Valio’s long-serving CEO Annikka Hurme to retire

Valio CEO Annikka Hurme volition discontinue astatine the extremity of 2026, ending a vocation astatine the Finnish nutrient radical that has spanned astir 4 decades.

The committee of the dairy and nutrient institution has appointed Matti Lehmus arsenic Hurme’s successor, effectual from 1 January.

Hurme volition stay successful her station until the year-end. She joined Valio successful 1989 and has held the CEO relation since 2014.

In a connection contiguous (8 June), Valio committee seat Vesa Kaunisto said: “Valio’s strategy emphasises planetary expansion, strengthening maturation brands, accelerating caller businesses and gathering caller capabilities successful a rapidly changing operating environment.

“Valio’s committee of directors is convinced that Matti’s strategical expertise and beardown enactment volition enactment the accomplishment of our goals.”

Lehmus joins Valio from extracurricular of the nutrient assemblage aft a vocation astatine Finnish vigor radical Neste.

At Neste, helium precocious done respective enactment positions successful income and concern improvement betwixt 1998 and 2009.

Lehmus past transitioned into enforcement roles, moving arsenic enforcement vice president for lipid products and renewables implicit much than a decade.

He aboriginal became president and CEO, a relation helium held from May 2022 until October 2024.

Lehmus besides served connected the boards of the National Emergency Supply Council from 2018 to 2024 and the Confederation of Finnish Industries EK betwixt 2019 and 2020.

In March 2025, helium joined the Kemira committee of directors arsenic a non-executive director.

Lehmus said: “It is simply a large accidental to pb Valio, which has a unsocial relation successful the Finnish nutrient industry. Valio has a beardown foundation: skilled employees, respected brands and the quality to make caller products.”

On the outgoing CEO’s contributions, committee seat Kaunisto said she played a “key relation successful driving Valio’s growth, improving profitability, and advancing its strategy”.

Hurme has “helped crook Valio into a starring unit successful Finnish nutrient exports and to grow beyond its halfway concern to go a starring shaper of plant-based products, participate the biogas business, and grow into the wholesale sector”, Kaunisto said.

Founded successful 1905, Valio is owned by 3,000 Finnish dairy farmers.

Its brands see the lactose-free Valio Eila range, the protein-focused Valio Profeel enactment and plant-based alternative-dairy products sold nether the Oddlygood brand.

The institution posted income successful 2024 of €2.4bn ($2.76bn), according to the statement. It exports to astir 60 countries and employs astir 4,200 people.

In May, Valio announced plans to signifier retired accumulation astatine its Oulu works and power manufacturing to sites successful Riihimäki, Jyväskylä and Joensuu.