There will be changes in Ponsse Group's management responsible for the operations of the international network. These changes concern the division of markets for which area directors and managing directors of subsidiaries are responsible.

Forestry engineer Marko Mattila (42) has been appointed managing director of Ponsse Latin America Ltda, Ponsse's subsidiary in Brazil, starting from 1 August 2016, and he will be located in Mogi das Cruzes, Brazil. Marko Mattila will transfer to his new post from the position of area director of North American retailers, Chile and Baltic countries. Mattila started working for Ponsse in 2007 as the managing director of Ponsse North America Inc, Ponsse's subsidiary in the USA, and an area director of North America. Teemu Raitis, the current managing director of Ponsse Latin America Ltda, will transfer to Finland.

Eero Lukkarinen (50), M.Sc. (For.), has been appointed Ponsse's area director responsible for the Canadian market starting from 1 June 2016. Eero Lukkarinen will transfer to his new post from the position of a director responsible for Ponsse's forest company cooperation and pricing. Cooperation with forest companies will be part of Lukkarinen's job description, also in the future. Lukkarinen started working for Ponsse in 2012 as the managing director of Ponsse AB, Ponsse's subsidiary in Sweden. Previously, he worked for Ponsse as an export manager and the managing director of Ponsse AB in 1999–2003. Lukkarinen will be located in Joensuu.

Norbert Schalkx (46) M.Sc. (For.), Ponsse Plc's area director of Asia-Pacific and Africa will also be responsible for Ponsse's markets in Portugal and Spain in the future. In addition to Portugal and Spain, Schalkx is responsible for dealer operations in Australia, Japan and South Africa. Norbert Schalkx has worked for the company as an area director since 2008, and he is located in Tampere.

Jussi Hentunen (33), BBA, area director and product manager of used machines, will be responsible for Ponsse's markets in the Baltic countries and Chile. Hentunen has previously worked as Ponsse's area director of Portugal and Spain and product manager of used machines. In his new position, Jussi Hentunen will also continue as a product manager of used machines. Hentunen started working for the company in 2006 in various marketing positions. He is located in Vieremä. 

Other distribution and responsible persons are presented below:
Gary Glendinning, managing director, Ponsse UK Ltd: UK and Ireland
Carl-Henrik Hammar, managing director, Ponsse AB: Sweden and Denmark
Jaakko Laurila, area director and managing director, OOO Ponsse: Russia and Belarus
Jani Liukkonen, country director, Ponsse Plc: Finland
Risto Kääriäinen, managing director, Ponsse China Ltd: China
Clément Puybaret, managing director, Ponssé S.A.S: France
Pekka Ruuskanen, managing director, Ponsse North America Inc: USA
Sigurd Skotte, managing director, Ponsse AS: Norway
Martin Toledo, managing director, Ponsse Uruguay Ltd: Uruguay
Janne Vidgrén, area director, Ponsse Plc: Austria, Poland, Romania, Germany, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Hungary   

The area director organisation of sales will be led by Jarmo Vidgrén, the Group's sales and marketing director, and Tapio Mertanen, service director. Area directors and managing directors of subsidiaries report to Jarmo Vidgrén, Ponsse Plc's sales and marketing director. Currently, Ponsse is operating in the harvesting markets of 40 countries. International operations account for 73% from the company's net sales.

Vieremä, 3 May 2016

PONSSE PLC

Jarmo Vidgrén
Sales and Marketing Director

FURTHER INFORMATION
Jarmo Vidgrén, Sales and Marketing Director, tel. +358 40 519 1486

DISTRIBUTION
NASDAQ OMX Helsinki Ltd
Principal media
www.ponsse.com

Ponsse Plc specialises in the sales, production, maintenance and technology of cut-to-length method forest machines and is driven by genuine interest in its customers and their business operations. Ponsse develops and manufactures sustainable and innovative harvesting solutions based on customers’ needs.  

The company was established by forest machine entrepreneur Einari Vidgrén in 1970, and it has been a leader in timber harvesting solutions based on the cut-to-length method ever since. Ponsse is headquartered in Vieremä, Finland. The company’s shares are quoted on the NASDAQ OMX Nordic List.