Speakers at Crisis Management NOW 2026

The programme for Crisis Management NOW will feature panel discussions and speeches from experts. In the session Practitioners on Stage, crisis management professionals share experiences from their work and career paths.

10:00-11:15 Seventy years of crisis management: Lessons from a changing world (in English)

Moderator

Outi Holopainen, Under-Secretary of State (Foreign and Security Policy), Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland

Outi Holopainen is Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Security Policy at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland. She previously served as Finland’s Ambassador to Ethiopia. Before that, Holopainen worked, among other roles, as Finland’s Ambassador to Portugal and as head of units responsible for security policy and crisis management as well as disarmament, arms control, and non-proliferation policy.

Speakers

Juhana Aunesluoma, Professor of Political History, University of Helsinki

Juhana Aunesluoma is Professor of Political History at the University of Helsinki. He served as Director of the Centre for European Studies at the University of Helsinki from 2010 to 2020. Aunesluoma’s research focuses on Finnish and Nordic foreign and security policy, European political history, the history of international relations from the Second World War to the present, and Finnish foreign and defense policy choices since the end of the Cold War.

Douglas Carpenter, Head of Division, Civilian Operations Headquarters, European External Action Service

Douglas Carpenter is Head of Division at the EU Civilian Crisis Management Operational Headquarters in Brussels. He leads work focused on strategic and thematic support as well as communications. Carpenter has extensive experience from several crisis regions, including serving EU Ambassador to the Central African Republic. He has also previously led European External Action Service units responsible for Ukraine and the South Caucasus.

Sari Rautarinta, Police Training Officer, UNMISS (South Sudan)

Sari Rautarinta has over 30 years of experience in policing in Finland. She has spent the majority of her career working in international civilian crisis management and peacebuilding in both EU and UN missions. In addition to serving as a police adviser, Rautarinta has worked as a human rights and gender adviser in the EUAM Ukraine civilian mission.

Esapekka Vehkaoja, Colonel, Director, International Centre of the Finnish Defense Forces (FINCENT)

Colonel Esapekka Vehkaoja serves as Director of the Finnish Defence Forces International Centre. The centre provides training for leadership and expert personnel for crisis management tasks and delivers training solutions for NATO. Vehkaoja’s career has focused on international assignments, and he has served in UN, NATO, and EU crisis management operations in the Middle East, the Balkans, and Africa.

11:30-12:45 The state and challenges of global crisis management in 2026 (in English)

Moderator

Johanna Sumuvuori, Director, European Centre of Excellence for Civilian Crisis Management

Johanna Sumuvuori leads the European Centre of Excellence for Civilian Crisis Management in Berlin. She previously served, among other roles, as State Secretary to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, as a senior expert at the United Nations Population Fund, and as a Member of Parliament. Sumuvuori has broad experience in international and societal expert roles.

Speakers

Vianney Bisimwa, Advisor, CMI – Martti Ahtisaari Peace Foundation

Vianney Bisimwa works as an adviser at CMI – Martti Ahtisaari Peace Foundation and serves as Africa Director at the Center for Civilians in Conflict. He specializes in civilian protection, humanitarian diplomacy, mediation, and crisis management. Bisimwa has more than 15 years of professional experience across different parts of Africa.

Petteri Kajanmaa, Colonel (ret.), Special Researcher, National Defence University 

Colonel (ret.) Petteri Kajanmaa works as a special research fellow at the National Defence University, focusing on NATO and deterrence. He served during his 40-year military career in four crisis management operations in Kosovo, Afghanistan, Lebanon, and Israel. Kajanmaa was Finland’s first national military representative at NATO’s operational headquarters and is a graduate of the US Army War College.

Marko Lehti, Research Director, Tampere Peace Research Institute TAPRI

Marko Lehti works as Research Director at the Tampere Peace Research Institute (TAPRI) and as Academic Director of the Peace, Mediation and Conflict Research master’s programme at Tampere University. His research focuses on peace mediation, peacebuilding, multilateralism, and global order, particularly in the Nordic and Baltic regions, the South Caucasus, Ukraine, and the Balkans.

Mia Rahunen, Specialist in Civilian Crisis Management

Mia Rahunen has extensive experience in international crisis management, conflict prevention, and sustainable development. She currently works as Deputy Head of Mission of the EUAM Ukraine operation. Rahunen has also served in the EUCAP Sahel Mali and EUMM Georgia missions and worked at CMI.

13:45-14:30 Practitioners on stage – Diverse career paths in crisis management (in Finnish)

Moderator

Anniina Vesteri, Human Resources Specialist, CMC Finland

Anniina Vesteri is a human resources specialist at the Crisis Management Centre CMC Finland. She holds a master’s degree in administrative sciences. Vesteri’s career has focused on human resources positions within the Finnish Government. At CMC, she is particularly responsible for recruitment related to civilian crisis management and election observation.

Speakers

Oskari Eronen, Programme Officer, CMI – Martti Ahtisaari Peace Foundation

Oskari Eronen works as Programme Director at CMI – Martti Ahtisaari Peace Foundation. He has over twenty years of experience in conflict management and peace mediation. Eronen’s areas of expertise include process design, security arrangements, and trust-building. He joined CMI in 2012 and has led several programmes as well as contributed to the development of mediation methodologies and monitoring and evaluation practices.

Jyri Haimakainen, Peacekeeper

Jyri Haimakainen is an electrician living in Northern Lapland and a non-commissioned officer in the reserve. He was selected as Peacekeeper of the Year 2024 by the Finnish Peacekeepers’ Association. Haimakainen has extensive and diverse experience from multiple peacekeeping operations around the world. He has served, among other places, in Afghanistan, Iraq, Kosovo, and Somalia, acting in roles such as squad leader and training NCO.

Christa Jakobson, Gender Adviser

Christa Jakobsson has over ten years of experience in gender equality, human rights, and international relations. She most recently served as Gender Adviser in an EU civilian crisis management operation in the Central African Republic, where she coordinated the Women, Peace and Security agenda. Jakobsson has also worked at the European Commission and the Council of Europe on gender equality and human rights issues.

Mikael Lohse, Visiting Expert Senior Adviser for External Oversight, EUAM Ukraine

Mikael Lohse has served as Senior Adviser and Deputy Parliamentary Ombudsman for Intelligence Oversight in the EUAM Ukraine mission since 2023. He holds a Doctor of Laws degree, is a trained judge, and a docent in legal informatics and intelligence studies. Lohse has 25 years of experience in justice, internal security, and defence administration as well as academic research in Finland and abroad. He has participated in crisis management operations on three different continents.

Jyri Rantanen, Disaster Management Specialist, Red Cross

Jyri Rantanen is a seasoned humanitarian professional with over twenty years of experience in leadership and coordination roles within the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement worldwide. He has led large-scale crisis, health, and disaster response operations and developed humanitarian activities in the Middle East, Asia, and Africa.

Eveliina Valtonen, Team Leader, Specialized Police Team on Sexual and Gender‑Based Violence, UNMISS (South Sudan)

Eveliina Valtonen served in South Sudan in the UNMISS operation as Head of the Police Unit combating sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). She led the planning of team trainings, task allocation, and police station visits to monitor SGBV investigations. Valtonen trained local police officers and other judicial authorities to strengthen investigative capacity and promote a victim-centred approach.

14:45-16:00 The future and possibilities of comprehensive crisis management (in English)

Moderator

Katariina Mustasilta, Senior Research Fellow, Finnish Institute of International Affairs

Katariina Mustasilta is a Senior Research Fellow in the European Union and Strategic Competition programme at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs. Her research focuses on international conflict management and EU foreign and security policy in crisis and conflict contexts. Mustasilta led the FIIA project “Finland in Afghanistan 2001–2021,” which examined Finland’s participation in stabilization and reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan.

Speakers

Mikael Antell, Deputy Director General, Political Department, Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland

Mikael Antell serves as Deputy Head of Department in the Political Department of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland. In 2023, he acted as Finland’s chief negotiator for the Defence Cooperation Agreement between Finland and the United States. Before his current role, Antell served as Finland’s Ambassador to Oslo. His career at the Ministry has focused on security policy, Nordic cooperation, and European Union affairs.

Janel Galvanek, Head of Department, Berghof Foundation

Janel Galvanek leads the Regional Peace Support Department at the Berghof Foundation, which oversees programmes in Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, Europe, Afghanistan, and Central Asia. She has worked at the foundation for 17 years across various regions worldwide. Galvanek’s expertise focuses on insider mediation, peace infrastructures, environmental peacebuilding, and the links between humanitarian action, development cooperation, and peace.

Andreas Hirblinger, Senior Research Fellow, Norwegian Institute of International Affairs

Andreas Hirblinger is a Senior Researcher in the International Order and Diplomacy Research Group at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs. He focuses particularly on digitalization and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence. Hirblinger has also worked as a consultant, adviser, and trainer for several peace mediation organizations.

Camilla Ojala, Coordinator, Finnish Youth, Peace, and Security Network

Camilla Ojala works at the Finnish YMCA as an expert on global education and peace work and serves as Coordinator of the Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) Network. She has prepared and implemented youth consultations as part of Finland’s second national YPS action plan and was actively involved in drafting Finland’s first action plan. Ojala has several years of experience working on the YPS agenda in various expert and trust-based roles.