About

Metsä Group is a leader in bioeconomy, utilising renewable wood from sustainably managed northern forests; the Finnish organisation reported sales equating to €5bn in the last fiscal year. Group general counsel Miika Arola has over 13 years of experience at Metsä Group and has been at the helm of the legal team at Metsä for the past 4 years. Arola has been credited by key figures in the industry for his ability to build an efficient and talented legal department. The team, which now consists of six lawyers, a compliance officer and three assistants has implemented an innovative approach to communication within the organisation. Through training and the distribution of information, the team has proactively improved the approach to preventive legal risk management; examples of this include a new and updated legal web channel and legal newspapers. The legal department has had a tangible impact on Metsä’s corporate transactions and business restructurings, including a €1.3bn investment in the Äänekoski bio product plant, the largest industrial investment in Finland. The dedication of the legal team has been fundamental to the development of Metsä as it has transformed into one of the most lucrative forestry groups in the Nordic region. Arola believes that as the company has grown and diversified it has ‘created a possibility for us to grow as a team and develop further expertise and know-how in different areas of law. Recent changes in the team have seen new initiatives, new thoughts and enhanced practices’.