Vuorineuvos ("mining counselor", literally

Finnish Finnish may refer to: * Something or someone from, or related to Finland * Culture of Finland * Finnish people or Finns, the primary ethnic group in Finland * Finnish language, the national language of the Finnish people * Finnish cuisine See also ...

for "mountain counselor"; sv, bergsråd) is a

honorary title A title is one or more words used before or after a person's name, in certain contexts. It may signify either generation, an official position, or a professional or academic qualification. In some languages, titles may be inserted between the f ...

granted by the President of Finland to leading figures in industry and commerce. The title is honorary and has no responsibilities and no privileges. All Finnish titles are non-hereditary. The only title of equal rank is '' valtioneuvos''.

Origin and history

The vuorineuvos title originated in late 18th-century Sweden when mining played a major role in the economy, including in Swedish-held Finland. During that era five Finns were awarded the title. From 1809 to 1917 in the semi-autonomous, Russian-ruled

Grand Duchy of Finland The Grand Duchy of Finland ( fi, Suomen suuriruhtinaskunta; sv, Storfurstendömet Finland; russian: Великое княжество Финляндское, , all of which literally translate as Grand Principality of Finland) was the predecess ...

a further 19 titles were awarded. The first recipient of the vuorineuvos title in the modern Republic of Finland was Baron Fridolf Hisinger, on 17 July 1918. Awarding of the title has evolved to include not only giants of the mining industry but distinguished leaders in other industries and commerce. By 2010, the title had been granted to 295 people. Honorees are usually

chief executive officer A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especial ...

s or

chairmen of the board Chairmen of the Board is an American-Canadian, Detroit, Michigan-based soul music group, who saw their greatest commercial success in the 1970s. Recording career General Johnson (1941–2010) had a hit as the lead singer of The Showmen in th ...

of major corporations. As of 2008, the title had been held by only two women: Irja Ketonen (1980), the principal owner and CEO of Turun Sanomat; and

Maarit Toivanen Maarit Toivanen (previously Toivanen-Koivisto; b. 27 December 1954, Helsinki) is a Finnish business executive and investor, notable for being only the second woman to receive Finland's highest civilian honorary title of '' Vuorineuvos''. Early ...

(2008), then the CEO and Chair of .

High taxation of the title

The persons proposing that the honorary vuorineuvos title be conferred on someone are required to pay to the Finnish government a stamp duty. (48,400 euros in 2007). The kauppaneuvos title dating back to the same era, by comparison, is taxed at the rate of 33,300 euros.

Rejection of the title by notable would-be honorees

Antti Ahlström, the founder of Ahlstrom;

Jorma Ollila Jorma Jaakko Ollila CBE (born 15 August 1950) is a Finnish businessman who was chairman of Royal Dutch Shell from 1 June 2006 to May 2015, and at Nokia Corporation chairman from 1999 to 2012 and CEO from 1992 to 2006. He has been a director of ...

, the former CEO of

Nokia Nokia Corporation (natively Nokia Oyj, referred to as Nokia) is a Finnish multinational telecommunications, information technology, and consumer electronics corporation, established in 1865. Nokia's main headquarters are in Espoo, Finland, i ...

; and Pekka Herlin of KONE have refused the title out of personal preference.

Translation advisory from the translation service of the Finnish prime minister's office

According to the translation service of the Finnish prime minister's office, there is no official or established English translation for the vuorineuvos title. If it cannot be left out, the prime minister's office advises it best be used untranslated as "the Finnish honorary title of vuorineuvos". In cases in which translators are not able to convince their customers that it is best left out or at least untranslated, the prime minister's office further directs, customers can usually be persuaded to accept the paraphrase "the highly respected industrialist X". Otherwise, a possible translation that does not ridicule the title holder would be "senior industrialist X", but this still conveys a very incorrect picture of Finnish society. "X, senior industrialist" would be a bit better.

List of notable persons with the title

Emil Aaltonen Emil Aaltonen ( Widell until 1890; b. 29 August 1869 — d. 16 December 1949) was a prominent Finnish industrialist and philanthropist, who went from humble beginnings to own and run the largest shoe manufacturing business of its time in the ...

* Edvin Bergroth *

Casimir Ehrnrooth Göran Albert Casimir "Casse" Ehrnrooth, titled ''Vuorineuvos'' (April 6, 1931 – July 8, 2015), was a Finnish magnate and former chairman of the Nokia Corporation. His business career began in the forest industry, and later he was a director of ...

Georg Ehrnrooth Georg Johan Casimir Ehrnrooth (born 16 January 1966) is a Finnish investor, the major owner with his brothers of Finnish HEX exchange stock companies EQ Bank, YIT and Pöyry. Family Father Casimir Ehrnrooth (1931–2015) held possessions in ba ...

* Göran Ehrnrooth * Adolf Engström * Erik Gillberg * Berndt Grönblom * Juhani Heinonen *

Heikki H. Herlin Heikki Hugo Herlin (7 February 1901 — 21 August 1989) was a Finland, Finnish engineer, industrialist and vuorineuvos. Herlin gained experience by studying and working abroad, before he inherited his father's position as manager of the Elevator ...

* Stig H. Hästö * Jaakko Ihamuotila * Albert Lindsay von Julin * Johan Albert von Julin * Kari Kairamo * Irja Ketonen * Lauri Kivekäs *

Bertel Långhjelm Curt Bertel Casimir Långhjelm (4 June 1903 – 16 February 1987) was a Finnish engineer, businessman and vuorineuvos. Långhjelm was born in Helsinki. He graduated as MSc in Electrical Engineering in Helsinki University of Technology in 1926 ...

* Robert Lavonius * William Lehtinen * Tauno Matomäki * Tor Nessling * Uolevi Raade * Martin Saarikangas * Wilhelm Schauman * Allan Staffans * Julius Stjernvall * Tor Stolpe * Karl Söderman * Uuno Takki *

* Yrjö Vesa * Simo Vuorilehto * Wilhelm Wahlforss * Juuso Walden *

Verner Weckman Johan Verner Weckman (26 July 1882 – 22 February 1968) was a wrestler, who is the first Finnish Olympic gold medalist. Wrestling He was inspired to take up wrestling at the age of 15. He joined the club Helsingfors Gymnastikklubben in 1902, ...

* Björn Westerlund

References

{{Reflist Honorary titles Finnish culture