Ahola Transport CEO Åke Nyblom named Naantali’s Unikeko

Åke Nyblom, CEO of Ahola Transport, was named this year’s Unikeko in Naantali and received the traditional ceremonial dunk in the city’s guest harbor early Monday, reports Yle.

Nyblom, originally from Kokkola, moved to Naantali in 1997 and has lived in the Viluluoto area near the city center since 1999. He began his career at Ahola Transport in 1995, working in roles including workshop mechanic, special transport, forklift operator, dispatch, and maintenance supervisor. He became Naantali’s Fleet and Site Manager in 2010, Business Director in 2017, and has served as CEO since 2022.

Ahola Transport, part of the Ahola Group employing around 700 people, specializes in international industrial and commercial transport, primarily in the Nordics, Baltics, and Central and Eastern Europe. The company operates about 500 vehicles, 96% of which meet the lowest emission standards, with a growing number of electric vehicles.

Nyblom emphasizes fact-based decision-making, flat organizational structures, and leadership by example. He built his expertise through practical work, supplemented by training in traffic control, safety advisory, freight transport entrepreneurship, and an EMBA degree completed in 2023.

Married with four children, his family has also served as a crisis and foster family. His hobbies include fitness, woodworking, and golf.

Naantali’s Unikeko tradition, revived in the 1950s, originally involved waking late sleepers with noise or thistles. The day’s celebrations now include a morning parade.