Anni Vepsäläinen, MSc (Eng), 51, has been appointed Managing Director of the Finnish Fair Corporation from 19 November 2014.
She has previously served as Managing Director of organisations such as Diacor terveyspalvelut Oy.
Anni Vepsäläinen holds the degree of MSc (Eng) from Lappeenranta University of Technology and held the position of Managing Director with health service provider Diacor terveyspalvelut Oy from 2009 until June 2014. In 2006–2008, she was Managing Director and a partner at HRM Partners Oy, a company specialising in HR consulting. She also has 18 years of strong experience in the development of mobile communications and the telecom operator business, after serving as Managing Director with TeliaSonera Finland Oyj, and Country Manager for Finland in 2003–2005. Vepsäläinen also holds several major positions of trust, including membership of the Board of Directors of Solidium, a holding company owned by the State of Finland.
“In the last few years, the Finnish Fair Corporation has modernised the facilities, organisation and brand of Messukeskus Helsinki, Expo and Convention Centre. Anni Vepsäläinen’s wide experience of various executive and expert positions and strategic leadership will provide the ideal support for Messukeskus’ future plans for improving its service design and profitability,” comments Chairman of the Board of The Finnish Fair Corporation, Matti Halmesmäki.
“This is a fantastic opportunity to be involved in the development of a company that has proven its ability to adapt in the rapidly developing media sector. The Finnish Fair Corporation has led the way for almost a hundred years in Finland’s event business. The business is based on profitable face-to-face meetings and I am confident that appreciation of genuine contacts will continue to grow, says Anni Vepsäläinen.
The Finnish Fair Corporation was established 95 years ago to promote Finnish wellbeing. The Corporation owns Messukeskus Helsinki, Finland’s largest and most international arena for events of various kinds. Messukeskus Helsinki enables profitable face-to-face meetings in fairs, congresses and other events. Exhibitions and fairs are Finland’s sixth largest media. In terms of effectiveness, they are the most profitable, the richest in experiences and the most social of all media. In 2013, the fairs, conventions and other events held at Messukeskus attracted 10,000 exhibitors and 1.1 million visitors.
