Wilhelm Wahlforss

vuorineuvos Emil Wilhelm Wahlforss
Wilhelm Wahlforss in the 1920s.
Born	(1891-06-25)25 June 1891 Helsinki, Finland
Died	20 June 1969(1969-06-20) (aged 77) Nagu, Finland
Other names	Vikkelä-Ville, "Quick-Willy"
Citizenship	Finnish
Education	diplomi-insinööri
Alma mater	Helsinki University of Technology
Employer	Nobel 1916 Turun Rautateollisuus Oy 1916–1917; 1919–1921 Fiskars Ab 1917–1919 Oy Lehtoniemi Ab 1921–1925 Turun Verkatehdas Oy 1924–1925 Oy Sofia Zweygberg Ab 1925–1926 Ab Wärtsilä Oy (later Wärtsilä Corporation) 1926–1969
Political party	SFP
Spouse(s)	Siri Johanna née Wrede (1917 →)
Children	Christel, married Rosenlew (b. 1918) Susanna, married Barner-Rasmussen (b. 1921)
Parent(s)	Henrik Alfred Wahlforss and Emilia Elisabeth Långhjelm
Awards	vuorineuvos 1941 Commander Grand Cross of the Order of the Lion of Finland Cross of Liberty, 1st Class Commander of the White Rose of Finland Cross of Liberty, 2nd Class Medal for Merit, 2nd Class Commemorative Medal for War of Freedom Commemorative Medal for Winter War White Guard Cross of Merit Commander of St. Olav Commander of the Royal Order of Vasa, 1st Class Doctor of Science honoris causa
Manager of Lehtoniemi
In office 1921 – 1925
Manager of Sofia Zweygberg
In office 1925 – 1926
Manager of Wärtsilä
In office 1926 – 1961
Preceded by	Lars Wilhelm Åberg
Succeeded by	Bertel Långhjelm

Emil Wilhelm Wahlforss (25 June 1891 – 20 June 1969) was a Finnish engineer, industrialist and vuorineuvos.

Wahlforss was born in Helsinki, the capital of Grand Duchy of Finland. His father Henrik Alfred Wahlforss was an appreciated chemistry teacher in Polytechnical institute; his mother, Emilia Elisabeth née Långhjelm, was 24 years younger and originally from Ostrobothnia. The couple had four children: 1883 and 1885 born daughters Elisabeth and Henriette, and 1891 and 1895 born sons Wilhelm and Eric. While the father was doing significant research, his work, which was written in Swedish, remained without international attention. Another hindrance for his success was his drinking problem. He died in 1899 when Wilhelm was just eight years old. The family fell into poverty and moved often in the following years, however, staying in the same area, Oulunkylä.

During his school years in Swedish Normal School Wilhelm Wahlforss had classmates who later became influential, such as Hugo Österman and Hjalmar Strömberg. Wahlforss did well at geography and other subjects which required remembering, but not at mathematics, and particularly languages and writing created difficulties. He graduated few months late in autumn 1911 because first failed his matriculation exam in Finnish, the main language of the state.

In September 1911 Wahlforss signed up for mechanical engineering studies in his father's former workplace which had been in the meantime renamed University of Technology. His orientation was textile industry. His strong areas were mechanics, physics, inorganic chemistry and economics, but in such subjects which required practical skills, as laboratory exercises, his ratings were "satisfactory". He took part in student activities and was active in the students' union. Wahlforss had a hectic social life, as an organiser he was efficient and determined, and he is described as a self-confident and charming person. Already during his studies he decided to become a manager of some large company. At the end of his studies Wahlforss focussed on heavy machinery and industrial economy. He did his internship in De Förenade Yllefabrikerna AB in Helsinki, Finlayson repair workshop in Tampere and later in Helsinki at Hietalahti Shipyard and Engineering Works, and finally in State Railways' Engineering Works foundry. For his master's thesis he made a complete and detailed calculation about textile factory economics and gained excellent rating, graduating in March 1916.