Kesko to strengthen its regional operations in Finland

KESKO CORPORATION PRESS RELEASE 16.12.2014 AT 09.30 1(1)

As from 1 January 2015, Kesko will strengthen its regional and local operations. Kesko's influence in the regions will be increased especially by boosting the role of the store chains.

- Our objective is to increase Kesko's local influence in the regions and increasingly support the K-Group's retailer entrepreneurs, says Mikko Helander, Executive Vice President of Kesko Corporation.

Kesko will strengthen the role of its store chains in the regions. This means, among other things, that the number of regional chain managers, who act as the primary cooperation partners of K-retailers, will be increased.

- We want to be more actively involved in the field, through the district organisations as well as business areas and their profit centres, says Helander.

In their districts, Kesko's District Directors represent the whole Kesko Group and their most important duty is to make preparations in regional store site projects for all divisions. Regional communications and stakeholder cooperation are also carried out under their direction.

As from 1 January, 2015, Kesko's Finnish districts and District Directors are: Greater Helsinki Area, Antti Palomäki; Southern Finland, Timo Heikkilä; Western Finland, Olli Setänen; Central Finland, Jari Alanen; Eastern Finland, Jari Kuosmanen; and Northern Finland, Jari Saarinen.

Further information is available from Executive Vice President Mikko Helander, Kesko Corporation, tel. +358 105 322 301.

Kesko (www.kesko.fi) is a retail specialist whose stores offer quality to the daily lives of consumers. Kesko's chains have about 2,000 stores in the Nordic and Baltic countries, Russia, and Belarus.