16.11.2022
New Board at Åbo Akademi – new external board members are Gunvor Kronman and Dag Wallgren
The Åbo Akademi University Collegiate Body has appointed a new Board for the period 2023–2024. The Board is the highest decision-making body of the University. Six of the Board’s ten members represent the University and four are external members.
At its meeting on 16 November 2022, the University Collegiate Body elected two new external members of the Board: Gunvor Kronman and Dag Wallgren.
Gunvor Kronman (b. 1963) is CEO of the Swedish-Finnish Cultural Centre and Director of the Swedish-Finnish Cultural Foundation. She is Chair of the Board of Konstsamfundet, Plan International and Kalevala Koru, among others, and a board member of Mälardalen University in Sweden and the think tank RAND, among others.
Dag Wallgren (b. 1961) is former CEO of The Society of Swedish Literature in Finland (SLS), where he has also been Finance Director. Wallgren has also worked as Managing Director of the investment company Kelonia and has held a number of important positions of trust, including Chairman of the Board of Aktia Bank.
Corporate leader Peter Essen and corporate leader Anna Lindén will continue as external board members. Growth Marketing Manager Yacine Samb and Chancellor Emeritus, Rector Emeritus Thomas Wilhelmsson are not standing for re-election.
”I want to direct a big thank you to Yacine and Thomas for their commitment and contribution to the Board. Thomas Wilhelmsson has led the Board for a full five years, at a time of significant change at Åbo Akademi University, and his work has been characterised by responsibility and expertise. At the same time, I would like to warmly welcome Dag Wallgren and Gunvor Kronman. They will bring new perspectives and experiences that will benefit the strategic development of Åbo Akademi”, says Ronald Österbacka, President of the University Collegiate Body.
The professors of Åbo Akademi are represented on the new Board by Ria Heilä-Ylikallio, Professor of Swedish and Literature Education, and Kim Wikström, Professor of Industrial Management.
University Lecturer Janne Elo and Project Leader Dan Holm were elected to the Board as representatives of the researchers, teachers and other university staff. The students are represented by law student Fanny Jonasson and chemical engineering student Erik Östman.
The Board will appoint a chairperson at its inaugural meeting in January.
For more information:
Ronald Österbacka, chairperson of the Åbo Akademi University Collegiate Body, Professor of Physics
tel: +358 50 409 6423
email: ronald.osterbacka@abo.fi