Finavia Groups Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Niclas Köhler will become Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Finavia-owned AVIA Real Estate. AVIA Real Estate is a property investment and development company operating in the vicinity of Helsinki Airport. Finavia increased its previous 49 per cent holding in AVIA Real Estate to 100 per cent in January 2025.
Köhler has been Finavia’s CFO and member of the Executive Group since August 2017. He will transfer to his new position in AVIA Real Estate by the end of April.
AVIA Real Estate’s current CEO Ilkka Pitkänen will leave his position and take on new responsibilities outside the company. Pitkänen has been the CEO of AVIA Real Estate since 2021.
Finavia has started the search for Köhler’s successor and appointed Hannu Karru as interim CFO. Karru will transfer to his new position from the position of Finavia’s Director of Internal Accounting and Finance, which he has held since 2018. In his new position, Karru will report to Finavia’s CEO Kimmo Mäki.
In addition to finances, Köhler’s area of responsibility has included information management and procurement. IT Director Leyla Akgez-Laakso and Chief Procurement Officer Tuomas Pitkänen will report to Kimmo Mäki for the time being as of 1 May.
“Niclas Köhler’s extensive financial expertise has played a key role in Finavia’s exceptionally large-scale investment and development programme for developing Helsinki Airport in 2013–2023. In the coming years, the effective management of the acquired AVIA Real Estate business and its smooth integration into Finavia will play a key role in Finavia’s success. We are very pleased to have Niclas lead AVIA Real Estate into the next phase,” comments Finavia’s CEO Kimmo Mäki.
“At the same time, I would like to thank Ilkka Pitkänen for his significant contribution to the development of AVIA Real Estate and wish him all the best for the future,” Mäki continues.