Appointments in the Foreign Service

On 4 August, the government session and the presidential session appointed several persons to new positions in Helsinki and Finland’s missions abroad.

In its session on 4 August, the Government appointed the following persons to new duties.

Under-Secretary of State, Development Policy

Pasi Hellmanin rintakuva
Pasi Hellman

The Government appointed Counsellor for Foreign Affairs Pasi Hellman to serve as Under-Secretary of State for Development Policy at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. The appointment is for a fixed term between 1 September 2022 and 31 August 2026.

Mr Hellman is currently Head of Mission to Consulate General in Shanghai. At the Foreign Ministry, he has previously worked, among other things, as Deputy Director General and Director of a unit in the Department for Development Policy. Hellman was the Managing Director of the Nordic Development Fund (NDF) in 2012–2018 and served on the Board of Directors of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in Manila in 2004–2007. He has served in the Embassies of Finland in the Hague and Nairobi. 

Hellman joined the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1995. He holds the degree of Doctor of Science in Economics and Business Administration.

Director General, Department for Europe

Olli Kantanen
Olli Kantanen

The Government appointed Counsellor for Foreign Affairs Olli Kantanen as Director General of the Department for Europe at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. The appointment is for a fixed term between 8 August 2022 and 31 August 2026.

He is transferring to his new duties from the post of the Deputy Director General of the Department for Europe. Previously, Kantanen has served, among other things, as Head of Mission in Riga and as Director in the Unit for Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

Kantanen joined the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1994. He holds the degree of Master of Social Sciences.

Chief of Protocol

Mika Koskinen
Mika Koskinen

The Government appointed Counsellor for Foreign Affairs Mika Koskinen to serve as Chief of Protocol at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. The appointment is for a fixed term between 1 September 2022 and 31 August 2026.

Koskinen is currently Head of Mission to Consulate General in New York. He has also worked, among other positions, as Head of Mission in Lima and as Head of Personnel Services at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Koskinen joined the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1995.

He holds the degree of Master of Science in Economics and Business Administration.

Director, National Security Authority

Päivi Kaukoranta
Päivi Kaukoranta

The Government appointed Counsellor for Foreign Affairs Päivi Kaukoranta to serve as Director of the National Security Authority at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. The appointment is for a fixed term between 1 September 2022 and 31 August 2026.

Kaukoranta is currently Head of Mission in the Hague. Kaukoranta has previously served, among other positions, as Director General of the Legal Service and Director in the Unit for EU and Treaty Law at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

Kaukoranta joined the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1989. She holds the degree of Master of Laws and is trained on the bench.

Deputy Director General, Political Department

The Government appointed Counsellor for Foreign Affairs Mikael Antell to serve as Deputy Director General of the Political Department at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. The appointment is for a fixed term between 1 September 2022 and 31 August 2026.

Mikael Antell
Mikael Antell

Antell is currently the Ambassador of Finland to Oslo. He has also served, among other positions, as Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Finland in Stockholm, Deputy Director of the Unit for Northern Europe, and EU Coordinator at the Unit for General EU Affairs and Coordination. In the Diplomatic Service, he has also held posts in Santiago de Chile and Copenhagen.

Antell holds the degree of Master of Social Sciences. He joined the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1995.

Deputy Director General, Department for Communications

The Government appointed Kirsi Vanamo-Santacruz to serve as Deputy Director General of the Department for Communications at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. The appointment is for a fixed term between 1 September 2022 and 31 August 2026.

Kirsi Vanamo-Santacruz
Kirsi Vanamo-Santacruz

Vanamo-Santacruz is currently the Ambassador of Finland to Argentina. She has previously worked, among other things, as Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Finland in France, Deputy Permanent Representative at the Permanent Delegation of Finland to UNESCO, and Head of Personnel Planning at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. In the Diplomatic Service, she has also held posts in Jakarta, Ankara and Lisbon.

Vanamo-Santacruz joined the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1995. She holds the degree of Master of Social Sciences.

Head of Mission, Tallinn

Vesa Vasara
Vesa Vasara

The President of the Republic appointed Counsellor for Foreign Affairs Vesa Vasara to serve as Head of Mission at Finland’s Embassy in Tallinn, starting on 1 September 2022.

Vasara is currently Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Finland in London. He has also served, among other positions, as Finland’s Ambassador to Denmark, Deputy Director General of the Department for Russia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, and Director in the Unit for Northern Europe at the Ministry.

Vasara holds the degree of Master of Arts. He joined the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1995.

In addition, the President of the Republic appointed Antti Rytövuori, Ambassador of Finland to Peru, to serve as a non-resident Ambassador to Bolivia and Ecuador.

Inquiries:

  • Kirsti Pohjankukka, Director of Human Resources, tel. +358 295 350 038
  • The email addresses of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs are in the format firstname.lastname@formin.fi