KONE appoints Ari Lehtoranta EVP, Major Projects, and Member of the Executive Board

Ari Lehtoranta (45) has been appointed Executive Vice President responsible for Major Projects as of November 3, 2008. Ari Lehtoranta will be a Member of the Executive Board and report to Matti Alahuhta, President & CEO, KONE Corporation.

Ari Lehtoranta will succeed William Orchard, who has served as Executive Vice President since 2001, as well as in other senior management roles since the beginning of his employment with the company in 1988. Prior to his retirement on January 31, 2009, William Orchard will support Ari Lehtoranta in the transition phase.

Ari Lehtoranta joins KONE from Nokia Siemens Networks, where he worked as Head of the Radio Access Business Unit since 2005. Prior to that, he held several senior positions at Nokia since 1985. Ari Lehtoranta has a M.Sc. (Engineering) degree in electrical engineering from the Helsinki University of Technology.

“Ari Lehtoranta joins our team to continue driving growth in our Major Projects Business,” says Matti Alahuhta. “Due to the strong urbanization mega trend, there is a great opportunity for KONE to expand its business in the high-rise, retail and public transportation sectors. Ari brings along solid experience in global business, especially in developing global sales and delivery capabilities for complex projects.”

About KONE

KONE’s objective is to offer the best people flow experience by developing and delivering solutions that enable people to move smoothly, safely, comfortably and without waiting in buildings in an increasingly urbanizing environment. KONE provides its customers with industry-leading elevators, escalators and innovative solutions for modernization and maintenance, and is one of the global leaders in its industry. In 2007, KONE had annual net sales of EUR 4.1 billion and over 32,500 employees. KONE class B shares are listed on the NASDAQ OMX Helsinki Ltd in Finland.

www.kone.com

For further information, please contact:
Anne Korkiakoski, Executive Vice President, Marketing & Communications, tel. +385 (0)204 75 4775
Kerttu Tuomas, Executive Vice President, Human Resources +358 (0)204 75 4373

Sender:

KONE Corporation
Anne Korkiakoski
Executive Vice President,
Marketing & Communications

Kerttu Tuomas
Executive Vice President,
Human Resources