{{short description|Finnish business executive (born 1954)}} {{Use British English|date=December 2022}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2023}} {{Infobox person | honorific_prefix = {{Lang|fi|Vuorineuvos}} | name = Maarit Toivanen | image = | alt = | caption = | birth_name = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1954|12|27|df=yes}} | birth_place = Helsinki, Finland | death_date = | death_place = | nationality = | parents = Erkki J. Toivanen (father), Anja {{nee}} Auriala (mother) | spouse = | other_names = | occupation = Business executive | years_active = | known_for = | notable_works = }}
'''Maarit Toivanen''' (previously '''Toivanen-Koivisto''';<ref name="il" /> born 27 December 1954) is a Finnish business executive and investor, notable for being only the second woman to receive Finland's highest civilian honorary title of {{Lang|fi|vuorineuvos}}.<ref>{{cite news |title=Presidentti myönsi 116 arvonimeä |url=https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-5839235 |access-date=9 January 2021 |publisher=Yle |date=12 June 2008 |language=fi}}</ref>
==Early life and education== Maarit Toivanen was born in Helsinki as the youngest daughter of the family owning the Finnish building materials wholesaler {{ill|Onninen|fi}}, which had been set up in 1913 by her great-grandfather, Alfred Onninen.<ref name="kb">{{cite web |title=Vuorineuvos Maarit Toivanen-Koivisto (1954–) |url=https://kansallisbiografia.fi/talousvaikuttajat/henkilo/3691 |website=Kansallisbiografia.fi |publisher=National Biography of Finland |access-date=9 January 2021 |language=fi}}</ref><ref name="hams" />
She was raised in the upmarket Ullanlinna district of Helsinki, and was privately educated, graduating from the {{Lang|fi|Mannerheimintien Yhteiskoulu}} secondary school in 1973.<ref name="kb" />
Following some post-secondary business studies in Finland, Toivanen went on to study economics and finance at Uppsala University in Sweden, graduating in 1978.<ref name="kb" />
==Business career== After her studies, Toivanen joined the family business, and over the years worked in various functions including sales, purchasing, product management, quality and finance.<ref name="kb" />
Following the death in 2000 of her father, Erkki J. Toivanen, who had run the business for 35 years, Maarit Toivanen took on the role of Chairperson of Onninen, as well as CEO of its parent group {{ill|Onvest|fi}}.<ref name="kb" /><ref>{{cite news |title=Perinnöksi vastuullinen omistajuus |url=https://www.ts.fi/viihde/1074015494 |access-date=9 January 2021 |publisher=Turun Sanomat |date=27 December 2004 |language=fi}}</ref> She represented the fourth generation of her family to run the business, and continued to do so until the sale of most of the group operations to Kesko in 2016 for a reported EUR 369 million.<ref name="hams">{{cite news |title=Perheyritys Onninen menee Keskolle |url=https://www.hameensanomat.fi/kanta-hame/perheyritys-onninen-menee-keskolle-165032/ |access-date=9 January 2021 |publisher=Hämeen Sanomat |date=12 January 2016 |language=fi}}</ref>
In addition to the family business, Toivanen has served in Board roles at several notable Finnish listed companies, including Neste, Itella and Rautaruukki, as well as in a number of cultural and civic organisations such as Sibelius Academy and Alvar Aalto Museum.<ref name="kb" />
==Honours== In 2008, Toivanen was granted the honorary title of {{Lang|fi|vuorineuvos}} by President Tarja Halonen.<ref name="kb" /> She was only the second woman in Finnish history to receive the honour.<ref name="il" />
In 2011, she was conferred an honorary doctorate in economic sciences by Aalto University.<ref>{{cite web |title=Honorary doctors 1934-2019 |url=https://www.aalto.fi/en/ceremony-week/honorary-doctors-1934-2019 |website=Aalto.fi |publisher=Aalto University |access-date=9 January 2021}}</ref>
==Controversies== Toivanen caused controversy in 2014, when she announced that she would be moving her and her family's tax domicile to Portugal the following year, in preparation for the impending company sale, in order to avoid Finland's 20% inheritance tax which she considered too high.<ref name="il" /><ref>{{cite news |title=Former CEOs retire to Portugal |url=https://www.helsinkitimes.fi/finland/finland-news/domestic/13473-former-ceos-retire-in-portugal.html?ref=nl-hs-aamu |access-date=9 January 2021 |publisher=Helsinki Times |date=31 July 2015}}</ref> She returned to Finland in 2018.<ref name="il" /><ref>{{cite news |title=Verottaja ei mahda mitään Portugalin veropakolaisille 0 6 |url=https://www.apu.fi/artikkelit/verottaja-ei-mahda-mitaan-portugalin-veropakolaisille |access-date=9 January 2021 |publisher=Apu |date=25 September 2015 |language=fi}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Onvestin Toivanen-Koivisto pakenee perintöveroa Portugaliin |url=https://www.is.fi/taloussanomat/oma-raha/art-2000001860647.html |access-date=9 January 2021 |publisher=Taloussanomat |date=23 December 2014 |language=fi}}</ref>
In May 2019, Toivanen was issued with a EUR 74,000 speeding ticket, for driving at {{convert|112|kph}} in an {{convert|80|kph}} speed limit area.<ref name="il">{{cite news |title=Portugaliin veroja paennut vuorineuvos Maarit Toivanen kaahasi 74 000 euron sakot: "Ylinopeus tietysti harmittaa" |url=https://www.iltalehti.fi/kotimaa/a/1b50cc79-62f6-4857-8bd7-6d923af83f66 |access-date=9 January 2021 |publisher=Iltalehti |date=30 July 2019 |language=fi}}</ref> The large amount is due to the Finnish 'day-fine' system whereby speeding tickets are not fixed, but depend instead on the offender's income.<ref>{{cite news |title=Speeding in Finland Can Cost a Fortune, if You Already Have One |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/26/world/europe/speeding-in-finland-can-cost-a-fortune-if-you-already-have-one.html |access-date=9 January 2021 |work=New York Times |date=25 April 2015}}</ref>
==Personal life== Maarit Toivanen has been married twice. She has two children from her first marriage. From her second marriage, to Ilkka Koivisto (m. 1994<ref name="kb" /> — div. 2017<ref name="il" />), she also has two children, as well as two step-children from Koivisto's earlier marriage.<ref name="sk">{{cite news |title=Maarit Toivanen-Koivisto: "Yritysjohtajien palkat ovat nousseet liian nopeasti" |url=https://suomenkuvalehti.fi/jutut/kotimaa/maarit-toivanen-koivisto-yritysjohtajien-palkat-ovat-nousseet-liian-nopeasti/ |access-date=9 January 2021 |publisher=Suomen Kuvalehti |date=4 September 2013 |language=fi}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{Portal bar|Biography|Business|Finland}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Toivanen, Maarit}} Category:1954 births Category:Living people Category:Finnish business executives Category:Finnish chief executives Category:Women business executives Category:Businesspeople from Helsinki Category:Uppsala University alumni Category:Finnish investors Category:Women investors Category:Finnish expatriates in Portugal