Juha Jarvinen, Chief Commercial Officer and a member of the executive board at Finnair, will leave the company on 31 December 2018. He will take on a position at Virgin Atlantic Airways in London.

"We want to express our warmest thanks to Juha for his contribution to Finnair's transformation, and we wish him the best of success in his new role," says Pekka Vahahyyppa, interim CEO at Finnair. "During the almost seven years that Juha has been at Finnair, we have built a strong position in many markets. During his leadership of Finnair Cargo, we made the decision to build the most modern cargo terminal in Europe, and the cargo terminal is now a key enabler of Finnair's growth strategy. As a member of the executive board, Juha has played a key role in the renewal of Finnair's culture and strategy, and in implementing Finnair's growth."

"My years at Finnair have been an amazing experience," says Juha Jarvinen. "During these years of change, turnaround and growth, I have learned a lot both on teamwork and leading change. We have steered Finnair towards a strong growth path, we are a significant airline in connecting Europe and Asia, and our customer satisfaction is at a good level compared to international standards. I am naturally excited about my new role, but I also feel wistful. Finnair and Virgin Atlantic are both great brands, each with a great history and an authentic story. I will soon say goodbye to Finnair, but the Finnair team will always have a special place in my heart."

Juha Jarvinen will continue as Chief Commercial Offer at Finnair until the end of the year, and the search for his replacement starts immediately.

Contributed by Finnair