Andrus Durejko has been appointed as the new chief executive of Estonia energy company and renewables developer Eesti Energia.
Durejko’s appointment to the role was confirmed by the Supervisory Board of Eesti Energia.
Durejko, who is the CEO of Ericsson Estonia at present, will begin his new role on 1 April, taking over from Hando Sutter, who will step down from his role of Eesti Energia’s CEO on 31 March.
Anne Mere, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Eesti Energia, said Durejko stood out from the competition due to his “very good leadership qualities” and his management experience in a major company.
Additional strengths included his education in the energy field, Mere added.
“I am very pleased that Andrus Durejko will join the team of Eesti Energia from April.
“Andrus has an exceptionally high analytical skills, ability to anticipate and assess possible risks and notice potential.
“At the same time, Andrus is a team player who appreciates cooperation, shared values and helps others realise their potential,” Mere said.
Durejko said he is grateful for the trust and the opportunity to join the team of Eesti Energia in a time of crisis that has never been seen before in Estonia or in Europe.
“My goal as the Chairman of the Management board of Eesti Energia will be to continue implementing the ambitious strategy and to successfully lead the company through the energy crisis and the upcoming changes.
“It is clear that the energy sector is facing major changes.
“To cope with them, it is important to introduce new technologies, accelerate digitalisation, build new production units and reduce the carbon footprint. This is a tremendous challenge,” Durejko said.
He added: “I am convinced that my knowledge and experience in change management from Ericsson will also help to cope with the challenges at Eesti Energia.”
Estonian Minister of Finance Annely Akkermann praised the supervisory board for a good choice and noted that as the representative of Eesti Energia’s general meeting, she expected the new CEO to continue to invest in the growth of renewable energy production and increasingly transform the company from an oil shale electricity producer to a carbon-neutral energy and chemical industry.
“One of the main challenges will definitely be the question of how to reduce Eesti Energia’s CO₂ footprint and find a balance between different types of energy,” Akkermann said.
Andrus Durejko has been Chairman of the Management Board of Ericsson Eesti since 2018.
Before that he worked in various positions at Ericsson, the provider of mobile communication solutions and equipment, including as a member of the board of Ericsson Eesti in the field of technology and as the regional director of Ericsson Ukraine Mobile Core Networks.
Durejko’s term of office will be three years.