Finnair and IBM joint venture, IT service provider Aerosystems Ltd began operations August 1, 2002. Finnair owns 40 percent of the new company and IBM 60 percent. The Finnish Competition Authority has approved the arrangement. Aerosystems annual turnover will be approximately 40 million euro.

The Managing Director of the new company is Tuomo Haukkovaara. The following members, who report to the managing director, have been appointed to the Aerosystems board: Deputy Managing Director Hannu Kataja, Director of Services Olli Viilma, Director of Finance Sakari Tenhunen and
Director of HR Jarmo Koistinen. The board also includes the following Service Managers from different service sectors, Veikko Surakka, Ivan Cankar, Steve Hamblin and Jouko Virtanen who report to Director of Services Olli Viilma.
The Aerosystems organisation is largely based on that of Finnair IT. However, a new innovation centre will be established which will act as an incubator for e-business, client management and e-service IT solutions. In the future, these solutions can be sold worldwide via IBM channels.

As a result of the founding of Aerosystems Ltd, a new Corporate Information Management unit has been formed at Finnair. The new unit is in charge of Finnair Group`s IT strategy and processes, application and technology architectures, Group level IT contracts and partnerships as
well as the Groups IT project model and IT project portfolio.

Kari Saarikoski has been appointed Vice President and CEO of the new unit and he reports to Eero Ahola, Senior Vice President, Corporate Business Development and Strategy. In addition, Urpo Löfbacka has been appointed as Assistant Vice President of Application Strategies, Matti Lehtonen Director of IT Planning and Development, Kari Hänninen Director of ICT
Architectures, Pirjo Myyry Director of Development Processes and Heikki Ala Director of IT Sourcing and Resources in the new unit.

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