Director General appointed to Department for International Trade

On Thursday 15 October, the Government appointed Counsellor for Foreign Affairs Päivi Pohjanheimo as Director General of the Department for International Trade in the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. The appointment is for a fixed term between 19 October 2026 and 31 August 2030.

Päivi Pohjanheimo will transfer to the post from her current position as Director of International Affairs and Trade at Finland Chamber of Commerce and Country Director Finland at the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC).

Pohjanheimo previously served as Head of Mission and Finland’s Ambassador to Mexico in Mexico City where she was responsible for Finland’s relations with Mexico and Central American countries, and as Head of Mission and Finland’s Ambassador to Romania in Bucharest responsible for Finnish-Romanian and Finnish-Moldavian relations.  Her career in the Diplomatic Service includes positions in London and Tunis.

In the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Pohjanheimo has worked as Head of Unit at the Department for Europe and as Diplomatic Adviser to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. She has also held several positions in the Department for Africa and the Middle East and the Department for the Americas and Asia.

Pohjanheimo joined the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 2002. She holds a master's degree in political sciences.