Rovio bolsters management team, appoints veteran Nokia exec Teemu Suila as its new COO

Angry Birds maker Rovio Entertainment today announced that it has appointed veteran Nokia executive Teemu Suila as its new chief operating officer (COO).

Its former COO, Harri Koponen, is moving on to a business development role at one of Rovio’s investors.

Suila has been a senior-level exec at a number of business units at Nokia and Nokia Siemens Networks since joining the Finnish phone maker in 1995. Before joining Rovio, Teemu Suila played a crucial role in developing and streamlining Nokia´s strategies and operations.

After nearly two decades, he’ll be doing much of the same at Rovio.

His appointment comes a week after Rovio announced that it was adding design giant Marimekko CEO Mika Ihamuotila, a seasoned entrepreneur and also a high-profile exec, as its fourth board-level director.

His and Suila’s appointments re-fuel rumors of an imminent Rovio IPO.

The company currently employs over 650 people in its headquarters in Espoo, Finland, and offices in Tampere, Sweden, the United States, China, South Korea and Japan.

In 2012, Rovio booked sales of €152.2 million – roughly $195 million – up from €75.6 million ($96.9 million) in revenue the year before, a 101 percent jump in other words.

The company’s net profit for the year was €55.5 million or $71 million, up from €35.4 million ($45.4 million) in 2011. That’s a 57 percent increase.

Its main revenue sources remain paid games, virtual goods and advertising, although merchandising is closing in and might even make up the bulk of Rovio’s revenue in the future.

Chatter about an upcoming IPO for the gaming and entertainment media company has been on and off since early 2011, but there’s a solid chance of Rovio to start publicly listing its stock in 2014.

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