Appointments at Loparex Group

Mr. Heikki Kotala, M. Sc., has been appointed Loparex Group Development Director as of the 5th February 2007. He will be located in Lohja and he reports to CEO Pentti Kallio. He will continue as member of Loparex Management Group. Heikki Kotala has been working for Loparex since 10 years in various management positions in the Netherlands (Managing Director of Loparex BV), United States (Marketing Manager of Loparex Inc) and in Finland (Managing Director of Loparex Oy).

Mr. Kari Kalliala, M. Sc., has been appointed Managing Director of Loparex Oy (Lohja Plant) as of the 5th February 2007. He will become member of Loparex Europe Management Group and he reports to Pentti Kallio.

Kari Kalliala has a very long and diversified experience of the forest industry. For the past three years, he has been working for Metso Group as Senior Vice President, Board Business. During his career, he has worked in different senior management positions at Pöyry, Mondo Minerals and in different units of UPM-Kymmene, e.g. as Managing Director of Raflatac France and Docelles paper mill in France. All in all, Kari Kalliala has worked in France and in Germany for seven years.

"My mission at Loparex is clear: to pilot Lohja plant towards a brighter future", Kari Kalliala says. "In my mind, there is a lot of potential in the Lohja unit. My intention is to continue the good work already started to make this unit profitable again and to get new products to the market."

Mr. Ilkka Alanen, M. Sc., has been appointed Technical Director of Loparex Oy as of the 5th of February 2007. He will be responsible for Lohja plant's production, maintenance and quality control laboratory functions. He reports to Kari Kalliala.

Ilkka Alanen has over 20 years of experience of paper industry. Since the late 80's, he has worked for Stora Enso,  e.g. as Summa plant's Production and Technical Director, and recently in charge of the paper machine and finishing portion of the China project of Stora Enso's Publication Paper Division.