Stora Enso has promoted Niclas Rosenlew to deputy chief executive, adding the title to his existing job as chief financial officer. The Nordic renewable materials and packaging company said the change took effect at once, placing Rosenlew alongside president and chief executive Hans Sohlstrom at the head of the business.
Rosenlew has served as finance chief and a member of the group leadership team, and he will continue to hold the CFO post while taking on the wider deputy role. The arrangement keeps day-to-day control of the company’s finances in the same hands while formalizing Rosenlew’s standing as second in command, a structure that gives the group a clear stand-in when the chief executive is unavailable.
Sohlstrom said the promotion reflected a close working relationship already in place. Rosenlew “contributes to Stora Enso’s performance through strong leadership and business acumen,” the chief executive said, adding that the pair’s collaboration would help the company deal with investors, customers and other stakeholders. The change gives the group a more visible second figure at a time when it is pressing through a costly reshaping of its business.
Rosenlew said he welcomed the expanded remit. “I am honoured by the trust placed in me,” he said, pledging to help drive the group’s strategy alongside the rest of the leadership. The company gave no indication that the move pointed to any wider change at the top, presenting it instead as a step to strengthen its senior ranks and to recognize the widening role its finance chief has come to play.
Stora Enso employs around 19,000 people and reported sales of 9.3 billion euros in 2025. The company has staked its future on replacing materials made from fossil fuels with renewable alternatives drawn from wood, in products that run from packaging to construction. That strategy has required heavy investment in new mills and product lines, along with tight control of costs while markets for paper and board have shifted. Much of that work sits squarely within Rosenlew’s brief as both finance chief and deputy leader, giving him a direct hand in how the group funds and steers its transformation.
