Valio’s President and CEO, Annikka Hurme, who holds the Finnish honorary title of Vuorineuvos, has received the Business Leader of the Year 2026 award. The recognition was granted for her ability to combine Valio’s strong heritage with bold renewal.
Hurme has worked at Valio since 1989 and has led the company as President and CEO since 2014. She took on the role in exceptionally difficult circumstances, when the sudden halt in exports to Russia reduced Valio’s net sales by around EUR 400 million. After the years of crisis, Hurme led Valio to a new phase of growth.
During Hurme’s tenure as President and CEO, Valio has developed from a traditional dairy company into an international food company. Alongside consumer products, the company has strengthened its customer relationships in sectors such as hotels, restaurants, retail and the food industry, and has expanded its business beyond milk to other raw materials.
Valio’s scale and impact have strengthened during Hurme’s tenure. In 2025, Valio Group’s net sales rose to EUR 2.4 billion, and Valio’s exports accounted for around one quarter of Finland’s total food exports. Valio’s financial success was reflected in its milk margin, which reached a record level of more than EUR one billion last year.
Hurme will retire at the end of this year by her own decision, after a 37-year career at Valio. In 2025, she was also granted the Finnish honorary title of Vuorineuvos in recognition of her long-term work for the Finnish food industry and society.
Valio warmly congratulates Annikka Hurme on this significant recognition and thanks her for her exceptionally long-term work for Valio, Finnish dairy farmers and the entire Finnish food industry.
The Business Leader of the Year award is granted to a person who has promoted sustainable success in business. The recipient has demonstrated the ability to renew business operations over the long term, achieved results over an extended period and served as an example and trailblazer.
From 1980 to 2020, Suomen Liikemies-Yhdistys ry recognised distinguished business leaders with the Businessman of the Year award. In 2021, the name of the award was updated to Business Leader of the Year. The recipient is selected in cooperation with Kauppalehti and Aalto University School of Business.
