HUONE is set to continue its growth story with the new board of directors. Kim Väisänen, the well-known entrepreneur and business angel in Finland, joins as a new chairman of the board and is eager to put his experience to use and offer strategic guidance for HUONE to be on the path back to success and growth.
(HELSINKI, Finland, January 20th, 2023) HUONE announced its new board at the Annual General Meeting on December 17th, 2022 with a new chairman of the board, Kim Väisänen, and newly-appointed board member Ida Hakola joining the HUONE board. Juuso Kokko and Jyrki Lämsä will retain their board positions, with a total number of board members at four.
HUONE’s board now consists of
- Kim Väisänen
- Ida Hakola
- Juuso Kokko
- Jyrki Lämsä
Kim Väisänen, the new chairman of the board, is a well-known business angel in Finland, a serial failure, an entrepreneur, and also an acknowledged author. As a shareholder of HUONE, he has also witnessed the growth and all phases of HUONE and is a firm believer in HUONE’s concept and the founder Evon.
Ida Hakola, a new member of the board, is an awarded entrepreneur, author, growth-driven strategist, and founder of the marketing agency Vapa Media. She has followed HUONE’s story from the beginning and is a big fan of the concept. Ida strengthens the board, especially from the perspectives of marketing, sales, and brand building.
Juuso Kokko, an entrepreneur for 20 years with CMB Ravintolat and a lecturer at Haaga-Helia for over 10 years, continues as an active board member. He is the first investor of HUONE International, and his belief in Evon and HUONE’s concept has never been flagged. As a shareholder, Kokko has also witnessed all the phases of HUONE and will continue to help bring this Finnish innovation to all major meeting destinations around the world.
Jyrki Lämsä continues as an active member of the board. He sees a great opportunity for HUONE’s operations in more international markets and looking forward to helping HUONE reach its full potential in the upcoming years. He brings extensive work history in finance and accounting in companies such as Pohjola and Musti and Mirri.
Evon Blomstedt, the founder and group CEO of HUONE, steps down from her position on the board but is excited about the new group of advisors in-house. After a year of ‘rebuilding’ and still with a high level of uncertainty with the global macroeconomic situation, she is confident that HUONE’s concept is needed more than ever. Companies are settling into new ways of working together in the ‘New Normal,’ and there has been more attention to the topic of ‘meeting experience’—how do we have better meetings?
We are very pleased to have Kim join our board as Chairman, and Ida joining as a new board member. Our board brings not only their experience and expertise from their respective fields to support us on our growth journey, but they are also all firm believers of HUONE’s concept. I have no doubt that they will give us the invaluable insights and guidance to continue our growth story and help innovating meeting industry” – Evon Blomstedt, the founder and CEO of HUONE
Markko Vaarnas, HUONE’s chairman of the board past 4 years and co-founder of Takeoff Partners shared:
“HUONE has faced pretty big challenges past 4 years, but we have come out on top stronger than ever. I believe the team is better equipped than at any point in time, because of the resilience and the determination of the overall company culture. I’m excited to see HUONE become a multi-national brand through the ambitious expansion plan and expertise that you can find at every level of the organization.” – Markko Vaarnas
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Further information HUONE International: Group CEO Evon Blomstedt, evon.blomstedt@www.huone.events
Media contacts HUONE International: Hera Choi, +358 (0) 41 314 1155, hera.choi@www.huone.events
About HUONE
HUONE provides full-service solutions for any off-site business meetings and events. Since 2012, HUONE’s unique concept has combined a creative meeting venue, consultative and friendly service, and full catering. HUONE also offers a free web service, which allows customers to book in real-time and pay for their events and get help from their own event coordinator. HUONE venues are located in Jätkäsaari and Kamppi in Helsinki, in Clarke Quay in Singapore, and in Amager Strand in Copenhagen. For more information about HUONE International: www.huone.events/