EastChamin toimitusjohtaja Jaana Rekolainen.
EastCham CEO to step down
Search for successor begins immediately.
Jaana Rekolainen, CEO of EastCham Finland, has announced that she will step down from her position at the beginning of 2026. Rekolainen has led EastCham since 2016 and played a central role in the organization’s development during a time of radical geopolitical change.
Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, EastCham responded swiftly and responsibly: it supported Finnish companies in withdrawing from the Russian market and provided expert guidance on sanctions compliance. At the same time, the focus shifted to new opportunities – in Ukraine, Central Asia, and the South Caucasus.
EastCham has established itself as a strong regional actor within the Team Finland network, alongside the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. The Almaty office in Kazakhstan was opened in August 2023, and in April 2024, EastCham, together with the Confederation of Finnish Industries (EK), opened an office in Kyiv. The Kyiv office’s services have now been expanded to offer concrete support for Finnish companies entering the market and participating in Ukraine’s reconstruction.
– I pass the baton forward with confidence. EastCham has found the right direction, and its skilled and committed team is doing excellent work. We have an interesting and busy end of the year ahead, and I will continue actively – even at an accelerating pace – until the baton is passed: building new initiatives, supporting the team, and ensuring a smooth transition, Rekolainen says.
– I would like to warmly thank Jaana for her long and distinguished service as CEO of EastCham. Under her leadership, EastCham has, among other things, successfully carried out a strategic transformation in recent years despite a challenging operating environment, and established itself as a leading supporter of Finnish companies in Ukraine and Central Asia. Jaana’s expertise and experience will also be invaluable during the remainder of the year, as the Kyiv office introduces new concrete tools to facilitate Finnish companies’ entry into the reconstruction market, says Petri Vuorio, Chair of EastCham’s Board.
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