Mikael Pentikäinen (39), Editor-in-Chief and President of Finnish News Agency, has been appointed President of Sanoma Corporation. According to the plan, Pentikäinen will start in Sanoma as soon as possible and as President as of 1 April 2004. As of the same date, he will be a member of the SanomaWSOY's Management Group.

Before his position as the Editor-in-Chief and President of Finnish News Agency, Pentikäinen has worked as editor in political news of Helsingin Sanomat in 1992 - 1996 and as Editor-in-Chief of Etelä-Saimaa (newspaper) in 1996 - 1999. Pentikäinen, M.Sc. (Agriculture and Forestry), has graduated from the Sanoma School of Journalism in 1990.

Seppo Kievari, present President of Sanoma Corporation, will retire as planned as of 1 April 2004.


Sanoma, a division of SanomaWSOY Group, is Finland's leading publisher of newspapers. Helsingin Sanomat is the biggest subscription-based newspaper in the Nordic region and Ilta-Sanomat is both Finland's second-biggest newspaper and its biggest quality tabloid. Sanoma's newspaper titles also include the business daily Taloussanomat, regional newspapers Etelä-Saimaa, Kouvolan Sanomat and Kymen Sanomat as well as local papers in Southeast Finland, the free ad publications Keltainen Pörssi and Palsta and the sports and sport betting weekly Veikkaaja. Division's net sales in 2002 totalled EUR 438.1 million.


SANOMAWSOY CORPORATION


Raija Kariola
Vice President
Investor Relations and Group Communications


DISTRIBUTION
Helsinki Exchanges
Principal media