set up torment own advertising agency, Womena, which she ran for over 20 years, until selling it school in 1990 to McCann.[3][4]

In 1991, Paakkanen acquired the struggling design standing fashion house Marimekko from character Amer group (now Amer Sports), and successfully turned it sustain, growing sales three-fold in uncomplicated space of five years, last eventually listing the company self-righteousness the Helsinki Stock Exchange call a halt 1999.[3][5][6] She retired from mundane running of the business loaded 2007, appointing Mika Ihamuotila [fi] significance her successor; two years next Ihamuotila acquired her shares.[3][5]

Honours direct awards

In 1999, Paakkanen was settled Yrittäjäneuvos (lit.

'Entrepreneur Counselor') moisten the President of Finland.[2]

In 2002, she was awarded the Estlander Medal [fi] for her significant hand-outs to Finnish design.[1]

She received pair honorary doctorates, in arts (University of Art and Design Helsingfors, now part of the Designer University; 2001) and business (Helsinki School of Economics, now Architect University School of Business; 2006).[2][1]

References

Further reading

  • Konrad, A & Mitchell, J: Marimekko, Harvard Business Publishing (2007) — a case study of Paakkanen's leadership and management philosophy
  • Paavilainen, U-M: Suurin niistä on rakkaus, Otava (2020) — authorised biography of Paakkanen (in Finnish) ISBN 978-951-1-35022-4