Reorganisation of Seure ownership structure moves to decision-making stage

The shared objective of Seure and its owners is to develop cost-effective personnel solutions that facilitate day-to-day service operations and support staff availability. The ownership restructuring aims to ensure that Seure can continue to provide personnel services to its owners and thus safeguard the continuity of functional services for residents. The arrangement is also based on the ownership strategy established for Seure, which allows the company’s shareholder base to be expanded when operationally and financially justified.

As part of the ownership restructuring, the Wellbeing Services County of Päijät-Hame would become a new shareholder in the company. The County Executive of the Wellbeing Services County of Päijät-Häme will consider the matter on 5 October.

“The Wellbeing Services Country of Päijät-Häme becoming an owner-customer of Seure significantly strengthens Seure’s business prospects by adding increased volume. The resulting technological scalability of operations will, in turn, enable synergy benefits and cost savings for all the owner-customers,” said Atte Malmström, the City of Helsinki’s Director of City Group Governance.

“We are delighted and honoured that the Wellbeing Services County of Päijät-Häme is becoming an owner-customer of Seure. The county's decision demonstrates confidence in a our shared operating model in which clients are not merely users of the service, but also contributors to its development. Together, we can develop even more effective workforce solutions that support day-to-day service operations and ensure long-term access to staff,” said Anu Tuomolin, Seure’s CEO.

Collaboration would strengthen workforce availability in Päijät-Häme

In future, recruitment operations for the Wellbeing Services County of Päijät-Häme would be carried out in collaboration with the county’s own experts and Seure. This strategic partnership would enable economies of scale, allowing operations to be carried out more cost-effectively and with lower risk than if the county were to establish a similar service independently.

“Wellbeing services county operations are labour-intensive, and so the availability of personnel largely determines our ability to provide high-quality services. A strategic partnership in recruitment and substitute staffing helps us ensure that the right professionals are in the right place at the right time, and that our services continue to function effectively, amidst a changing operating environment,” said Petri Virolainen, Director of the Wellbeing Services County of Päijät-Häme.

Seure would no longer be part of the Helsinki City Group

Following Seure’s ownership restructuring, Helsinki’s ownership share in the company would decrease from the current 56.4 per cent to around 40 per cent. As the share of ownership  would then fall below 50 per cent, Seure would no longer be part of the Helsinki City Group. 
The development of Seure’s operations and the cost-efficiency benefits enabled by larger volumes are important for the Helsinki City Group as a whole, and this is why the ownership strategy allows for the company’s ownership base expansion.

Cooperation among Seure’s owners has been effective for a considerable amount of time. The shareholders’ agreement – which is to be updated in connection with the change in ownership structure – clarifies the scope of influence that Helsinki and the other shareholders have over the company’s strategic decisions, as well as the duties of the general meeting of shareholders and the principles governing the ownership strategy. For these reasons, from Helsinki’s perspective, relinquishment of the majority stake has been deemed justified.

It is in Helsinki’s best interests to continue leveraging the economies of scale offered by Seure, and it is therefore justified, from Helsinki’s standpoint, to aim to further expand Seure’s shareholder base within the framework of the Public Procurement Act. 

At the same time, the change in ownership structure would allow all current shareholders who so wish to remain in the company, while also ensuring that the minimum ownership thresholds (10 per cent) required under the Public Procurement Act are met. 

Background information

The Seure personnel services company provides its owners with staffing and recruitment services. The company’s turnover in 2025 was approximately EUR 107 million, of which purchases by the City of Helsinki accounted for around 42 per cent.