Vilkas Group will enter a new era when Noora Kahra moves from the position of Marketing Director to take over as the new CEO on 1st September 2024. Markku Korkiakoski, who has successfully led Vilkas for more than 20 years, will become Chairman of the Board and will continue to play a significant role in the company's development.
Internationalization and renewal behind the change
Vilkas has built strong international partnerships and increased its customer base, especially in the Nordic countries. The company is now moving into more international growth and the number of foreign customers has been on the rise. At the same time, the company aims to maintain and strengthen its strong position in the domestic market, which remains at the core of its strategy. Internationalization is not only in the company's interest, but primarily for the benefit of domestic retailers, as by keeping pace with global developments Vilkas is able to further strengthen the competitiveness of Finnish online retailers.
Noora Kahra's long experience in international relations, her extensive networking expertise and the long-standing relationships we already have with our existing partners will play a key role as Vilkas continues to expand and develop globally. Noora is committed to further strengthening these relationships and building new connections, providing even more support and expertise to online retailers.
"International markets are very important to us, but at the same time our strong domestic position remains at the heart of our strategy. Vilkas is a local player with a global dimension - we are not on the fringes of European development, but an active part of it. Noora's expertise and experience are exactly what we need to serve both our international growth and our domestic customers in the best possible way," says Markku Korkiakoski.
Markku Korkiakoski's long-term contribution and future
Markku Korkiakoski has been the CEO of Vilkas Group for a respectable 20 years and has played a key role in building the company's success. Under his leadership, Vilkas has grown to become a major player in the e-commerce world, and the company has achieved many milestones.
"Markku's work has been invaluable and we are delighted that he will continue as Chairman of the Board. This transition is a natural one that will ensure continuity but also allow for development," says Noora Kahra.
What will change - and what will stay the same
Vilkas has evolved significantly over the years, expanding its offering from e-commerce platforms to include a wider range of services that support customers more extensively in their business. Decades of experience and expertise in the e-commerce industry provide a strong foundation to support online merchants in their careers, also in a platform-independent way. For example, the recently launched AI services are part of this broader strategy. Noora Kahra will continue the long evolution of Vilkas, which has endured everything since the first internet bubble burst.
"We hope that our customers will take full advantage of our extensive knowledge of online shopping," says Noora Kahra.
Despite a significant leadership change, Vilkas' core values and strategic direction remain unchanged. The e-commerce and online retailers will remain at the heart of Vilkas, and customers can continue to rely on long and trusting customer relationships.
"Under Noora's leadership, we are sticking to what has made Vilkas a strong player: customer focus, skilled staff and support for online retailers at all levels," Korkiakoski stresses.
Finally
We look to the future with confidence and believe that under Noora Kahra's leadership our company will continue to be a strong player in both the local and international markets. For our customers and partners, the change will provide new opportunities to deepen our cooperation and leverage our broader expertise.
For cooperation and any questions, please contact:
Noora Kahra
+358 50 536 4620, noora@vilkas.fi
Markku Korkiakoski
+358 400 434 244, markku@vilkas.fi