Master of Social Sciences Harri Martikainen appointed to serve as Director General of the Government Strategy Department

On Thursday 21 September, the Government appointed Harri Martikainen, Master of Social Sciences, to serve as Director General of the Government Strategy Department at the Prime Minister's Office starting on 9 October 2023. The appointment is for a fixed term of five years.

Martikainen has served as Director of Strategic Steering and Development at the Ministry of the Interior since 2016. Before that, he worked as Senior Ministerial Adviser, Head of Planning, Ministerial Adviser and Senior Officer at the Ministry of the Interior. He has also worked as Coordinator for Rural Development at the Employment and Economic Development Centre for Satakunta and as Senior Officer and Structural Funds Coordinator at the Ministry of Education. 

The Government Strategy Department is responsible for social policy foresight and planning and the Government’s analysis, assessment and research activities. It also coordinates the national implementation of sustainable development, supports the Government’s strategy work, reports on Government policy, and supports the Government in cross-administrative tasks requiring an understanding of the overall situation. The Director General manages the Department’s operations and is responsible for ensuring the effective discharge of its tasks and for the medium-term sustainability assessment of social policy.

Inquiries: Timo Lankinen, Permanent State Under-Secretary, tel. +358 295 160 300, Prime Minister’s Office