MANAGEMENT
We believe a successful company is made of people who feel good about the work they do
Premix is a family-owned company whose history dates back to the 1980s. Antti Kiikka represents continuity at the Premix board, while his daughter, Hanna Ristola, now runs the company. Hanna’s brother, Tuomas Kiikka, heads Premix's New Business Development.
We are strongly developing our operations and our industry. We believe that a successful company is based on inspired people who feel good about their work. We guarantee this by making sure that our people are well led and empowered. Thus, we put a strong emphasis on our leadership processes and coaching skillfulness.
Premix Board
The Premix Board consists of a good mix of professionals outside the industry and family members. Kalle Reponen has been the Chairman of the Board since April 2017, following Antti Kiikka, the Premix founder who served as Chairman of the Board for decades. Other Board members are Antti Kiikka, Hanna Ristola, Mika Toikka, Thomas Luther, and Tuomas Kiikka – Antti, Hanna, and Tuomas representing the family, and Kalle, Mika, and Thomas bringing a professional industry perspective from the outside.
Premix is a profitable, growth-oriented company. We grow the company’s value responsibly, and in the long term, and we do not target quick wins.
Hanna Ristola and Tuomas Kiikka, owners of Premix
Premix is a unique company with highly ambitious targets. We have a great team of highly motivated professionals with deep technical knowhow and a humble approach to serve our customers to ensure first class customer experience - we go the extra mile to do that.
Our culture is full of laughter, and chemistry between people is important. We are dynamic and always trying to seize the moment in the market. I’m very honored to be the chairman of this unique company.
Kalle Reponen, Chairman of the Board
Premix Management Team
One of Premix's slogans is "Let's make a good mix" - we believe it applies both to material solutions and to people!
Hanna Ristola,
Managing Director
Following in her father's footsteps, Hanna is firmly steering the company toward its vision. She is an inspiring, modern, truly people-oriented leader who is not afraid to take up a challenge. Hanna has been the Managing Director since 2011. In 2018, she received recognition from the Growth Collective Finland movement for her courageous attitude and positive character - qualities we Premix employees greatly value in her!
Jaakko Aho
Executive Vice President, Sales
Jaakko is leading Premix's sales and marketing teams and joined us from ABB in May 2023. He brings valuable experience to Premix with his rich international B2B business background. Jaakko has lived and worked in different senior positions on three continents. Combined with his entrepreneurial background, he fits well into the Premix family business and our international growth and expansion phase.
Jan Järveläinen,
Service Development Director
Since joining Premix in 2017 Jan has worked in different roles in Premix's R&D, Sales, and New Business Development. In his current role, he is leading the development of new services to improve the employee and customer experience and is making Premix an expert in using data to develop our business and that of our customers. Loyal to his background (D.Sc. (Tech)) Jan has a very systematic approach to life and loves to question the existing habits and status quo.
Jari-Matti Mehto,
CEO Premix, Inc.
Jari-Matti is a visionary leader with over 30 years of diverse experience in the international Chemical Industry. He joined Premix in 2015 and prior to leading our U.S business was responsible for Premix’s Finance, IT, digital development, and R&D. With his experience and background, accompanied by his very analytical approach and track record of typically being the first to identify the essentials in business challenges, it would be hard to imagine a better and more trustworthy person to start our US operation!
Kari Nieminen
Product Development Director
The grand old man of PRE-ELEC®, ask anything about PRE-ELEC®, and you’ll get the answer! Kari has been in almost all possible positions at Premix during his career spanning 35+ years. He is one of the key persons steering the company to its current world-leading position, and with his relaxed, professional attitude, Kari continuously encourages his team and colleagues even in the most demanding situations. A true leader!
Mari Lippojoki,
HR Director
She is our Ms. Positive whose true passion is in developing and empowering people, and she always sees the potential in people. With her 20+ years of HR experience in various roles and businesses, Mari ensures that the work of HR is visible not only internally but also to our customers through the great quality and service supplied by our motivated professionals. Her motto “People with great passion can make the impossible happen!” says it all!
Mika Silventoinen,
Supply Chain Director
A hardcore professional in supply chain management and production with over 20 years of working in the chemical industry. Since Mika joined Premix in 2015, he has been responsible for Premix production, sourcing, warehouse, customer service, maintenance, and technology. Mika has successfully followed through with many important investment and development projects, making sure we have what it takes to be able to grow. He has a very systematic and logical approach and stays cool and calm even in the most stressful situations!
Katariina Torkkola,
Chief Financial Officer
Katariina joined Premix in August 2024 to take on the responsibility for our finances. As CFO, she is naturally very number-oriented and precise, but she also brings a strong technical background with an MSc in Technology. With her extensive experience in demanding finance positions, Katariina is an excellent fit for our plastic compounding business. Her positive, solution-oriented approach and strong financial expertise make her a valuable addition to our management team.
Tuomas Kiikka,
New Business Development Director
Tuomas has the rare capability of combining challenging technical topics and visualizing how to turn them into solutions and business opportunities. He is well-known for his courage, frankness, and service-mindedness. Tuomas gets inspired by creating new success stories, especially in close partnership with our customers, helping them enter new markets with innovative products and applications designed and developed by Premix. Today, he is in charge of Premix's new business development department and PREXELENT®.
