2009-03-30 07:00:00 CEST

2009-03-30 07:00:10 CEST


REGULATED INFORMATION

Pohjola Pankki Oyj - Company Announcement

Decisions by Organising Meeting of Pohjola's Board of Directors


Pohjola Bank plc                                                                
COMPANY RELEASE, Release Category: Stock Exchange Release                       
30 March 2009, 8.00 am Finnish time (GMT+3)                                     


Decisions by Organising Meeting of Pohjola's Board of Directors                 

At its organising meeting on 27 March 2009 held after the Annual General        
Meeting, the Board of Directors of Pohjola Bank plc (Pohjola) elected members to
the Board's committees.                                                         

Members of the Remuneration Committee: Executive Chairman Reijo Karhinen        
(Chairman), President Tony Vepsäläinen (Vice Chairman) and Professor Satu       
Lähteenmäki.                                                                    

Members of the Risk Management Committee: President Tony Vepsäläinen (Chairman),
Deputy Managing Director Simo Kauppi (Vice Chairman) and President and CEO      
Markku Vesterinen.                                                              

Members of the Audit Committee: Tom von Weymarn (Chairman), Managing Director   
Merja Auvinen (Vice Chairman) and President and CEO Jukka Hienonen.             

In accordance with the Articles of Association, Reijo Karhinen, Executive       
Chairman of OP-Pohjola Group and Chairman of the Executive Board of OP-Pohjola  
Group Central Cooperative, acts as the Chairman of Pohjola's Board of Directors 
and Tony Vepsäläinen, President of OP-Pohjola Group Central Cooperative and Vice
Chairman of the Executive Board of OP-Pohjola Group Central Cooperative, acts as
the Vice Chairman.                                                              

The Board of Directors has assessed the independence of its members and         
concluded that Jukka Hienonen, Satu Lähteenmäki and Tom von Weymarn are         
non-executive members independent of the company and its major shareholders.    

Based on the Board's assessment, the following members are executive members    
dependent on the company and its major shareholders: Reijo Karhinen and Tony    
Vepsäläinen who are members of the Executive Board of OP-Pohjola Group Central  
Cooperative, Pohjola's parent institution. Pohjola is the Central Cooperative's 
subsidiary.                                                                     
Furthermore, the following members are executive members dependent on the       
company: Merja Auvinen and Simo Kauppi. While the former is the Managing        
Director of Savonlinnan Osuuspankki, the latter acts as the Deputy Managing     
Director of Länsi-Suomen Osuuspankki. Both Savonlinnan Osuuspankki and          
Länsi-Suomen Osuuspankki have a significant customer relationship and           
partnership with Pohjola.                                                       

The following member is regarded as being an executive member dependent on the  
company's major shareholder: Markku Vesterinen who is Suomi Mutual's President  
and CEO. Suomi Mutual is a major shareholder of Pohjola.                        

Pohjola Bank plc                                                                

Markku Koponen                                                                  
Senior Vice President                                                           

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:                                        
Reijo Karhinen, Chairman of the Board of Directors, tel. +358 (0)10 252 4500    
Markku Koponen, Senior Vice President (Corporate Communications), tel. +358     
(0)10 252 2648                                                                  

DISTRIBUTION                                                                    
NASDAQ OMX Helsinki Ltd                                                         
London Stock Exchange                                                           
SWX Swiss Exchange                                                              
Major media