CTS Eventim’s Lippupiste announces new CEO

Finland’s largest ticketing provider, Lippupiste, has named Juhana Stenbäck as CEO.

Stenbäck will report to Alexander Ruoff, COO on the CTS Eventim management board.

His predecessor, Ari Palhamo, will step down as CEO on 31 January but will remain a member of Lippupiste’s board of directors.

Palhamo became CEO of Lippupiste in 2005. Under his leadership, the company grew to become the leader in Finland’s ticketing market. Palhamo also oversaw the 2008 acquisition of Lippupiste by CTS Eventim and remained at the head of the company for another 16 years.

Stenbäck has been part of the Lippupiste management as COO since 2020. An accomplished manager and financial expert with 14 years of experience in the ticketing business, his previous positions included roles at L’Oreal Finland and Deloitte & Touche.

Alexander Ruoff, COO, CTS Eventim says: “I’d like to thank Ari for his exceptional collaboration over the past 16 years and for our many shared successes. I’m delighted that he will be staying with us as a member of the Board of Directors. To Juhana, I say congratulations on the promotion. I’m certain that his experience and skills will allow him to successfully continue Ari’s work while also putting his own stamp on the company. I’m looking forward to continuing our collaboration and wish Juhana and his team all the very best.”

“Over the past 18 years, we have grown into a market leader in Finland”

Ari Palhamo, CEO, Lippupiste adds: “We started as an independent company, Lippupiste, in 2005. That’s when we separated from Elisa Finland. Today, we have Lippupiste employees working in four locations: Tampere, Helsinki, Turku and Lahti. Over the past 18 years, we have grown into a market leader in Finland, as a ticketing partner for cultural, sports and live entertainment events, as well as a partner for venues and arenas.

“This wouldn’t have been possible without the unwavering trust shown to us by event organisers and consumers. I’m extremely grateful for this trust. I can’t think of a better time to hand over the responsibility of Lippupiste to Juhana. He is motivated, energetic and very experienced in our industry. I have full confidence that the company will become even stronger from now on.”

Juhana Stenbäck, CEO-elect, Lippupiste: “I want to thank Ari, who has managed Lippupiste successfully for all these years. His leadership has played a significant role in shaping our company into what it is today. I’m grateful and excited for the opportunity to lead Lippupiste. Our outlook for the future is bright, and I look forward to working with our talented teams as we continue to develop and deliver innovative solutions to our promoter clients and customers.”

CTS Eventim-owned Lippupiste is Finland’s largest ticketing company. Promoters, venues and fans use its services across more than 30,000 events each year. The web platform lippu.fi is Finland’s most successful ticketing shop with over 20 million visits per year.

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