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MA Juhani Pekkala served as CEO of the Finnish Commerce Federation from 2007 until his retirement at the end of 2018. Pekkala has also had a long career in Finnish media houses, including Helsingin Sanomat and Taloussanomat.  

The rapid internationalisation and digitalisation of the commerce sector creates new skill requirements to which the Aalto University School of Business is seeking to respond through both its teaching and research.

'Close cooperation with the business sector has always been a natural approach both for the teaching of commerce as well as for research work focused on the commerce sector. Juhani Pekkala’s comprehensive perspective on the commerce sector and his broad networks and contacts with the sector’s leading companies will help us both to develop our range of commerce-related teaching as well as to identify current research needs within the field', explains Professor Arto Lindblom, Head of the Department of Marketing.‘I would like to warmly welcome Juhani Pekkala to his new role as Executive in Residence.’

‘The commerce sector is facing the challenge of ever-increasing international competition. In order to succeed, Finnish commerce requires professionals who know how to handle data, analyse it and understand customer needs better than ever. Aalto University has excellent opportunities to respond to these needs. I am delighted to be involved in developing education within the field’, says Mr Pekkala.

The title Executive in Residence is used in reference to respected top management figures, leading figures in academia or society, or experts who have been invited ÄûÃʵ¼º½ University. Currently, the following people are serving as Executives in Residence at the School of Business: Esko Aho, Gautam Basu, Juha Blomster, Bruce Oreck, Juhani Pekkala, Osmo Soininvaara and Juha Äkräs.  Juhani Pekkala’s term of service is 2 years.

Further information:

Juhani Pekkala, Executive in Residence
Aalto University, Department of Marketing
+358 (0)400 419560
juhani.pekkala@gmail.com
 

Arto Lindblom, Professor, Head of Department
Aalto University, Department of Marketing
+358 (0)50 312 0929
arto.lindblom@aalto.fi
 

Photo: Aalto University / Roope Kiviranta