UPM bolsters biofuels arm with senior appointments

Finnish forest firm UPM has made new appointments to its biofuels’ unit.

Sari Mannonen has been appointed vice president, responsible for UPM Biofuels Strategic Business Unit as of 9 August 2016.

Mannonen previously worked as director, sales and marketing within UPM Biofuels and was in that role since 2014, responsible for commercial strategy and product launches in Biofuels business. Mannonen has worked for UPM since 2011 in leadership positions and before joining the company she worked for Lindström and Biohit.

She will be based in Helsinki and report to Heikki Vappula, executive vice president, UPM Biorefining.

Mannonen has a PhD degree in Biochemistry from the University of Helsinki and diplomas in business management and leadership from business schools at Henley, IMD and the Helsinki School of Economics.

Petri Kukkonen has been appointed vice president, UPM Biofuels Development as of 1 July 2016. He has been leading UPM Biofuels since 2007 and developed the new UPM Biofuels business with a team of professionals to become a profitable business. In his new role, he will prepare UPM Biofuels next steps together with a development team.

Kukkonen will be based in Helsinki and continues to report to Heikki Vappula, executive vice president, UPM Biorefining.