New directors for Helsinki City Theatre

There were a total of 59 candidates for the position of CFO, five of whom were interviewed. There were 102 candidates for the position of Marketing and Communications Director, and five of them were also interviewed. The interviewers were theatre director Kari Arffman, Chairman of the Board of the Helsinki Theatre Foundation Mike Pohjola, Vice Chairman Tino Singh and board member Matti Niiranen.

“We received a lot of good and high-quality applications for the positions. I’m really happy that we found such experienced and competent people, and I warmly welcome the new directors to the company,” says Theatre Director Kari Arffman.

As the Chief Financial and Administrative Officer, Raija Jokila is responsible for the theatre’s finances and human resources. As Marketing and Communications Director, Vilma Karvonen is responsible for the theatre’s brand, communications, marketing and sales as a whole.

“We want to develop our operations and, in line with our new ambitious strategy, be a pioneer in responsible experience creation. As part of the new strategy, we have renewed our organization and now hired two new top-notch experts. Raija Jokila has strong experience in financial management and combining sustainable development and responsibility with human resource management. His task as the Chief Financial Officer is to take care of both the theatre’s finances and the well-being of the staff, so that we will continue to be a good and stable workplace in the future. Vilma Karvonen has led brand and marketing work at Coca-Cola and is now bringing her expertise to the City Theatre. As Director of Marketing and Communications, he helps us reach audiences and partners that have previously been out of our reach,” says Mike Pohjola, Chairman of the Board of the Theatre Foundation.

Raija Jokila has more than 20 years of experience in financial and administrative management positions in various service companies and organisations, especially in the social welfare and health care and education sectors. In addition, he has served on the boards of various foundations and organisations. He holds a Master of Science degree in Economics and Business Administration.

“HKT’s new strategy and stable financial situation also open up huge opportunities for theatre support functions. I am looking forward to developing the theatre’s finances and administration as part of the creation of responsible theatre operations in the future. For me, Helsinki City Theatre is seen as an open and innovative pioneer, and it’s great to be part of a team that brings people joy and unforgettable experiences,” says Raija Jokila.

For the past 15 years, Vilma Karvonen has worked with international consumer brands at Coca-Cola and Danone in various marketing roles in Finland and Europe. At Coca-Cola, he has led the Finnish marketing team for several years. He brings strong marketing and brand expertise to HKT. He holds a Master of Science degree in Economics and Business Administration from the Helsinki School of Economics.

“I am a passionate consumer of theatre and culture and I am looking forward to working with Finland’s largest and most versatile professional theatre. For me, the Helsinki City Theatre’s mission of “getting people to see each other so that life would be richer” is meaningful, and based on it, it is great to be able to attract more Finns to the theatre. I am already looking forward to working together with HKT’s professional team and developing the theatre’s experiences and services towards the theatre’s vision,” says Vilma Karvonen.

Press release photo: Miika Storm

Further information and interview requests:
Peppi Lehmussaari, Communications Coordinator, peppi.lehmussaari@hkt.fi, 050 336 4747
Helsinki City Theatre, Ensi linja 2, 00530 Helsinki