Irja Ketonen

In 1981, Ketonen stepped back from the day-to-day running of the newspaper, and instead took on the role of President of the wider TS-Yhtymä [fi] media group, which owns Turun Sanomat as well as many other media, printing, logistics and other businesses.

In 1980, she was granted by President Urho Kekkonen the honorary Finnish title of Vuorineuvos, as the first woman to receive the honour.

In 1979, Ketonen was chosen by the Federation of Finnish Enterprises (Suomen Yrittäjät [fi]) as their 'Entrepreneur of the Year'.

Upon her husband's death, and as stipulated in his will, Irja Ketonen assumed management control of the Turun Sanomat operations, at first only temporarily, due to strong resistance by the company's board, and with many doubting her ability to run the business due to her young age and lack of business experience, but nevertheless she returned and remained on permanent full-time basis from 1955.

In 1945, Arvo Ketonen became ill, and eventually passed away in 1948, leaving his widow to look after the family business and a young family.

Consequently, she left her job at the newspaper, and became a homemaker. The couple had four children, born between 1942 and 1946.

Arvo Ketonen's first marriage had ended in 1933, when his wife died leaving no children. In 1941, he caused controversy by marrying his employee, Irja Blomqvist, 30 years his junior.

Irja Ketonen (née Blomqvist; 20 June 1921 – 17 November 1988) was a Finnish media executive, whose life and career has been described as 'the Cinderella story of the Finnish media sector'. She was the first woman to be granted Finland's highest civilian honorary title of Vuorineuvos.