Helsinki, Finland, November 2025 — Oriola Corporation has announced the appointment of Maria Lundell as its new Chief People Officer. As a member of the Management Team, Maria will lead the company’s People and Culture agenda across the Nordics, focusing on organizational development, change management, and leadership alignment with Oriola’s strategic transformation journey. She will also head a high-performing Nordic People & Culture team, fostering excellence in leadership and operational delivery.
Before joining Oriola, Maria Lundell served as Executive Vice President, People & Culture at Blastr Green Steel, where she played a pivotal role as part of the company’s start-up leadership team and a minority investor. She led Blastr’s organizational design, leadership development, and culture-building initiatives, shaping a sustainable and purpose-driven culture for the ultra-low CO₂ steel producer. Her work also encompassed stakeholder engagement with the Finnish government and Business Finland, driving one of Finland’s most significant green industrial projects.
Prior to that, she spent over six years at Stora Enso as Senior Vice President, People & Culture for the Paper Division. There, she led HR transformation initiatives across multiple European markets, aligning people strategy with business performance. Maria was instrumental in executing large-scale restructuring programs, capability-building frameworks, and HR digital transformation projects across Finland, Sweden, Germany, and Belgium, while leading a team of over 30 HR professionals.
Earlier in her career, Maria served as Senior Vice President, Human Resources at Enfo Oyj, where she was recognized as HR Director of the Year (2012) by Hay Group and awarded Employer Brand Person of the Year (2014) by Universum. Under her leadership, Enfo achieved top rankings in the Great Place to Work listings across Finland and Sweden. Her tenure also included leadership roles at Deloitte Finland, Nasdaq OMX, and L’Oréal Finland, where she built strategic HR frameworks and led multiple integration and transformation projects.
Maria began her HR career with Starwood Hotels & Resorts, where she established and led HR operations at the iconic Hotel Kämp in Helsinki, marking her early excellence in people management and hospitality HR operations.
About Oriola Corporation
Oriola Corporation is a leading health and wellbeing company operating in the Nordics, dedicated to building a healthier tomorrow. With a strong focus on pharmaceutical distribution, wholesale, and advisory services, Oriola ensures the reliable availability of medicines and health products across Finland and Sweden. Listed on Nasdaq Helsinki, Oriola recorded net sales of €1.68 billion in 2024 and employs around 930 professionals. The company combines operational excellence with deep Nordic market insight, supporting partners in healthcare, retail, and e-commerce through sustainable, high-quality solutions.
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