Kone Became Finland's Most Reputable Publicly Traded Company – Nokia CEO Justin Hotard's Standing on the Rise

Kone was named Finland’s most reputable company in Reputation and Trust Analytics’ “ Reputation&Trust 2026” survey of publicly traded companies. Neste saw the biggest rise in reputation. Retail investors once again rated Marimekko’s Tiina Alahuhta-Kasko as the best CEO, but Nokia CEO Justin Hotard jumped straight to second place on the list.

Reputation and Trust Analytics conducted a study on the reputation of publicly traded companies operating in Finland and their management in May–June 2026, in collaboration with the Finnish Stock Exchange Foundation and the Finnish Shareholders’ Association. A total of 9,195 individual investors responded to the survey, providing a total of 18,911 organizational evaluations.

Respondents rated Kone as Finland’s most reputable publicly traded company, with a reputation score of 4.15—an “excellent” rating on a scale of 1 to 5. Wärtsilä (4.08), Vaisala (4.06), and Ponsse (4.01) also achieved an “excellent” level. In the “ Reputation&Trust 2026” survey of publicly traded companies, more than half of the companies surveyed fell into the “good” or “excellent” reputation category, meaning their reputation score was at least 3.50. The publicly traded company with the weakest reputation was Citycon, with a reputation score of 2.64.

“It is clear that the historically large corporate acquisition announced by Kone in the spring propelled it to become Finland’s most prestigious publicly traded company. It would appear that investors expect companies to deliver not only dividends but also, to an even greater extent, growth and international expansion. Companies’ communication on these topics also appears to have been successful, as investors’ perceptions of listed companies’ ability to innovate rose particularly sharply in the survey. Nokia saw the biggest increase in this area,” says Harri Leinikka, founder and lead advisor at Reputation and Trust Analytics.

“We are extremely pleased to have been recognized as Finland’s most reputable publicly traded company. This result reflects the strong trust of our stakeholders as well as the long-term efforts of our employees on behalf of our customers, partners, and cities. We would like to thank everyone who helps build our story every day. This trust also reflects faith in the future. “It is encouraging to see that our stakeholders have confidence in Kone’s strategic direction and in our ability to continue creating value for our customers, equipment users, and cities in the future,” says Natalia Valtasaari, Kone’s Vice President, Investor Relations.

Top 10 Reputations of Publicly Traded Companies in Finland

The average reputation score for all listed companies surveyed rose to its highest level since 2022. Among individual companies, Neste saw the largest increase in overall reputation.

According to Karri Salmi, CEO of Suomen Osakesäästäjät, the results show a clear turnaround. The company’s performance had already improved last year, and this year’s positive change was twice as large as last year’s.

“Overall results have improved. This reflects growing investor confidence and general optimism regarding economic development,” says Karri Salmi.

“The same companies remain at the top year after year because investor confidence isn’t built in a single quarter, nor is it lost quickly without a compelling reason.”

Tiina Alahuhta-Kasko Remains the Most Respected CEO

The survey also examined whom the respondents considered to be the best CEO of a publicly traded company. For the third consecutive time, Tiina Alahuhta-Kasko of Marimekko was named the best.

Justin Hotard, who was appointed CEO of Nokia last year, jumped straight to second place on the list. Kone CEO Philippe Delorme also made a strong climb, rising from sixth place the previous year to third.

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“Tiina Alahuhta-Kasko scored a hat trick. She has earned the respect of investors through her long-term, active leadership of this increasingly global brand,” says Sari Lounasmeri, CEO of the Finnish Stock Exchange Foundation.

“Nokia’s Hotard and Kone’s Delorme rose to the top three as strong change leaders. Nokia and Kone are undergoing significant periods of change, during which it is important for the CEO to actively communicate with investors. The companies led by both executives have also responded to the geopolitical situation by shifting the focus of their operations to Western markets.”

This is how we conducted the study

The goal of the “ Reputation&Trust 2026” survey of publicly traded companies was to assess the reputation of publicly traded companies operating in Finland among individual investors. Data for the survey was collected via an online questionnaire from May 11 to June 1, 2026.

The survey was conducted in collaboration with the Finnish Stock Exchange Foundation and the Finnish Association of Stock Investors. The invitation to participate in the survey was distributed via the newsletters of the Finnish Stock Exchange Foundation and the Finnish Association of Stock Investors, in the *Viisas Raha* magazine, and in Nordnet’s newsletter.

Organizations were evaluated using Reputation and Trust Analytics’ “ Reputation&Trust ” research model, in which an organization’s reputation score is calculated as the average of eight different subcategories. These areas are corporate governance, finance, leadership, innovation, engagement, products & services, workplace, and corporate responsibility. The study used a five-point rating scale (1–5).

Reputation&Trust-In this research model, an organization’s reputation is considered excellent if its reputation score is 4.00 or higher. A score of 3.50–3.99 indicates a good reputation, and a score of 3.00–3.49 indicates a moderate reputation. If the reputation score is 2.99 or lower, the organization’s reputation is considered weak.

A total of 9,195 Finns participated in the study. The study’s target group consisted of Finnish retail investors aged 15 and older nationwide (excluding the Åland Islands).

The margin of error for the entire data set is at most about 1.02 percentage points in either direction.

For more information:

Harri Leinikka, Reputation and Trust Analytics, CEO, +358 40 505 5001, harri.leinikka@reptrust.com

Sari Lounasmeri, Finnish Stock Exchange Foundation, CEO, +358 50 372 5925, sari.lounasmeri@porssisaatio.fi

Karri Salmi, Finnish Stock Savers, CEO, +358 50 675 40, karri.salmi@osakeliitto.fi