Ahlstrom appoints Helen Mets as President and CEO
Tampere, Finland, December 13, 2022 – Helen Mets is appointed President and CEO of Ahlstrom, effective January 1, 2023. With the company entering the next phase of growth and transformation, Helen will succeed current President and CEO Hans Sohlström, who has contributed greatly to Ahlstrom’s success since 2016. Hans will leave Ahlstrom at the end of December to pursue new opportunities outside the company.
Helen Mets is an international business leader with over 30 years’ experience. She has a proven track record of building successful businesses and maximizing value for all stakeholders. She has held a range of senior executive leadership roles at Avery Dennison, the family company Pon, and at Royal DSM, where, as Executive Vice President of Materials, she led the successful growth transformation, carve-out and divestment of the Specialty Materials businesses. Since December 2021, she has also served on the Ahlstrom Board of Directors.
Ivano Sessa, Chairman of the Board of Directors: “We are now starting the next phase of Ahlstrom’s transformation and the Board is excited with the nomination of Helen. Her track record of value creation in the specialty materials industry, her strong customer-focused mindset and her capabilities to drive large-scale growth and transformations through sustainable innovation make her a great fit for Ahlstrom.”
Helen Mets: “I wish to thank the Board of Directors for its confidence in me. Ahlstrom is a company whose values and heritage I admire. I’m very much looking forward to work alongside Ahlstrom’s teams to lead our growth transformation, deliver on our purpose and strengthen the company’s position as a global leader in sustainable fiber-based specialty materials.”
Ivano continues: “On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank Hans for his energetic and inspiring leadership. During his seven years at the helm of the company, first as Chairman of the Board, and then for last five years as President and CEO, Ahlstrom has more than tripled its net sales and increased fivefold its EBITDA. We wish him all the best in his future endeavors.”
Hans Sohlström: “Ahlstrom has great culture, competences, and further growth potential. As I now hand over to Helen, I wish her and the entire Ahlstrom team the best of success.”
Ahlstrom in brief
Ahlstrom is a global leader in combining fibers into sustainable specialty materials. Our purpose is to Purify and Protect, with Every Fiber, for a Sustainable World. Our vision is to be the Preferred Sustainable Specialty Materials Company for all our stakeholders. We serve five growing and distinctive end markets, which form the basis for our five divisions: Filtration, Food & Consumer Packaging, Healthcare, Building Materials, and Technical Materials. Our pro forma net sales 2021 for continuing operations amounted to EUR 2.6 billion and we employ some 7,000 people. Read more at www.ahlstrom.com
