Organisation

Chairman

Jan Vapaavuori (1965), LL.M.

Chairman of Finnvera's Board of Directors as of 4 December 2024 and Chairman of the Board's Remuneration and Nomination Committee.

Jan Vapaavuori is the former Mayor of Helsinki (2017–2021) and has previously served as Vice-President of the European Investment Bank in Luxemburg (2015–2017), Finnish Minister of Economic Affairs (2012–2015), Minister of Housing and Urban Planning (2007–2011), Member of the Finnish Parliament (2003–2015), and President of the Finnish Olympic Committee (2020–2024). Mr. Vapaavuori runs his own advisory and investment business concentrated especially on urban development, real estate, energy and housing. He has a keen interest in global urban affairs, and he participates actively in numerous international platforms. He currently serves at the Bloomberg New Economy Cities Council, and is an active lecturer and advisor on urban leadership and urban development related topics.  Additionally, Mr. Vapaavuori serves the Vice-chair of the Finnish National Opera’s Board of Governors, and chairs his family foundation which supports contemporary dance and visual arts. He graduated with Master of Laws from the University of Helsinki and holds an Honorary Doctoral Degree from Hanken School of Economics.

First Vice Chairman

Jan Hjelt (1977), LL.M. with court training, Director General, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment

First Vice Chairman of Finnvera’s Board of Directors and member of the Board's Risk Committee.

Second Vice Chairman

Mikko Spolander (1967), Lic.Sc. (Econ.), Director General, the Ministry of Finance 

Second Vice Chairman of Finnvera’s Board of Directors and member of the Board's Risk Committee.

Mikko Spolander serves as Director General of the Economics Department at the Ministry of Finance. Spolander is a member of the Ministry's Senior Management Group and the Chairman of the Board of the Financial Stability Fund, a member of the Representatives of the Finnish Centre for Pensions, a member of the Advisory Board of Statistics Finland as well as Finland's Head Delegate in the OECD Economic Policy Committee (EPC).

Members

Hannu Jaatinen (1957), M.Sc. (Econ.)

Hannu Jaatinen is a member of Finnvera's Board of Directors, the chairman of the Board's Audit Committee and a member of the Board's Remuneration and Nomination Committee. From 1985 to 2020, he held expert and executive positions in OP Financial Group's corporate research, risk management and corporate banking, most recently as Executive Vice President of OP Corporate Bank Plc.

Eila Kreivi (1961), M.S.Sc. 

Member of the Board of Directors and Chairman of the Board's Risk Committee.

Eila Kreivi has over 30 years of experience in international capital and financial markets and in sustainable finance. She is a former Director, Head of Capital Markets and Chief Sustainable Finance Advisor at the European Investment Bank (EIB). Between March 2018 and January 2022, she was an alternate member of the Board of Directors of the European Investment Fund (EIF) and in 2020 she was appointed to the Board of Directors of the International Capital Markets Association. Prior to joining the financing arm of the European Union in 1995, Eila Kreivi worked at the Union Bank of Finland and Société Générale, in Helsinki and in Paris. Kreivi chaired the Executive Committee of the Green Bond Principles in 2015−2018. She has represented the EIB at the various EU expert groups on sustainable finance (High-level Expert Group, Technical Expert Group and Platform on Sustainable Finance). In the Platform, she now acts in personal capacity.

Anne Nurminen (1981)

Anne Nurminen is a member of Finnvera’s Board of Directors and the Board's Risk Committee. Nurminen works as CEO at a family owned engineering workshop company Helkone Group Ltd and at Pixy Finland Ltd, which focuses on equestrian coaching. In addition, she is Chairman of the Boards of Hellmanin Konepaja Ltd and Protools Ltd. Nurminen is a member of the Board of Directors at of Technology Industries of Finland as well as a member of the entrepreneur delegation at Confederation of Finnish Industries (EK).

Elina Piispanen (1963), M.Sc. (Econ.)

Elina Piispanen is a member of Finnvera’s Board of Directors and a member of the Board’s Remuneration and Nomination Committee and Audit Committee. She has acted as Chief Transformation Officer in Sanoma Media Finland in 2016–2018 and prior to that she has made a career of nearly 30 years at Accenture, the world’s largest consulting and technology services company, in multiple business leadership and professional roles. Currently Piispanen acts as an independent consultant, is chair of Board at Red Cross First Aid company and a member of Board of Directors at Loihde, Oiva Isännöinti, Sitowise and Telko. 

Pia Santavirta (1976), LL.M., CEO of Finnish Industry Investment Ltd.

Pia Santavirta is a member of Finnvera’s Board of Directors since December 2024 and member of the Board's Audit Committee. She has served as the CEO of Tesi, a state-owned venture capital investment company, since January 2023. Previously, she was the Managing Director of the Finnish Venture Capital Association, the largest lobbying organisation in the Nordic venture capital sector, between 2016 and 2022. Santavirta has over 20 years of experience in the financial sector, including serving as the Chief Legal Counsel of Finance Finland, as a Senior Officer of the Insurance Market Unit of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, and as an attorney for Castrén & Snellman Attorneys Ltd. She is also a member of the Board of Directors of LocalTapiola Asset Management Ltd and the Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of Aker Arctic Technology Oy.