Board of Directors

The Foundation’s Board of Directors is responsible for carrying out the Foundation’s mission, organising its activities and managing its assets.

In 2024, the Foundation’s Board of Directors consisted of: Admiral Jukka Anteroinen, Doctor of Military Sciences; Emilie Gardberg, MA (Columbia University); Tommi Juusela, Master of Laws (Columbia University); Seppo Knuuttila, Master of Maritime Management; Juha Nurminen, MSc. (Econ.); Kaisa Olkkonen, Master of Laws; Professor Markku Ollikainen; Kristian Pullola, MSc. (Econ.), and Marja-Leena Rinkineva, Master of Laws, MSocSc, eMBA

Two long-serving Board members – Juho Lipsanen, MSc. (Econ.) and Eeva Ahdekivi, DBA – left the Board. Juha Nurminen, the Foundation’s founder and long-time Chair of the Board, stepped down as Chair at the Annual General Meeting, but continued as a member of the Board. Tommi Juusela was elected Chair and Kaisa Olkkonen Vice Chair.

At the Foundation’s alumni event in April, Juha Nurminen was awarded the Foundation’s Gold Medal No. 1 in recognition of his lengthy and honourable service to the Foundation.

The Board convened seven times in 2024. Six of these meetings were held with the current Board, as elected at the Annual General Meeting. Jukka Anteroinen attended four meetings, Emilie Gardberg five, Tommi Juusela six, Seppo Knuuttila six, Juha Nurminen six, Kaisa Olkkonen five, Markku Ollikainen five, Kristian Pullola five and Marja-Leena Rinkineva four.

In 2024, the Foundation’s CEO and members of the Board of Directors were paid a total of EUR 197,078 in salaries and fees (EUR 154,971 in 2023). Not all of the Board members accepted remuneration for their board work. At the Annual General Meeting, the Foundation’s Board decided on special remuneration for the Chair of the Board, that is, twice the amount as for a member of the Board. The Chair and Vice Chair of the Foundation’s Board have compared the Foundation’s board work and meeting fees to those paid by other foundations, associations and companies; and on the basis of this analysis, the Board considers them to be standard.

The Board established an Audit and Risk Committee in 2024. The first meeting of this committee took place in November, and the committee will meet twice a year. The committee is chaired by Kristian Pullola, and the other members are Tommi Juusela, Kaisa Olkkonen and Annamari Arrakoski-Engardt.

Board members Kaisa Olkkonen, Juha Nurminen and Tommi Juusela also participated in the Marine Environmental Action Advisory Group.