Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke) has appointed Dr. John Kettle to Director for Customer Solutions and International Relations as of 1 January 2019 until the end of 2020.
Leading Luke’s sales and international development team, Kettle’s key responsibilities include promoting Luke’s offering and solutions for global sustainability challenges both in Finland and abroad. Furthermore, he will lead the development of Luke’s interdisciplinary customer offering combining the best expertise of Luke’s research programmes.
“In time of climate change, rapid population growth and biodiversity loss, there is a growing demand for the type of solutions that are at the core of what Luke does,” Kettle says. “National and global challenges, such as climate change, increase the need to look for and produce solutions to the sustainable use of renewable natural resources."
"The circular bioeconomy is an opportunity for Finland and for this purpose, we need research-based information to help businesses thrive sustainably. Luke plays a central role in producing such information. We also have a strong link to UN Sustainable Development Goals which are also on our customers’ agenda,” Kettle adds. “Being an interdisciplinary research institute, we have the opportunity to combine expertise in different fields to create added value. Now our task is to make our offering visible for potential customers and partners within as well as outside Finland.”
“John Kettle has wide experience and excellent networks in Finland and our other key markets,” says Dr. Johanna Buchert, President and CEO at Luke. “Those combined to his holistic understanding on customer needs within bioeconomy are an asset that helps us respond to global challenges together with our customers.”
John Kettle joined Luke in May 2018, and has worked as Interim Head of Sales since August 2018. Originally from the United Kingdom, his previous professional experience includes, for example, various positions in sales and business development at VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland and KCL in Finland, and SCA in Sweden.
