Leo Wainstein

commercial counsellor Leo Wainstein
Born	(1883-01-04)4 January 1883 Yalta, Russian Empire
Died	13 March 1978(1978-03-13) (aged 95) Rome, Italy
Nationality	Ukrainian Jewish
Citizenship	Italian
Education	Jurist
Alma mater	Odessa University
Board member of	Ab Nordiska Ullkompaniet Oy (1922–) Turun Verkatehdas Oy (1924–) Oy Silfverbergin & Wecksellin Yhdistetyt Hattutehtaat (1927–1967) Helsinki Jewish Congregation Supervisory Board (1943–1949) Oy M. Kotschack Ab (1955–) Internationale Handelsbank KG Finnish Jewish Congregation Central Council
Spouse(s)	Regina née Trilling
Children	Michael (1920–1991) Lia
Parent(s)	Josef Wainstein and Lia née Rabinowicz
Awards	commercial counsellor (1938) Commander of the Order of the Lion of Finland Commander of the Order of Merit of Italy Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown of Italy Grand Officer of the Order of the Star of Italian Solidarity Commander of the Order of the Three Stars of Latvia
Manager of Nordiska Ullkompaniet
In office 1922 – 1962

Leo Wainstein (4 January 1883 – 13 March 1978) was an Ukrainian Jewish jurist and businessman who lived most part of his life in Finland.

Wainstein was born in Yalta to a Jewish peasant family. He graduated as jurist in Odessa University in 1910 and worked in the field until 1916, when he got involved into wool business through his marriage to Regina née Tilling. After the October Revolution the couple moved to Finland, where Wainstein made a successful career in textile industry. His business started to decline in the 1950s, and after this he changed to hat industry for a few years before his retirement.

Wainstein had Italian citizenship, and he died in Rome on 13 March 1978.

Wainstein was born in Yalta, Russian Empire to a Jewish family. His parents were farmer Josef Wainstein and Lia née Rabinowicz. The father died when Waintein was young and faced had difficulties at completing his studies. Eventually, Wainstein completed his upper secondary studies in 1906 and continued in Odessa University, where he graduated as jurist in 1910.

Following to his graduation, Wainstein worked as jurist first in Odessa and later in Moscow. There he met Regina Trilling, who was a daughter of a Polish Jew wool trader Elias Trilling. Leo and Regina got married in 1915 and in the following year Leo Wainstein started working for his father-in-law's wool company. Wainstein learned wool business thoroughly and his work took him to the Nordic Countries, UK, Belgium, France, Italy and Switzerland.

Wainstein's wool business came to end after the October Revolution and at late 1918 the couple decided to move to newly independent Finland.

In 1919 Wainstein became owner and manager of wool company Ab Nordiska Ullkompaniet Oy. The Finnish textile industry was in trouble – in addition to the local market, the Finnish companies had sold large share of their production in Russia, and now this market area was closed. Despite of the difficulties, Wainstein developed the business determinedly.

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