Finnish EV charging platform provider Virta has appointed Juhani Hintikka as its new chief executive, succeeding interim CEO Christian Girardeau, the company said in a statement.
Hintikka, a veteran of Nokia, Comptel, F-Secure and WithSecure, takes the helm as Virta expands its role in integrating EV charging with energy markets. “He has a proven track record of building technology companies in complex environments and will drive the next phase of Virta as a leading enabler for the EV charging station business and integrator of EV charging and energy markets,” the company said.
Girardeau, who took over on January 1, 2025, will return to his role as Chief Strategy Officer, in line with Virta’s original plan. “As originally intended, he will return to his role as Chief Strategy Officer,” Virta wrote.
Hintikka said he is joining the company at a turning point for e-mobility. “I am delighted to join Virta during a period of major transformation in the e-mobility space, as energy optimization and VPPs (Virtual Power Plants) play an increasingly strategic role for the industry and Virta’s customers,” he said.
Chairwoman of the Board Kirsi Komi welcomed the appointment. “I have strong confidence in Virta’s future growth under Juhani’s leadership,” she said. “I would like to warmly welcome him to the company and to thank Christian for his strong contributions as the interim CEO.”
Virta, based in Helsinki, provides full-service charging network management. Its platform supports over 450 charging point models and is used by more than 1,000 customers operating 120,000 charging points across 36 countries.