Management team
THL's management team is in charge of the overall management of the institution. In addition to the Director General, the management team includes the RDI Director, the Communications Director and all the directors of departments.
Director General
Mika Salminen
PhD, Professor
tel. +358 29 524 6001
Dr. Salminen is a public health expert with a PhD and professorial title. He has a long-standing career in infectious disease control and public health policy. He currently serves as Director General of THL and is a member of several European scientific advisory forums, including DG HERA and the ECDC Advisory Forum.
Executive Assistant:
Katja Tukiainen
tel. +358 29 524 6010
RDI Director
Hanna Tolonen
PhD, Adjunct Professor (Docent)
tel. +358 29 524 8636
Dr. Tolonen holds a PhD in Public Health from the University of Kuopio and a docent position at the University of Eastern Finland. She has worked at THL and its predecessor since 1996. Her expertise includes non-communicable disease monitoring, environmental health determinants, and European health information systems.
Communications Director
Marjo Loisa
MSocSc, MSc (Econ & Bus. Admin.)
tel. +358 29 524 7876
Ms. Loisa holds Master’s degrees in Social Sciences and in Economics and Business Administration. She is also a trained Social Psychologist and former Journalist. With broad experience in media, labour market and university sectors, she has led communications, marketing, and branding initiatives.
Heads of Departments
Public Health
Otto Helve
MD, PhD, Adjunct Professor (Docent)
tel. +358 29 524 7711
Dr. Helve is a pediatrician and specialist in pediatric infectious diseases and public health. He holds a PhD in neonatology and a docent title from the University of Helsinki. He has held various senior roles at THL and the University of Helsinki, with a strong background in both clinical and research leadership.
Healthcare and Social Welfare
Piia Aarnisalo
MD, PhD, Adjunct Professor (Docent), Executive MBA
tel. +358 29 524 7048
Dr. Aarnisalo has a strong academic and clinical background, including a PhD, docent title, and Executive MBA. She has served in leading medical roles in both the public and private sector. At THL, she oversees research and assessment of health and social service systems and supports the development of regional and national services.
Department of Healthcare and Social Welfare
Safety
Anneli Pouta
MD, PhD, Adjunct Professor (Docent)
tel. +358 29 524 6235
Dr. Pouta is a medical specialist in obstetrics and gynecology, MD and Adjunct Professor. She has a significant academic research background and, since 2007, has worked in leadership positions at THL and its predecessor, the National Public Health Institute (KTL). Currently, she heads the Safety department at THL and is responsible for the performance management of state social and healthcare units.
Data and Analytics
Sirpa Soini
LL.D. with court training
tel. +358 29 524 6170
Dr. Soini is specialized on Health and Information Law. She leads the department that is responsible for a broad spectrum of tasks within the national social and healthcare information activities, eg. steering national EHR development. She chairs one of the Medical Research Ethics Committees of Helsinki University Hospital. Earlier in her career she worked as an Attorney-at-Law. Current interests include AI in Health Care.
Department of Data and Analytics
Enablers
Mia Nykopp
LL.M.
Director of Administration and Finance
tel. +358 29 524 6003
Ms. Nykopp holds a Master of Laws degree with court training and has completed several executive education programs. She is also a certified business and team coach. She has over 20 years of experience in public administration and currently leads THL’s enabling services, including HR, digital, legal, and financial operations.
Secretary of the Management Team
Aki Tetri
tel. +358 29 524 7700
E-mail addresses: [email protected]
