Mikael Pentikäinen, Editor-in-Chief and President of Finnish News Agency as of 1999, will start as President of Sanoma Corporation. Sanoma is familiar to Pentikäinen both as an employer and partner.
Sanoma's current President, Seppo Kievari, will retire next spring. His position will be taken by a man with both journalistic and financial expertise. Mikael Pentikäinen, 39, has graduated from the international forest industry program of the Helsinki University's Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry as well as from the Sanoma School of journalism. Before he began as the Editor-in-Chief and President of Finnish News Agency in 1999, Pentikäinen worked as Editor-in-Chief of Etelä-Saimaa (newspaper) in 1996-1999 and as editor in political news of Helsingin Sanomat in 1992-1996, among others.
Pentikäinen regards himself as a journalist who has been given a change to familiarize himself with financial issues as well during his career. Even though the duties of the President do not include responsibility of the content of Sanoma's publications, Pentikäinen believes that he will be taking part of the journalistic conversation as well.
- President should look after the pre-conditions of journalism, Pentikäinen defines. - Succesfull developing of needs deep co-operation in the company: editorial staff, marketing, technical staff as well as supporting functions.
- President's duties are simply defined, says Pentikäinen. - President should add company's financial and spiritual value. Pentikäinen reminds that Sanoma Corporation has a long history and enormous financial and spiritual heritage, produced by the talent people during the years.
- The financial heritage is an clear evidence of the professionalism of these people, but the spiritual heritage is even greater and it must be respected, Pentikäinen sums up.
Newspaper remains a strong medium
Pentikäinen trusts that newspapers future is bright.
- Newspaper will be the leading medium even when I eventually retire. However, in addition to newspapers, we will need electronic medias as co-operation with other medias, Pentikäinen says.
- As the old metaphore says, newspaper is a brilliant interface. It gives as a deep picture of the world's events daily and it can look both forward and backward. In addition to news and analysis, also the commercial content has an important role in this.
As the Editor-in-Chief of Finnish News Agency, Pentikäinen has followed Sanoma Corporation and SanomaWSOY Group closely. Finnish News Agency is an associated company of Sanoma. Pentikäinen sees SanomaWSOY as a dynamic group, which has made wise business decisions and chosen the right paths. Pentikäinen will follow this path with pleasure.
With the new position, Pentikäinen hopes to fulfill his wish from his days as a editor: to be able to walk home late in the evening, coming from the print with a fresh newspaper in his hand.