Veera Heinonen announced as new Director of Communications

Press Release 205/2010
1 July 2010
 

Press Counsellor, Ms Veera Heinonen, 39, has been appointed to a five year-term as Director of Communications at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, starting 15 October 2010. In this position she follows Director General Petri Tuomi-Nikula.

Veera Heinonen is currently Press Secretary at the Finnish Embassy in London, where she has been responsible for official Finnish communications and for promoting positive awareness about Finland in the UK. She has also been charged with the creation of media relations in London, the world’s most international media hub.

“In London Veera quickly established contact with major world media such as BBC World, Al Jazeera and CNN. It’s important that communications from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs is modern and up-to-date, which today includes having a strong presence in social media. I’m convinced that Veera is a great professional for this job,” says Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb.

Ms Heinonen joined the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 2006. Prior to this she worked as London correspondent for the Finnish business daily Taloussanomat in 2003–2006 and as news editor, producer and business reporter for the same newspaper in Helsinki in 1997–2003.

She was business reporter for the national broadcaster YLE in 1997–1998 and worked for Reuters in Helsinki in 1995–1997.

Ms Heinonen has also had regular columns in regional and national newspapers.

Additional information: Director General Petri Tuomi-Nikula, tel. + 358 9 1605 5800, [email protected], Under-Secretary of State Jaakko Laajava, tel. +358 9 1605 5030, [email protected]