Metso appoint Teija Saari as chief people officer

Teija Saari to strengthen employee engagement, develop corporate culture, and drive strategic initiatives

METSO have appointed Teija Saari as the company’s chief people officer and a member of the Metso leadership team, effective from 1 March 2026.

Ms Saari joins Metso from Wärtsilä, where she currently serves as vice-president, business HR and internal communications for the Energy division. Prior to that, she held senior HR leadership roles in Grundfos in Denmark and in Gardner Denver in Germany and Finland.

‘I’m excited to join Metso and go beyond to help execute their growth strategy. I strongly believe in the power of working together to serve our customers and create lasting value. I’m committed to building an environment where everyone can grow their skills, feel supported, and contribute to shared success,’ she commented.

‘Teija has extensive expertise in people leadership and strong background of organizational development. I look forward to working with her to further strengthen Metso’s employee engagement, develop our culture, and drive our strategic initiatives,’ says Sami Takaluoma, president and chief executive officer of Metso.

Former chief people officer Carita Himberg has decided to leave Metso and will transition her responsibilities to Hannele Järvistö, who will serve as interim head of HR until Teija Saari assumes the role.

‘I want to thank Carita for her leadership of our global HR team over the past five years. Joining Metso during the pivotal integration of Metso and Outotec, Carita played an important role in shaping and influencing our company and its culture. Her impact has been significant, and I wish her every success as she embarks on the next chapter of her career,’ said Mr Takaluoma.