Inside information: Rob Kolkman appointed President and CEO of Sanoma as of 1 January 2024
Rob Kolkman
Sanoma Corporation, Inside information, 20 November 2023 at 14:31 EET
Inside information: Rob Kolkman appointed President and CEO of Sanoma as of 1 January 2024
Sanoma’s Board of Directors has appointed Rob Kolkman President and CEO of Sanoma Corporation as of 1 January 2024. Rob succeeds Susan Duinhoven, who will continue as executive advisor to the company until the end of March 2024 to support a solid transition to the new CEO and assist in strategic projects.
"Rob is an experienced and engaging growth leader. During Rob’s almost four years at the helm of Sanoma Learning, net sales of Learning have doubled and its contribution of Sanoma’s operational earnings increased to approx. 80%. Rob knows Sanoma’s business and people well and has a clear view of how to continue executing and developing the strategy of future profitable growth, together with experienced leadership teams in both businesses. Both Learning and Media Finland have leading positions in their industries and a positive impact on the lives of millions of people every day, providing Sanoma a solid base forward. On behalf of the whole Board, I wish Rob the best of success in his new role," says Pekka Ala-Pietilä, Chair of the Board of Directors.
“I am honoured and excited to become the President and CEO of Sanoma. We have two strong businesses, both with good positions in their markets and clear strategies. I am looking forward to working together with our great team to further strengthen our position in European K12 learning services, to deliver on our key initiatives, including Program Solar, and to continue the successful digital transformation in our media business. I would like to express my appreciation to the Sanoma Board for the trust they have placed in me,” says Rob Kolkman, incoming President and CEO.
Rob Kolkman has worked with Sanoma and been a member of the Executive Management Team since 2019. First he worked as the CEO of Sanoma Media Netherlands until the divestment of the SBU in April 2020, and has since then worked as the CEO of Sanoma Learning. Prior to Sanoma, Rob worked in several executive roles at RELX Group for 15 years being based in the Netherlands, UK and Australia. His latest position at RELX was the Group Managing Director of Reed Business Information in London. Earlier, he has also worked in managerial roles at BPP Professional Education in the Netherlands. Rob was born in 1972 and he is a Dutch citizen residing in Finland since 2020. He holds an MBA from NIMBAS, Bradford – Graduate School of Management and Master of Economics (Accountancy) from VU Amsterdam.
In his role as President and CEO of Sanoma Corporation, Rob will continue to lead Sanoma Learning together with a recently further strengthened Learning leadership team.
Additional information
Investors: Kaisa Uurasmaa, Head of Investor Relations and Sustainability, tel. +358 40 560 5601
Finnish media: Marcus Wiklund, Director, Public Affairs, tel. +358 400 603147
International media: Christel Lammertink, Communication Director, Sanoma Learning, tel. +31 6 5715 3456
Sanoma
Sanoma is an innovative and agile learning and media company impacting the lives of millions every day. Our Sustainability Strategy is designed to maximise our positive ‘brainprint’ on society and to minimise our environmental footprint. We are committed to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and signatory to the UN Global Compact.
Our learning products and services enable teachers to develop the talents of every child to reach their full potential. We offer printed and digital learning content as well as digital learning and teaching platforms for primary, secondary and vocational education, and want to grow our business.
Our Finnish media provide independent journalism and engaging entertainment also for generations to come. Our unique cross-media position offers the widest reach and tailored marketing solutions for our business partners.
Today, we operate in twelve European countries and employ more than 5,000 professionals. In 2022, our net sales amounted to approx. 1.3bn€ and our operational EBIT margin excl. PPA was 14.6%. Sanoma shares are listed on Nasdaq Helsinki. More information is available at sanoma.com.
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