Corporate governance

Martela's corporate governance statement 2023

Martela Corporation is a Finnish limited liability company that is governed in its decision-making and management by Finnish legislation, especially the Finnish Limited Liability Companies Act, by other regulations concerning public listed companies, and by its Articles of Association.

The company complies with the NASDAQ OMX Guidelines for Insiders and the Finnish Corporate Governance Code 2020 published by the Securities Market Association. Corporate Governance code is available at https://cgfinland.fi/en/corporate-governance-code/. Martela complies with all of the Code’s guidelines.

Organisation

The Group is managed according to both its operational organisation and legal Group organisation. The Group’s management is based primarily on an operational matrix organisation.

In 2023 The Group was organised in units as:

Sales and Marketing, which is responsible for customer relationships, sales, workplace services and marketing.
Operations, which is responsible for after-sales activities, including sourcing, production, removal services, product development, quality assurance, the research laboratory, planning of material flows and logistics and as well as IT matters.
Brand and Design, which is responsible for brand and product portfolio management.
Design Studio, which is responsible for the planning and development of work and learning environment projects.
Human resources and sustainability, which is responsible for the human resource administration, sustainability management and internal communication.
Finance, which is responsible for the Group’s financial planning and reporting, investor relations as well as legal matters.

Annual general meeting

The General Meeting is the company’s supreme decision-making body. The Annual General Meeting must be held within six months of the end of the financial year. The financial statements, Board of Directors’ report and the auditor’s report are presented at the Annual General Meeting. The Meeting decides on the approval of the financial statements, use of the profit shown on the balance sheet, discharging the members of the Board of Directors and the CEO from liability, the fees of the Board members and auditors and the number of members on the Board. The General Meeting also elects the Directors of the Board and the auditor. Other matters on the agenda of the General Meeting are mentioned in the notice of meeting.

Martela has two share series (‘K shares’ and ‘A shares’), with each K share entitling its holder to 20 votes at a General Meeting and each A share entitling its holder to one vote. The redeeming of K shares is referred to in the Articles of Association. Private owners of K shares have a valid shareholder agreement that restricts the sale of these shares to other than existing holders of K shares. The company’s total share capital on 31 December 2023 was EUR 7 million.

Board of Directors

The Board of Directors, elected by the Annual General Meeting each year, is responsible for the management and proper arrangement of the operations of the company in compliance with the Limited Liability Companies Act and the Articles of Association.

Preparations concerning the composition of the Board of Directors are carried out by the principal shareholders, who propose Board candidates to the Annual General Meeting based on their preparatory work. In accordance with the Articles of Association, the Board of Directors consists of no less than five and no more than nine members. There may be no more than two deputy members. The Board of Directors elects from among its members a Chairman and Vice Chairman to serve until the end of the next Annual General Meeting.

According to the principles of the Board diversity, the members of the Board of Directors must have sufficient and complementary experience and expertise in Martela’s most important business sectors and markets.

The Board must have both sexes and a diverse age distribution. Board members should have sufficiently diverse professional and educational background, strategy development and implementation skills, economic expertise, experience in managing companies at various stages of development, innovation, decision-making and questioning skills, and sufficient time for working in the board. The achievement and development of diversity in reaching the goals is assessed in the Board Self-Evaluation Discussion.

The Board has confirmed a Charter defining the duties of the Board, meeting practices, the matters to be dealt with at meetings, the targets set by the Board for its operations, a self-evaluation of these operations, and the Board’s committees.

In addition to the duties mentioned in the Limited Liability Companies Act and the Articles of Association, the Board of Directors is responsible for:

deciding on the Group strategy
deciding on the Group structure
approving financial statements, interim financial statements and interim reports
approving the Group’s operating plans, budgets, major investments and donations
deciding on business expansion and reduction, acquisitions and divestments
deciding on the Risk management policy and principles of the internal control
deciding on dividend policy and make a proposal to the Annual General Meeting on the amount of dividend to be paid
deciding on the Treasury policy
approving and dismissing the CEO and to decide on them salary
authorising the Remuneration Committee to decide on the appointments and remuneration of the members of the Group Management Team and the general principles of the Group’s performance bonus scheme
deciding on Management’s share-based incentive schemes
regularly approving and revising corporate governance principles and internal policies
annually approving the company’s internal control and risk management principles and addressing the most significant risks and uncertainties associated with the company’s operations
appointing board committees and deciding on their reporting
accepting stock exchange releases related to the Board’s decisions
confirming the principles of the Board diversity
the other statutory provisions of the Limited Liability Companies Act, the Corporate Governance Code or elsewhere.

The Board of Directors consisted of following members:

Johan Mild, Chairman of the Board, born 1974, M.Sc. Accounting, CEO of Remeo Oy, does not own any company shares.
Jacob Kragh, born 1970, M.Sc. (International Business), CEO of Stokke AS, does not own any company shares.
Hanna Mattila, born 1972, D.Sc. Tech., Associate Professor Aalborg University, owns 1,600 Martela Oyj K shares.
Eero Martela, born 1984, M.Sc. Tech., GM Finland Columbia Road Oy, owns 6,710 Martela Oyj A shares ja 940 K shares.
Jan Mattsson, born 1966, M.Sc. Architecture, CEO and partner Tengbom Ab, owns 6,759 Martela Oyj A shares.
Anni Vepsäläinen, born 1963, M.Sc. Tech., CEO of Suomen Messut Osuuskunta, owns 2,000 Martela Oyj A shares.

The Board convened eight times during the financial year. The average attendance of the Board members was 100 per cent.

The Board reviews its own activities annually, either by self-assessment or assessment made by an external consultant. In both cases a summary of the evaluations is jointly discussed at a Board meeting.

The Board has evaluated the independence of its members and determined that Hanna Mattila, Eero Martela, Jan Mattsson, Jacob Kragh, Johan Mild and Anni Vepsäläinen are independent of the company. Of the company’s largest shareholders Jan Mattsson, Jacob Kragh, Johan Mild and Anni Vepsäläinen are independent members of the Board.

Human Resource and Rewarding Committee

The Board has formed from among its members a Human Resource and Rewarding Committee and an Audit Committee, which both have written Charters.

According to the Charter, the key duties of the Human Resource and Rewarding Committee include:

Deciding, with authorisation from the Board, on the remuneration issues and annual performance bonuses of the CEO and the Group Management Team as well as general principles for the Group’s performance bonus scheme for the entire personnel.
Preparing for the Board the structure, criteria and target levels of the long-term incentive plans for key personnel.
Processing the appointments of the CEO and Group Management Team members, deputy arrangements and successor issues.
The Compensation Committee also handles remuneration statements in connection with the financial statements.

The Board’s Human Resource and Rewarding Committee comprises Johan Mild, Jan Mattsson and Jacob Kragh.

The Committee convened three times during the financial year. The average attendance of the Committee members was 100 per cent.

Audit Committee

According to the Charter, the key duties of the Audit Committee include:

monitoring the financial reporting and interim report processes,
supervising the financial reporting process,
monitoring the company’s financial condition,
monitoring the adequacy and effectiveness of the company’s internal control and risk management systems,
processing the description of the internal control and risk management systems related to the financial reporting process included in the Corporate Governance Statement,
monitoring the statutory audit of the financial statements and the consolidated financial statements,
observing, together with the auditors and the management of the company, the findings of the auditing carried out and the possible difficulties in carrying out the audit,
assessing the independence of the auditor or the audit firm, and in particular the provision of ancillary services to the company,
evaluating the fees charged on auditing and ancillary services and their criteria,
preparing a proposal for a decision on the election of the auditor,
assessing the compliance process with laws and regulations and respect for ethical principles in the organisation,
conducting reports on the company’s most significant legal and regulatory procedures.

The Board’s Audit Committee comprises Anni Vepsäläinen, Eero Martela and Hanna Mattila.

The Committee convened four times during the financial year. The average attendance of the Committee members was 100 per cent.

The secretary of the Board of Directors is a lawyer from the same company from where other legal services is provided to the Group. The Chairman of the Board is in direct contact with the CFO as necessary.

CEO

The Board appoints Martela Corporation’s CEO and decides on the terms and conditions of his service relationship, which are defined in a written CEO’s service contract. The CEO is responsible for the operational management and supervision of the parent company and the Group according to the guidelines set by the Board. Company CEO is Ville Taipale, born 1971, M.Sc. Tech., owns 47,934 Martela Oyj A shares.

Group Management Team

The Board of Directors and the CEO appoints the members of the Group Management Team. The CEO of Martela Corporation acts as the Chairman of the Group Management Team. The directors responsible for the units and processes are also represented in the Group Management Team. The Group Management Team drafts and reviews strategies, budgets and investment proposals and monitors the financial situation of the Group and its business areas and processes and the attainment of operational targets and plans. The Group Management Team meets once a month.

Group Management Team consisted of following members led by Group CEO:

Kimmo Hakkala responsible for Sales & Marketing unit (owns 11,538 Martela Oyj A shares)
Kalle Sulkanen responsible for Operations unit (owns 13,555 Martela Oyj A shares)
Kari Leino responsible for Brand & Design unit (owns 6,544 Martela Oyj A shares)
Eeva Terävä responsible for Design Studio unit (owns 23,613 Martela Oyj A shares)
Suvi-Maarit Kario responsible for Human resources and sustainability unit (owns 1,500 Martela Oyj A shares)
Henri Berg responsible for Financial administration unit (owns 15,000 Martela Oyj A shares)

Finacial reporting of the group

Martela Corporation’s Board of Directors is provided regularly reports on the financial performance and forecasts of the Group. The reports and forecasts are also presented by the CEO and CFO at Board meetings, where they are reviewed.

The Group Management Team meets at least once a month to evaluate the financial performance, outlook and risks of the Group.

Auditing

The auditing of Group companies is carried out in accordance with the valid laws in each country and each company’s Articles of Association. The principally responsible auditor of the parent company co-ordinates the auditing of the Group’s subsidiaries together with the Group’s CEO and CFO. The auditors of Martela Corporation and the Group are the authorised public accountants Ernst & Young, with Osmo Valovirta, Authorised Public Accountant, as the principally responsible auditor. All the auditors of the Group’s companies are in the Ernst & Young chain.

Internal Control

The reliability of financial reporting is one of the principal objectives of Martela Corporation’s internal control.

The CEO is responsible for the operational management and supervision of the Group according to the guidelines set by the Board.

Martela’s strategy is updated and its targets defined on an annual basis. Strategic planning forms the basis of all planning at Martela and is carried out on a rolling basis for the forthcoming period of 2–3 years. Target setting is an internal control prerequisite because the targets of the companies, business areas, functions and supervisors are derived from Group-level targets. For each business area, specific financial and non-financial targets are set in accordance with the business plan, and their attainment is monitored regularly through comprehensive reporting to executive management, for example.

The CFO has overall responsibility for financial reporting in the Group. Reporting to executive management is carried out separately and independently of business operations.

Controllers and financial managers (controller function) are responsible for Group, company and other financial reporting. At Martela, financial reporting is carried out in compliance with guidelines, laws and regulations in a consistent manner throughout the Group. The reliability of financial reporting depends on the appropriateness and reliability of financial and reporting processes and on the control measures taken to ensure these. During recent years, the internal control has focused among others on sales, quote to cash processes, on management of working capital, on ERP-system implementation, on development of the receivables collection procedures as well as on leasing and service contract management and processes.

The CFO is responsible for the maintenance and development of reporting processes and defining and implementing control measures. Control measures include guidelines, matching, management reviews and reporting on deviations. The CFO monitors compliance with defined processes and controls. He also monitors the reliability of financial reporting.

The Board of Directors approves Martela’s strategy and annual operating plans. It also approves the principles and rules of risk management, and monitors on a regular basis the effectiveness and sufficiency of the internal control and risk management. Furthermore, the Board is responsible for the internal control of the financial reporting process.

Auditors and other external controllers assess the control measures in terms of the reliability of financial reporting.

Risk Management and Internal Audit

Martela’s Board of Directors has confirmed the principles of risk management. The purpose of risk management is to identify, monitor and manage risks that could pose a threat to business and to the achievement of business objectives. Group management has supreme operational responsibility for risk management policy.

In the Group, risks are analysed and decisions are made to manage these risks as a part of the regular monitoring carried out by the Board and the management teams as described above. Risks are also evaluated when planning and making decisions on significant projects and investments. Risk management is integrated with the strategy process as a separate stage of analysis and as part of the process of drawing up annual action plans. There is no separate risk management organisation, but the associated responsibilities are assigned in line with the rest of the business operations and organisation. The company’s Board of Directors has included an annual review of risk management in its schedule of work.

Taking into consideration the nature and scope of Martela’s business, the company has not considered it appropriate to form a separate internal audit function. The internal control is carried out in the form of controls in business processes, and the company will either make its own or, if necessary, conduct separate internal audit reports with external experts.

Risks

In accordance with Martela’s risk management model, risks are classified and prepared for in different ways. The manufacture of Martela’s products is largely based on the company performing the final assembly and using subcontractors for components. Production control is based on orders placed by customers, which means that there is no need for any large-scale warehousing. Risks of damage are covered by appropriate insurance policies, and these provide comprehensive coverage for property, business interruption, supplier interruption loss and loss liability risks. Martela uses the services of an external insurance broker to manage insurance matters. The services of an external partner are also used in legal matters. The responsibility perspectives regarding the supply chain are discussed as part of the annual responsibility report. Finance risks are discussed in the notes to the financial statements.

Management remuneration, benefits and incentive plans

Information on management remuneration and the impact on the result for the financial year can be found in the notes to the financial statements and in the remuneration report, which can be found on the company's website.

Principles regarding related party transactions

Martela Oyj follows the recommendations of the Corporate Governance Code 2020 issued by the Securities Market Association. The Company's related party transactions policy is adopted by the board of directors that also has the monitoring and supervision responsibility regarding related party transactions.

The up-to-datedness of the related party list is monitored at least on an annual basis. The Chief Financial Officer of the Company is responsible for determining the related parties of the Company and maintaining the related party list.

Insider administration

Martela complies with the Guidelines for Insiders issued by Nasdaq Helsinki Ltd. In addition, Martela’s Board of Directors has confirmed specific insider guidelines for the company to complement Nasdaq Helsinki Ltd’s Guidelines for Insiders.

The company has defined as permanent insiders persons who work at Martela Group and who have access to all inside information concerning Martela due to their position or task. The information in the permanent insider list is not public. In addition to the permanent insider list, non-public project-specific insider lists shall be established, if necessary, as defined in Nasdaq Helsinki Ltd’s Guidelines for Insiders. Permanent insiders are not entered into the project-specific insider lists.

The persons discharging managerial responsibilities, other permanent insiders and persons participating in preparing of financial reports of the company must not trade in Martela’s financial instruments prior to the publication of an interim report and financial statement release of the company. The length of the closed period is 30 days at Martela.

Martela discloses inside information that directly concerns Martela or its financial instrument as soon as possible, unless the conditions for delay of disclosure of inside information are met. Martela has defined an internal process in order to evaluate and disclose the inside information and to monitor and evaluate the duration and the conditions for the delay. Martela continuously monitors the situation to ensure that the conditions for the delay are met and the company has the ability to publicly disclose the information immediately in the case of a data leakage.

In accordance with MAR, Martela has an obligation to disclose transactions with Martela’s financial instruments conducted by persons discharging managerial responsibilities at the company and persons closely associated with them.

The obligation to disclose transactions applies to the following persons discharging managerial responsibilities at Martela:

Members of Martela’s Board of Directors and CEO, and
Members of Martela Group’s Management Team.

Transactions between companies in the Martela Group conducted by persons discharging managerial responsibilities at Martela and persons closely associated with them are monitored. During 2023, regarding the current management team, the CEO, VP Operations unit, VP Brand & Design unit and VP of the Design Studio unit received share rewards based on the share-based incentive plan for key employees. In 2023 there were no other material related party transactions.