I went to annual meeting of Nokia and then left the place. Something happened between those two events. Nothing dramatical, but I’m a quick learner and immediately learned two things. It was worth visiting.

I don’t usually spend my time at annual meetings because I find them quite boring. This time I made an exception. It was Nokia’s annual meeting and the farewell of Jorma Ollila. I don’t have much Finnish business leaders I admirer, but Jorma Ollila is definitely one I admirer among with Lasse Kurkilahti, the former CEO and President of Kemira Oyj and Jouko Karvinen, the current CEO and President of Stora Enso Oyj.

The annual meeting was held at Helsinki convention center which I arrived strategically just 15 minutes before the show time. I found my way to the Amfi hall and noticed that there was plenty of free seats right in front of the stage. I smiled while I thought how lucky I was and how stupid the other people were not get to the front where the show happens. As I approached the free seats, I soon realized that they were flagged. “Only V.I.P.’s”. Great, maybe I should find myself to annual meeting more often to learn the code of conduct of annual meetings.

Quietly I moved backwards and started to climb the stairs of the Amfi hall. I thought I’d find my seat after walking few stairs up. I couldn’t get any wrong. The only free seat I could find was at the top row of seats. I would not have got further away from Mr. Ollila or Mr. Elop. What a pity!

As I assumed, Mr. Ollila kept a speech. It was a great speech. But so was Mr. Elop’s speech too. I’m not sure what they teach in schools in United States but it seems that every business leader they produce is a great performer on the stage.

I quickly noticed that the most of the audience was elderly people who we’re quite pissed off of Mr. Elop’s occurrence as CEO. This was proven when it was time for shareholders to start ask questions from Mr. Elop. I felt pity for Mr. Elop. He had to listen ridiculous speeches and accusations and spend his valuable time with some idiots. I read afterwards that the annual meeting had lasted awfully many hours after I left.

After hearing the fifth shareholder speech, it was my time to leave the annual meeting. I couldn’t stand it anymore. Another reason was that I also had to pick up daughter from day care. The trip to Nokia’s annual meeting taught me two things. First, never attend to annual meetings after a bad year so that you don’t have to listen all the whining from the shareholders, and second, never accept position of President and CEO of Nokia so that you don’t have to listen all the whining from the shareholders :).