William Lehtinen

Lehtinen graduated from secondary school in 1916. He obtained a degree in forestry management from the University of Helsinki in 1923,{{cite web |title=Greta & William Lehtisen Rahasto |url=https://apurahat.skr.fi/nimikkorahastot/nimikkorahastoesite?numero=283630 |website=SKR.fi |publisher=Suomen Kulttuurirahasto - Finnish Cultural Foundation |access-date=17 May 2021 |language=fi |format=PDF}} followed by postgraduate studies at Yale University, from where he graduated with a Master of Forestry in 1926. Afterwards he undertook a year's research placement at the Forest Products Laboratory in Madison, WI.

After completing his studies in the USA, Lehtinen served as a Commercial Attaché at the Consulate-General of Finland in New York City.

He started at Enso-Gutzeit in sales and management roles in 1930, was appointed to the Board of Directors in 1935, and eventually ascending to the Chief Executive and Chairman's position in 1945.{{cite web |title=Lehtinen, William |url=http://blf.fi/artikel.php?ref=sok&id=1554 |website=BLF.fi |publisher=Bibliografiska Lexikon för Finland |access-date=17 May 2021 |language=sv}}{{cite web |title=Lehtinen, William |url=https://uppslagsverket.fi/sv/sok/view-170045-LehtinenWilliam |website=Uppslagsverket.fi |access-date=17 May 2021 |language=sv}}

The company's original production facilities had been located in and near the town of Enso, in eastern Finland. Following the ceding of much of Finnish Karelia to the Soviet Union at the end of the Continuation War, these facilities were lost, and the company had to invest heavily to rebuild its production capacity from scratch.{{cite web |title=Lehtinen, William |url=http://blf.fi/artikel.php?ref=sok&id=1554 |website=BLF.fi |publisher=Bibliografiska Lexikon för Finland |access-date=17 May 2021 |language=sv}} Lehtinen embarked on such an ambitious investment programme, that within seven years the pre-war production figures were exceeded, and by the time he retired a decade later in 1962, Enso-Gutzeit had grown to be the largest manufacturer of paperboard in Europe, with sizeable presence also in other segments of the forestry and paper industries. Lehtinen oversaw the building and commissioning of a total of eight new paper and paperboard factories.

File:Stora Enso headquarters.jpg

Lehtinen also started Enso-Gutzeit's shipping operations in 1947. This was initially done in order to boost the company's own export capabilities, but in time the activity grew into a sizeable business in its own right, which operates still today under its Finnlines brand, since 2016 as part of the Italian Grimaldi Group.{{cite news |title=How Finnlines is making its ferries fit for the future |url=https://www.cruiseandferry.net/articles/how-finnlines-is-making-its-ferries-fit-for-the-future |access-date=17 May 2021 |work=Cruise & Ferry |date=16 July 2018}}

During his tenure, the company built its opulent and controversial headquarters, designed by Lehtinen's friend, architect Alvar Aalto, completed in 1962 and situated in central Helsinki in a prominent position across the street from the Presidential Palace.{{cite web |title=Enso-Gutzeit Co. Headquarters |url=https://visit.alvaraalto.fi/en/destinations/enso-gutzeit-co-headquarters/ |website=AlvarAalto.fi |publisher=Alvar Aalto Foundation |access-date=17 May 2021}}

Lehtinen also served in Board roles at various Finnish business and forestry trade associations and other similar organisations.

Lehtinen was awarded the honorary title of Vuorineuvos in 1946.

In 1947, he was appointed Chairman of the local organising committee for the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki.

In 1958, an Honorary Doctorate in agriculture and forestry science was conferred on Lehtinen.

The nickname 'William', by which Unto Lehtinen was known for most of his life, dates back to his time in the USA, where he spent a total of eight years during the 1920s.

Lehtinen was married to the textile artist Greta Skogster, and they had one son.{{cite book |title=Kuka Kukin On (Who's Who) |date=1954 |publisher=Otava |location=Helsinki |page=461 |url=https://runeberg.org/kuka/1954/0461.html |access-date=17 May 2021 |language=fi}}

They were both active patrons of art, as well as notable collectors.{{cite web |title=CEO William Lehtinen (1895–1975) |url=https://gretajawilliamlehtinen.fi/en/ceo-william-lehtinen-1895-1975/ |publisher=Greta & William Lehtinen Foundation |access-date=17 May 2021}}

In 1964, the couple set up a charitable foundation in their name, with the aim of promoting international relations in the artistic and scientific spheres.{{cite web |title=Greta & William Lehtisen Rahasto |url=https://apurahat.skr.fi/nimikkorahastot/nimikkorahastoesite?numero=283630 |website=SKR.fi |publisher=Suomen Kulttuurirahasto - Finnish Cultural Foundation |access-date=17 May 2021 |language=fi |format=PDF}} They wanted to convert their home in the Kuusisaari district of Helsinki into an art museum, but were not successful in obtaining planning permission; they also planned to renovate a medieval Italian castle and operate it as an artists' residence, but that plan did not materialise, either. However, in 2020, the Lehtinen Foundation finally succeeded in opening an artists' residence in Helsinki.{{cite web |title=Artists Residence |url=https://gretajawilliamlehtinen.fi/en/artists-residence/ |publisher=Greta & William Lehtinen Foundation |access-date=18 May 2021}}

{{reflist}}

• [https://gretajawilliamlehtinen.fi/en/foundation/ Official website of Greta & William Lehtinen Foundation]

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Category:Finnish business executives

Category:Finnish businesspeople in shipping

Category:20th-century Finnish businesspeople

Category:Finnish foresters

Category:University of Helsinki alumni

Category:Yale University alumni

Category:People from Turku

Category:1895 births

Category:1975 deaths