Change of Managing Director at MP-Maustepalvelu Oy

MP-Maustepalvelu Oy’s long-serving Managing Director, Mikko Salonen, will step down from his position on 7 September 2026. Anne Luhtala-Deimel has been appointed as his successor.

Salonen has been instrumental in the development of Maustepalvelu for more than 30 years and has served as Managing Director since 2010. Under his leadership, the company has grown into Finland’s leading food ingredients specialist and a professional supplier of functional and taste blends for the food industry.

Since Barentz acquired Maustepalvelu in 2014, the company’s turnover has nearly doubled. During Salonen’s tenure, Maustepalvelu also completed a major modernization of its production processes, warehouse operations, and office facilities. These investments have strengthened the company’s ability to meet the high quality standards and evolving requirements of today’s food industry.

To ensure a smooth leadership transition, Salonen will support Luhtala-Deimel’s onboarding through the end of 2026. Following this period, he will continue to contribute to selected special projects until summer 2027.

Luhtala-Deimel brings extensive leadership experience from the Finnish food and agricultural sectors. Since 2019, she has led Lantmännen’s agro business, overseeing sales, a large sales management organization, research and development activities, and close collaboration with production operations. Her responsibilities have also included an agro retail chain and e-commerce operations.

Prior to joining Lantmännen, Luhtala-Deimel held positions at Polarica and Atria, where she gained broad experience in the food industry.

With this appointment, Maustepalvelu continues to build on its strong foundation while pursuing further growth and new market opportunities. The company’s customer-focused approach remains a central part of its strategy as it enters the next phase of development.