Dr Björn Wahlroos
Chairman
Nordea and Sampo plc
Björn Wahlroos is Chairman of Samplo plc, the Finnish financial services holding company and of Nordea, Scandanavia's largest bank.
Dr. Wahlroos (born 1952) spent the early years of his career in academia in Finland and the USA and was appointed Professor of Economics at the Swedish School of Economics in 1984.
In 1985 he was appointed to the Board of Management Union Bank of Finland and took over the responsibility for its equity and treasury operations in 1989.
In 1992 he led a group of bankers from UBF in forming the investment banking partnership Mandatum into the banking and insurance group Sampo-Leonia, Björn Wahlroos took over as its President and CEO in 2001.
During his tenure Sampo became the largest insurer in Scandanavia and main shareholder in Nordea Bank. He was elected Chairman of the Board of Sampo in 2009 and of Nordea in 2011.
Björn Wahlroos is also Chairman of UPM-Kymmene, one of the world's largest pulp and paper producers, and of Hanken School of Economics, as well as an active member of the boards of serveral charities.
He holds a reserve commission as a captain of Infantry