Timur Kärki awarded as Chair of the Year 2024 at the Finnish Foundation for Share Promotion gala

"I am very honored for this attention and want to thank the Foundation and the jury for the award. I want to address the recognition to the Gofore board, executive team and the whole Gofore Crew, whose efforts make the board work visible. The role of the board is vital to the success of the company. The board oversees, manages, aligns, and spars to ensure the long-term development of the company and the value creation for stakeholders," says Timur Kärki, who received the award at the gala event in Helsinki on 29 January.

While Kärki has been acting as COB, Gofore's turnover has tripled, also maintaining good profitability. According to the jury’s award criteria, it was thanks to Kärki that the new CEO was found from the company. Seen from the outside, he has excellently supported the current CEO, Mikael Nylund, in his work, the jury evaluates.  

The award criteria highlight how Kärki has been involved in the company in various roles since its founding in 2001, as well as him being one the visible owners of the company with more than 10% ownership. He actively participates in societal debates and discussion and is regularly present at investor events.

"The chair of the board is the shareholder’s trusted person in leading the direction of the company. Under the leadership of Timur Kärki, Gofore has developed its personnel policy in an exceptional way," says Sari Lounasmeri, Chair of the Jury and CEO of the Finnish Foundation for Share Promotion.

The award criteria also pay attention to Goforen's extensive employee support practices. The company is considered pioneer in promoting work-life balance. Gofore has also had an employee representative on the Board since 2015. The latest initiative also receives recognition: in October 2024, the company announced that it will promote mental wellbeing at work, including monitoring and reporting on mental health-related absences and providing special wellbeing services.

"Gofore's strength has been to provide the best possible employee experience and customer experience - the two values we have had from the beginning. It is essential to understand that it is not about individual human resource activities, but more so our holistic approach to the topic. At different times, our strategy has reflected the issue in different ways," Kärki comments.

Gofore announced its updated strategy at Capital Markets Day on 16 January 2025.

The annual gala celebrates the best listed companies and ownership. The best listed companies and key executives from an owner's perspective are awarded at the gala. The winners were selected by the 2025 jury consisting of investors Juuso Aitta, Jasmin Hamid, Mika Heikkilä, Tom Lindström and Merja Mähkä, as well as Aalto University Professor of Ownership Samuli Knüpfer and Sari Lounasmeri, CEO of the Stock Exchange Foundation.

More information:

Emmi Berlin, IR Lead, Gofore Plc
+358 400 903 260
emmi.berlin@gofore.com