IONCOR leadership team

Roberts Abele joined IONCOR from Vitesco Technologies, where he held the position of Senior Vice President and General Manager of Global Powertrain Controls based in the USA.

Roberts has 30 years of experience with leading global automotive suppliers. He has a proven track record of growing a multibillion-dollar business globally in a highly technical and competitive market. He is also well known for empowering employees and his commitment to corporate success.

Ville Jaakonsalo has served in several executive finance-related positions, most recently prior to joining IONCOR as CFO in Patria Group, where he was also responsible for the strategic transformation to a new operational model.

His earlier positions include Metsä Fibre CFO and Group treasurer in Metsä Group. Ville brings a wealth of expertise to the strategic transformation of the company.

Christian Kleinhans joined Valmet Automotive and IONCOR in 2017. In 2023, he became co-leader of the EV Systems Business Line before the appointment to his current position in IONCOR.

Christian has been intensively involved with electromobility and the resulting disruptive impact on the automotive and off-highway industries since 2008.

Manuel Ötsch joined IONCOR and Valmet Automotive in 2021 as Director of the Kirchardt battery plant in Germany and was appointed to his current position leading the company’s all EV plants in 2022.

Manuel previously worked for Motherson Group managing plants in Germany, the USA and Eastern Europe, and for Magna Mirrors in various management positions.

Pia Valve joined IONCOR as a Senior Vice President HR. She came from Viking Malt, where she held the position of VP HR & Communications, overseeing the HR function in five countries. Previously, Pia held senior HR positions in several industries, working in international environments.

Pia has extensive experience in aligning HR strategy with business goals, building high-performing teams and fostering employee engagement and organizational development.

Christian Honeck joined Valmet Automotive in 2024 as Program Director and was appointed to his current position at IONCOR to lead the company’s all activities regarding EV Program Management.

Christian has previously worked for various leading brands in the automotive industry, including ElringKlinger, Samsung SDI Battery Systems and Magna. He has extensive project lead experience in multicultural environment for international customers.

Mathias Würges joined IONCOR and Valmet Automotive in 2020 to lead the Engineering. Mathias has 30 years of experience with the development of safety relevant electromechanical systems in globally operating system supplier companies.

He has previously worked in industry leading companies, such as Bosch, Continental and NSK, in various engineering management positions.

Jan Lång joined IONCOR as Chair of the Board of Directors in 2025. At Finnish Minerals Group, he has served as Chair of the Board of Directors since 2024, and he also chairs the Personnel Committee. In addition, he is a member of the Corporate Responsibility Committee. Jan brings extensive leadership experience in the global industrial sector, having served as CEO of Uponor Oyj and Ahlstrom Oyj. Earlier in his career, he held various managerial and director roles at Huhtamäki Oyj. Jan has also held several key board positions, including Chairman of the Board at Okmetic, Antilooppi, Neova Group, and Unisport. 

Jarkko Sairanen joined Valmet Automotive Board of Directors in 2010 and acted as the Chairman since 2014 and had this position for IONCOR in 2024-2025. He has over 30 years of experience in leading high-tech companies in Finland, Germany, France and the USA. Jarkko has a strong acumen in building new business, transforming old ones as well as creating high-performing teams.

Elina Lae is an experienced investment professional in private equity, investment management, and global investment banking. She currently serves as a board member at Hintsa Performance and as General Counsel at Pontos Group, overseeing legal affairs and risk management. Elina’s career includes leadership in complex financing transactions, capital raising, and corporate governance, as well as earlier positions at Goldman Sachs, Credit Suisse, and Davis Polk & Wardwell in New York. A dual-qualified lawyer in Finland and New York, she holds a J.D. from the University of Michigan and an LL.M. from the University of Helsinki. 

Sven Ennerst was appointed to IONCOR Board of Directors in 2024. He holds a degree in mechanical engineering from the Darmstadt Technical University and pursued an international management career of over 30 years at Daimler, especially in commercial vehicles and operations in Asia. As former management board member of Daimler Trucks he was responsible for Global Product Engineering, Global Procurement and for Daimler Trucks business in China. Sven possesses extensive expertise in the automotive industry, innovation management, and CO₂ neutral technologies. 

Jari Punkari was appointed to the Board of IONCOR in 2025. He has served in various roles at the Finnish Government Ownership Steering Department over the past five years. Previously, Jari has held executive positions in the elevator industry for two decades and spent ten years as CEO in the building materials and real estate consulting sectors. Currently, he also serves on the Board of Neova Plc. Jari holds a Master’s degree in Economics and Business Administration. 

Philip-Christian Eller joined Valmet Automotive Board of Directors in 2018. He started his professional career in 1988 at PriceWaterhouseCoopers in process consulting, followed by years at GM Europe in Rüsselsheim, Germany. In 2001 he changed over to BMW and occupied several top management positions within BMW Group where he has mainly been responsible for production management, logistics and global purchasing operations. Philip-Christian has completed an MBA degree in finance, logistics and operations research.