Konecranes will lose the president of its Port Solutions business area at the end of March 2027, when Tomas Myntti retires after 18 years with the Finnish crane manufacturer. The company has started the succession process immediately, leaving roughly six months to name a new leader for one of its core businesses.

The announcement lands days after Konecranes raised its long-term financial targets and set out an accelerated growth strategy. The group now targets a 7% compound annual growth rate in net sales and a comparable EBITA margin of 15%-17% by 2030. It also unveiled a new climate ambition: cutting absolute greenhouse gas emissions by 90% by 2050.

The timing puts the incoming Port Solutions president in charge of delivering a materially more ambitious plan than the one Myntti inherited. Whoever takes the seat will steer the unit through port automation demand, decarbonisation-driven equipment replacement cycles and the pressure on European and Asian terminal operators to renew ageing crane fleets.

Myntti framed his departure as a business left in strong shape.

"After 18 rewarding years with Konecranes, and a fulfilling career overall, I feel the time is right to focus on other important aspects of life, especially my loved ones and personal interests. I am proud of what we have achieved together at Konecranes, from strengthening commercial excellence and customer focus to driving strategic development and major transformation initiatives across the business. Konecranes Port Solutions is in a strong position, with a clear strategy, strong momentum and, most importantly, a highly capable team. I am confident the business is well positioned to capture the next wave of growth and continue delivering success for customers around the world," Myntti said.

Konecranes President and CEO Marko Tulokas credited Myntti with nearly two decades of contribution across multiple businesses within the company.

"On behalf of everyone at Konecranes, I would like to thank Tomas for his outstanding contribution over a distinguished career spanning nearly two decades and multiple businesses across the company. He has played an important role in driving growth, strengthening customer focus and developing our organisation, while leaving a lasting impact on the people and teams he has worked with," Tulokas said.

He added a personal note. "I have worked closely with him throughout my career, and we have navigated through some of the most exciting and pivotal moments of Konecranes. While we would naturally have liked to keep him with us a little longer, I fully understand and respect his decision to dedicate more time to family and other interests. He leaves behind a strong legacy, an even stronger team and a Port Solutions business that is well positioned for continued success."

For port customers and terminal operators, the immediate commercial impact should be limited. Myntti stays in post until the end of March 2027, and Konecranes has given itself a six-month window to complete the handover, reducing the risk of a leadership vacuum in a business that sells long-lead-time equipment such as ship-to-shore cranes and automated yard systems.

The change still carries weight for the competitive picture in port machinery. Konecranes competes head-to-head with China's ZPMC and peers such as Liebherr and Liebherr-competitor Kalmar in container handling equipment. A new president will decide how aggressively Port Solutions pursues the upgraded group targets, including whether to deepen investment in electric and low-emission crane technology under the new 90% emissions-reduction commitment.

The succession search begins against a backdrop of raised investor expectations. The upgraded targets, announced alongside the leadership change, signal that Konecranes' board expects faster growth from every business area through 2030, and Port Solutions, as the unit closest to global container trade flows, will carry a large share of that burden.

With six months to find a successor and a retirement date fixed at the end of March 2027, Konecranes has bought itself an orderly transition; the market will now watch whether the next president can sustain the momentum Myntti claims the business carries into the 2030 target horizon.