Ponsse Named Most Reputable Public Company – Marimekko’s Tiina Alahuhta-Kasko Named Best CEO

According to Reputation&Trust Listed Companies" survey conducted by Reputation and Trust Analytics, Ponsse is the listed company with the best reputation among individual investors. For the second time, Marimekko’s Tiina Alahuhta-Kasko was rated the best CEO of a listed company.

Reputation and Trust Analytics conducted a survey on the reputation of publicly traded companies operating in Finland in May–June 2025, in collaboration with the Finnish Foundation for Share Promotion and the Finnish Shareholders’ Association. A total of 9,633 individual investors responded to the survey.

Reputation&Trust, a reputation score on a scale of 1 to 5 is calculated for each organization. Ponsse’s reputation score was 4.15, while Kone and Vaisala, which tied for second place, had a score of 4.08. Of the companies surveyed, Kamux had the lowest reputation score (2.74).

Of the companies surveyed, Kemira saw the greatest increase in its reputation score, which rose by 0.18 points. Oriola and Puuilo followed closely behind, with both companies’ reputation scores rising by 0.15 points. The biggest decliners, on the other hand, were Kamux
(–0.32 points), Gofore (–0.25 points), and Stora Enso (–0.23 points).

“Engineering firms performed exceptionally well in the reputation survey. Equity investors appreciate the fact that companies communicate openly about their order backlogs, future outlook, and the impact of changes in the operating environment. Reputation is built slowly but can collapse quickly. At the bottom of the survey are consumer and real estate brands that have suffered from reputational scandals,” says Sari Lounasmeri, CEO of the Finnish Foundation for Share Promotion.

Marimekko’s Alahuhta-Kasko Named Most Valued CEO by Private Investors Once Again

The survey also asked respondents who they considered to be the best CEO of a publicly traded company. Tiina Alahuhta-Kasko of Marimekko, who also took first place last year, was named the best, with Liisa Hurme of Orion coming in second.

“It’s wonderful that retail investors have rated two female CEOs as the best among publicly traded companies. Highlighting female leaders and generating positive publicity raises awareness and understanding of their expertise and capabilities. It is important that the best CEOs are recognized regardless of gender,” says Nina Laakso, Senior Advisor at Reputation and Trust Analytics.

“Promoting equality in the business world helps break down structural barriers, and this sends an important signal to recruitment processes as well. Studies have shown that gender diversity in executive teams and boards can also have a positive impact on corporate performance, which naturally benefits shareholders,” Laakso continues.

Confidence in publicly traded companies is clearly on the rise

The overall trust in and reputation of publicly traded companies have been on the decline in recent years, but a clear turnaround has taken place. In 2024, the average trust rating for all companies surveyed dropped to 3.56, the lowest level in the four-year history of the survey. Now the decline has turned into an increase: this year, trust rose to 3.64.

“When it comes to the average level of confidence among all companies, the increase is significant. Among young private investors, specifically those under 35, confidence in listed companies has risen to a new record high. Another positive development is the increase in willingness to invest and recommend stocks across all age groups. “This is driven by a slight improvement in reputation, as well as the ability of Finnish listed companies to enhance their performance, particularly in terms of interaction, where the average rating rose quite sharply from 3.32 to 3.38,” says Antti Pennala, Senior Data Analyst at Reputation and Trust Analytics.

“I am extremely pleased that, of the eight different dimensions examined in the study, it was the interaction between listed companies and retail investors that showed the greatest improvement. Without active and transparent dialogue between company management and retail investors, it is difficult to find long-term owners among Finns. “Many companies have recently increased their presence not only among institutional investors but also among retail investors,” says Karri Salmi, CEO of Osakesäästäjät.

This is how we conducted the study

The aim of Reputation&Trust Listed Companies special study was to assess the reputation of listed companies operating in Finland among retail investors. Data for the study was collected via an online survey between May 13 and June 2, 2025, in collaboration with the Finnish Foundation for Share Promotion and the Finnish Shareholders’ Association.

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

A total of 9,633 Finns participated in the survey. The survey targeted Finnish retail investors aged 15 and older nationwide. Data for the survey was collected via an online questionnaire between May 21 and June 12, 2024, in collaboration with the Finnish Foundation for Share Promotion and the Finnish Shareholders’ Association. In addition, an invitation to participate in the survey was distributed in the newsletter of the stock and fund broker Nordnet.

More information

Harri Leinikka, CEO, Reputation and Trust Analytics
harri.leinikka@reptrust-staging.fi-p.seravo.com, +358 40 505 5001

Sari Lounasmeri, CEO, Finnish Foundation for Share Promotion
sari.lounasmeri@porssisaatio.fi, +358 50 372 5925

Karri Salmi, CEO, Finnish Shareholders' Association
karri.salmi@osakesaastajat.fi, +358 50 675 40