We’re thrilled to announce that Heidi Kananen will be joining Valve Branding and Advance B2B as our new CEO on October 1st.
Meet our new CEO, Heidi Kananen. Previously Chief Commercial Officer at Kaleva Media, Heidi brings a combination of strong B2B sales leadership and cutting-edge expertise in AI and data-driven decision-making. She has helped organizations harness data and technology to create real business impact, and she will now bring that same focus to strengthening the value we deliver to you.
Heidi Kananen will step in as CEO of Valve Branding and Advance B2B on October 1st.
Heidi has over 15 years of experience in B2B sales and sales leadership and is currently completing her doctoral research at Oulu Business School on the role of artificial intelligence in strategic leadership and decision-making.
She has previously served as Head of Data & Research Services at Kaleva Media, where she developed advanced data, analytics, and AI solutions for sales and marketing. She is also an experienced trainer and entrepreneur in business applications of AI, and the author of Artificial Intelligence – New Tools for Business (Alma Talent, 2019).
With her background in financial management, business coaching, and applied AI, Heidi will help strengthen our ability to combine human creativity with data-driven insight – ensuring we can deliver even more value to our customers.
"It has been a true privilege and an incredibly rewarding journey to lead this company for nearly 15 years. I am proud of everything we have accomplished together, from solving challenges to creating new opportunities for growth for our customers. I step aside with full confidence, knowing that the company is in excellent hands. I would also like to thank our customers, partners, and stakeholders for their trust and the inspiration they have given us."
- Jorma Maaninka
At the same time, our parent company has been strengthened.
Kaleva Group has become a new owner alongside Arvo Sijoitusosuuskunta, which has owned Valve since 2020 and is now making a significant new investment.
Ownership of the parent company is now divided equally between Kaleva, Arvo, and individual shareholders.
For you as our customer, this means a stronger and more stable foundation – ensuring we can continue to invest in expertise, services, and solutions that help your business grow.
About Kaleva Media
Kaleva Media is a multimedia company that offers locally interesting content, service models and platforms. The media business focuses on high-quality journalism, content products and comprehensive advertising solutions in various digital channels and print media. Their diverse services enrich and facilitate the lives of local people, businesses and communities.
