Teppo Lindén appointed as Silmäasema’s CEO

Silmäasema Oyj
Stock Exchange Release - Changes board/management/auditors
30 January 2020 at 9:00 a.m. EET

Silmäasema’s Board of Directors has decided on its meeting held on 30 January 2020 to appoint Teppo Lindén as Silmäasema’s Chief Executive Officer as of 30 January 2020. In addition, Ulla Näpänkangas and Jari-Pekka Kelhä will join the Management Team as of 30 January 2020.

“We want to thank Jussi Salminen for the great job he has successfully done during the last twelve months. Reinforcement of the Management Team and the CEO change is made to strengthen the management in this changed situation,” says Chairman of the Board of Directors Antti Kummu.

Teppo Lindén is M.D., Specialist in Surgery, Ortopedics and Traumatology, with decades of experience of practicing and leading the medical business. Lindén is also the CEO of Coronaria Oy and Cor Group Oy. Lindén is vice chairman of Silmäasema Oyj Board of Directors since 26 November 2019. 

The new CEO of Silmäasema Optiikka Oy’s and a member of Silmäasema Oyj’s Management Team is Jari-Pekka Kelhä, with years of experience of optical retail business. Kelhä is Master of Laws and has been the CEO of Coronaria Optical Group and Health City Finland Oy, which is subsidiary of Cor Group.

The new CEO of Silmäasema Sairaala Oy and a member of Silmäasema Oyj’s Management Team is M.D. and Ophthalmologist Ulla Näpänkangas. Näpänkangas is also the CEO of Coronaria Silmäklinikka Oy. Lindén is a member of Silmäasema Oyj Board of Directors since 26 November 2019.  

“Lindén, Kelhä and Näpänkangas will bring sector know-how and they will compliment and reinforce the capabilities of the Management Team to run and develop the optical retail and eye clinics. We see both businesses highly synergic and we believe this set-up of having both optical retail and eye clinics,” says Kummu.

Coronaria owns over 90 percent of the issued and outstanding shares of Silmäasema Oyj and it has a redemption right to redeem the remaining Silmäasema minority shares in accordance with provisions of the Finnish Limited Liability Companies Act. Coronaria has announced by a market notice dated 25 November 2019 its intention to acquire all the shares in Silmäasema and to cause Silmäasema to apply for delisting of its shares from Nasdaq Helsinki Ltd. Coronaria is part of Cor Group.

Silmäasema Management Team as of 30 January 2020:
Teppo Lindén, CEO
Jyrki Alamäki, Sales Director
Jari-Pekka Kelhä, CEO, Silmäasema Optiikka Oy
Sirkka-Liisa Kulmala, HR Director
Tapani Kyrki, Business Director
Sari Nordblad, CFO
Ulla Näpänkangas, CEO, Silmäasema Sairaala Oy
Roope Sihvola, Chief Medical Officer  

Silmäasema Oyj
Board of Directors

For further information, please contact:
Antti Kummu, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Silmäasema Oyj, tel. +358 50 432 4486

Silmäasema is a Finnish company, which offers all products and services for optical retail and eye healthcare nationwide. Silmäasema is the largest private eye clinic provider offering eye surgeries and the second largest optical retail chain in Finland. The Silmäasema chain has nearly 150 stores and 13 eye clinics in Finland as well as eight stores in Estonia. The Silmäasema chain employs over 1,000 eye healthcare professionals. The Silmäasema Group’s net sales were EUR 122.9 million in 2018 and adjusted EBITDA was EUR 11.8 million.