New Wärtsilä CEO Named

Håkan Agnevall has been named the new president and CEO for Wärtsilä Corp., replacing Jaakko Eskola, who will continue as a senior advisor to the board and executive team until he retires on June 30, 2021.

Agnevall will begin in his role no later than in April 2021. Agnevall is currently president of Volvo Bus Corp. within Volvo Group, a position he has held since 2013. In the decade prior to that, he held various leadership positions in Bombardier and in ABB, gaining experience in sales, production, project management, research and development, as well as in lifecycle services globally.

“Håkan Agnevall, a highly appreciated leader, has a proven record of developing organizations and businesses with a strong focus on customers, technology, and people,” said Tom Johnstone, chairman of the Board of Wärtsilä Corp. “His experience within the Volvo Group on pioneering electrification and autonomous vehicles will strengthen our activities in corresponding areas. Håkan has the skills needed to accelerate Wärtsilä’s activities in supporting and enabling our marine and energy customers on their journey towards more sustainable operations and business models.”

Agnevall said he was looking forward to joining Wärtsilä and its team of highly skilled and committed professionals.

“I believe that Wärtsilä can make a real difference for its stakeholders and the society through innovation, focusing on sustainability and operational performance,” Agnevall said. “The technology trends in clean energy, automation, and connectivity offer exciting new business opportunities, and Wärtsilä is very well placed to be a leading player in the marine and energy markets of the future.
The board thanked Eskola for his “considerable contribution” during his 22 years with the group.

“During his leadership of Wärtsilä as president and CEO over the last five years, Wärtsilä has developed into a smart technology company for the marine and energy markets,” Johnstone said.