Story Summary
JYP have announced that Ville Harvia will become the Liiga club’s new chief executive on 1 February 2027. The 40-year-old succeeds Risto Korpela, who has led the Jyväskylä organisation since May 2019.
Korpela, 63, will not leave JYP entirely. He will remain with the organisation as a senior adviser on an open-ended contract, giving Harvia support through and beyond the leadership transition.
Harvia will join JYP at the beginning of December, initially taking responsibility for the club’s sales and marketing operations. He arrives from sauna-stove manufacturer Harvia, where he worked as a key account manager and was responsible for Finnish sauna-stove sales.
Key Facts
- Ville Harvia will begin as JYP’s chief executive on 1 February 2027.
- Harvia will succeed Risto Korpela, who has led JYP since May 2019.
- Korpela will remain with JYP as a senior adviser on an open-ended contract.
- Harvia will start work at JYP at the beginning of December and will lead the club’s sales and marketing operations.
- Before joining JYP, Harvia worked as a key account manager at Harvia and oversaw the company’s sauna-stove sales in Finland.
- Harvia has served on the board of JYP Jyväskylä Oy for the past couple of years and is vice-chairman of JYP Juniorit ry.
- JYP chairman Jukka Seppänen said the planned transition will give Harvia time to learn the role and benefit from Korpela’s support.
IHM Discussion
This is a planned succession rather than an abrupt departure. JYP have set out a long runway, with Harvia entering the organisation in December before formally taking over as chief executive in February, while Korpela remains available in an advisory role.
That arrangement also gives Harvia a familiar starting point. His existing board involvement with JYP Jyväskylä Oy and vice-chairmanship at JYP Juniorit ry mean he already knows parts of the organisation, even as he moves into its senior executive position.
Harvia said he could not pass up the chance to lead a club of JYP’s stature. He also pointed to his commercial background, saying his experience of building customer relationships and sales would be brought into the organisation at an important point around the completion of the new Hippos arena.
Why It Matters
The change comes ahead of the full-scale use of JYP’s new Hippos arena, a significant point for the club’s commercial and organisational work. Harvia’s early responsibility for sales and marketing places his first months in the role close to that transition.
For JYP, retaining Korpela as a senior adviser means the incoming chief executive will have access to both documented information and the organisation’s accumulated internal knowledge. Seppänen said the structure was designed to give Harvia sufficient time to prepare for the job while receiving continued help from his predecessor.
Mini Q&A
When will Ville Harvia become JYP’s chief executive?
Harvia is scheduled to become JYP’s chief executive on 1 February 2027.
What will Risto Korpela do after stepping down as chief executive?
Korpela will remain in the JYP organisation as a senior adviser on an open-ended contract.
What role will Harvia have before his formal appointment?
Harvia will join JYP at the beginning of December and lead the club’s sales and marketing operations.
Coach Mark Comment
The order of the handover is sensible. Harvia takes on sales and marketing in December, then moves into the chief executive’s office in February, rather than being asked to absorb every part of JYP at once. With the new Hippos arena approaching full use, those early commercial months should help him understand the work that will be waiting when the formal change arrives. Korpela staying on as senior adviser gives the transition a practical bridge rather than a ceremonial farewell.
What Comes Next
Harvia is due to begin work with JYP at the beginning of December, when he will assume responsibility for sales and marketing. He is then scheduled to become chief executive on 1 February 2027, with Korpela continuing as a senior adviser.
IHM Final View
JYP have chosen continuity alongside change. Harvia brings commercial experience and existing links to the organisation, while Korpela’s advisory role is intended to preserve experience through a major executive transition. The first clear milestones will come with Harvia’s December arrival and his formal appointment in February.