Aalto M&A Forum

Speakers

Keynote address by:

Dr. Thomas Keil

Chair in International Management, University of Zürich

Thomas Keil is tenured full professor at the Department of Business Administration at the University of Zürich, and has previously taught at Aalto University and York University’s Schulich School of Business in Toronto. His other research interests than M&A include strategic management and the senior leader’s agenda (board design, CEO succession, top management teams, transformation, and corporate entrepreneurship and innovation).

Thomas is experienced in working with corporations involved in M&A and has taught various Executive Education, Ph.D. and other audiences, based partly on his long-term research on M&A. In the 2000s, Thomas was Academic and Managing Director of the TKK Executive School of Business, a leading MBA educator in Finland, and has been an active advisor to companies across various industries.

Thomas actively publishes research on today’s theme – M&A – and other business topics in global top-quality journals, having published in Strategic Management Journal, Harvard Business Review, MIT Sloan Management Review, Journal of Management, Academy of Management Journal, Academy of Management Review, and Administrative Science Quarterly and has earned several international research awards.

Thomas’ latest books are The Next Leadership Team (Routledge, 2023) and The Next CEO (Routledge, 2021), and he frequently writes for practitioner business magazines.

Website at the University of Zürich

Senior international guest:

Ted Rouse 

Advisory Partner, Bain & Company, London

Ted Rouse has a long and distinguished career as management consultant, specializing in M&A strategy and merger integration over several decades. He joined Bain & Company in 1982 and served as a Partner since 1988 in the firm’s London, Chicago, San Francisco, and Sydney offices. He co-led Bain’s global M&A practice during 2005-2014 and continues to serve Bain’s clients as Advisory Partner in all facets of M&A activities, advising executives on topics such as cross-border deals with complex global integrations and cultural dynamics, mergers of equals, and integrations of unrelated businesses. 

Ted has led or supported dozens of merger integration efforts in a wide variety of sectors with particular expertise in the automotive industry across the entire value chain. He also led Bain’s global Industrial practice for several years.

Ted was a member of Bain & Company’s board of directors for more than 15 years and, amongst other leadership roles in the firm, the founding leader of Bain’s Chicago office.

Alongside his client work, Ted has published numerous articles on M&A topics in leading industry publications such as The Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, and MIT Sloan Management Review. He is an MBA graduate of the Harvard Business School.

Opening by:

Dr. Kristiina Mäkelä

Provost, Aalto University

Kristiina Mäkelä, Professor of International Business, is Aalto University’s provost, leading the university’s activities related to teaching, research, and societal impact as deputy to the president. Kristiina has previously worked at several foreign universities, had departmental and Aalto School of Business leadership responsibilities, and worked for a decade in business. Her research interests include various aspects of international management, including human resource management, the future of work, talent, and knowledge. 

Lauri Vaittinen 

CEO, Mandatum Asset Management

Lauri Vaittinen is the CEO of Mandatum Asset Management, a leading provider of solutions across asset classes for institutions, and is in charge of 16 billion euros of assets under management. He was previously Senior Vice President at Mandatum Life and the Chief Securities Officer of the pension insurance company Etera, among others. Lauri is an active Aalto alumnus, via both his Aalto Finance Alumni collaboration and co-publishing in the world-leading Journal of Financial Economics and Review of Financial Studies.

Pyry Vauramo 

Partner, Bain & Company, Helsinki

Pyry Vauramo is Partner at Bain & Company, based in the firm’s Helsinki office. Pyry specializes in M&A and investing advisory across the deal lifecycle and has experience in more than 100 transactions, with particular focus on the technology sector. Pyry advises both financial investors across asset classes as well as executives of leading companies on topics such as M&A and growth strategy, due diligence, post-acquisition value creation and merger integration.

Chaired by:

Dr. Vesa Puttonen

Professor of Finance, Aalto School of Business

Vesa Puttonen is Professor of Finance at Aalto University’s business school. His research has dealt with a number of financial topics, and he is an experienced speaker for corporate and Executive Education audiences. Vesa is also author of a number of business and finance books, and is sought after for media commentary. He has previously worked as an executive at the Helsinki Stock Exchange and Conventum, and been a board member or chairman of several quoted and other companies.