Chief Executive Officer of National Emergency Supply Agency changes

Tomi Lounema submits his resignation following deficiencies detected in connection with the procurement of protective equipment. Janne Känkänen will start as interim CEO.

Tomi Lounema has submitted his resignation from the post of CEO of the National Emergency Supply Agency and requested that the resignation take effect immediately. Lounema informed Minister of Employment Tuula Haatainen of his decision today, Friday 10 April. The National Emergency Supply Agency operates under the administration of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment.

Lounema resigns following the defective procedure in the procurement of personal protective equipment and the consequent lack of confidence. The flawed procurement process has been widely discussed in public recently.

On Thursday 9 April, the Minister of Employment requested the National Emergency Supply Agency to provide a report of the procurement of protective equipment discussed in public. The report will be submitted to the Ministry on Tuesday 14 April. On 9 April, the Board of Directors of the National Emergency Supply Agency also decided to commission an external audit of the transactions that have already been made.

“We will receive a report of these procurements, but the situation has rapidly come to the point where the preconditions of the CEO of the National Emergency Supply Agency to continue in his post have essentially deteriorated. In this challenging situation, the most important thing is to safeguard the capacity of the National Emergency Supply Agency to make critical procurements needed by Finland in the fight against coronavirus,” says Minister of Employment Tuula Haatainen.

Minister Haatainen appointed Director Janne Känkänen to serve as interim CEO starting on 11 April 2020. The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment appointed Känkänen, Director for EU and International Affairs at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, to transfer temporarily to the National Emergency Supply Agency to support the Agency in the procurement of critical protective equipment. 

Inquiries:
Timo Nevaranta, Special Adviser to the Minister of Employment, tel. +358 29 504 7232, [email protected]
Ilona Lundström, Director General and Chair of the Board of Directors at the National Emergency Supply Agency, tel. +358 29 504 7186, [email protected]
Janne Känkänen, Intermin CEO (from 11 April 2020), National Emergency Supply Agency, tel. +358 29 539 64990, [email protected]