Olli-Pekka Heinonen appointed as State Secretary to the Prime Minister
Prime Minister Jyrki Katainen has invited Olli-Pekka Heinonen, 47, Master of Laws, to serve as State Secretary at the Prime Minister's Office.
The Government will later make an official decision on the appointment of Heinonen, who is currently working as Director of TV Operations at the Finnish Broadcasting Company. Heinonen will begin at the Prime Minister's Office on 1 March 2012 when the current State Secretary, Velipekka Nummikoski, will take up his duties at Finland's Slot Machine Association (RAY) management.
In earlier governments, Olli-Pekka Heinonen served as Minister of Education and Minister of Transport and Communications and worked as special adviser to a minister. In 1995–2002, Heinonen was an MP.
The duties of State Secretary appointed for the duration of the Prime Minister’s term of office are to promote and monitor the implementation of the Government Programme as the Prime Minister’s closest aide, to direct preparation of matters and to ensure cooperation with the ministries. State Secretary to the Prime Minister also chairs meetings of the ministries’ Permanent Secretaries.
Inquiries: Timo Lankinen, Permanent State Under-Secretary, Prime Minister’s Office, tel. +358 9 1602 2007 and Juha Kirstilä, Special Adviser to the Prime Minister (Press Relations), tel. +358 9 1602 2242