Introducing the Honorary Consuls of Finland: Olli Honkkila, Arizona and New Mexico

In this series, we highlight the important work done by our honorary consuls around the 13 states in the jurisdictional area of Consulate General of Finland in Los Angeles. Olli Honkkila, one of our most recent appointees, gives us unique insight into how business opportunities in Arizona and New Mexico might topple those of California and Texas, and how one can go from “shorts to slopes” in Arizona within hours!

You have quite a diverse professional background in law, business, and government administration. Could you share a little bit about the professional and personal journey that brought you to Arizona?
I have family ties to Arizona, and I had known there was a possibility I would end up here. By training, I am a lawyer, and I have worked law and business related positions in the past. Regardless of the field, my aim was to have my career be international in nature so my expertise could be applied in Arizona- or anywhere- if needed. As it turns out, that’s precisely what happened. Though it wasn’t a job that brought me here, that international skillset helped me land a position at Arizona State University (ASU). I started as a Grant and Contract Officer, dealing with research funding and data sharing agreements, and have recently transitioned into my current position as a Data Governance and Administration Manager.

How did your position as the honorary consul of Finland to Arizona and New Mexico come to be?
I had visited Arizona for an extended period a few years before moving here. During this time I met my predecessor, Professor Gary Waissi and his wife Hannele, as well as the Finnish community here in Arizona. That trip really reinforced the feeling that one day I might want to live here. Fast forward to having moved to Phoenix, Gary was retiring to my great surprise, and the Consulate General of Finland in Los Angeles then contacted and nominated me as one of the candidates for the position. Being an active member of the Finnish community, and a board member of the Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce Arizona, I was already well connected in the local Finnish and international community here. Therefore, having seen the great work Gary had been doing, I was excited to get the opportunity to continue promoting the trade and cultural exchange between Finland, and Arizona and New Mexico.

You have been appointed fairly recently – what are your aspirations for the role? What have you sought to work on so far?
I have a few core ideas that I have been working on through the honorary consul position, through partnerships with local businesses, and especially through the wonderful Finns and Friends, and their parent organization Finlandia Foundation National (FFN). One of them being uniting and creating a community for the youth that have ties to Finland in the US. We adults have ways we have managed to connect with other Finns, but for the kids, including mine, it has proven difficult. They have always been excited to meet other Finns, but the issue lies in the fact that all of us here live quite far away from each other, even within Phoenix. During the pandemic and online schooling, the tech savviness of the younger generation became apparent to me, and that really inspired me to start using online video gaming as a connecting medium. There are some great companies in Finland that can facilitate that, and together with FFN I think they can achieve great things!

What’s great about being an honorary consul, and one of the biggest surprises to me, is how good the teamwork between the honorary consuls and the Consulate General of Los Angeles has been, and how supportive the Embassy in Washington D.C. and the foreign ministry have been in general. Although being honorary consul is a non-paid voluntary title position, I really feel like I am a part of the Finnish Team here in the US.

How are the Nordics and Finns represented and received in Arizona and New Mexico? Has interest towards Finland increased via the NATO membership, or our recurring ranking as the happiest country in the world?
Though the Finnish and Nordic communities here are quite small, they are tight-knit in communication and cooperation, especially Finland and Sweden. For instance, we organized a joint Vappujuhlat (May Day) with Finns and Friends, SACC (Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce Arizona), and SWEA (Swedish Women’s Educational Association). Let the record show the Nordic collaborative team of Finland, Denmark, and Iceland beat the Swedes in their own Kubb yard game. Whenever a Nordic artist performs, or Nordic events happen, we all try to be there to support and enjoy.

The presence of Finnish Athletes here is quite noteworthy as well. There are a few NHL players, and a Finnish American Football player in North America University. Topi Raitala, the European Champion hurdler, among many other athletes, comes here to train due to the high altitude in Northern Arizona. We also briefly had Lauri Markkanen, who went to University of Arizona for a year. He will be back to play against the local team, Phoenix Suns, and I have already been in contact with the Suns organization about organizing a special Finnish event when Lauri comes to town again. Which means that we will be rooting for both the Suns and Lauri - may the best win (and in any case, we wish Lauri to have a great game…).

As for Finland’s popularity via the happiness theme and NATO – Yes, those are very prevalent. I often get questions whether Finnish people are actually as happy as they say. The Nordic quality of life and lifestyle are clearly of prominent interest. When Finland ascended into NATO, many people congratulated me. The overall reception of Finland is very positive here.  

Do you see any possibilities for cultural exchange between Arizona, New Mexico, and Finland? What are the largest cultural differences you have encountered? Do they vary between NM and AZ?
Arizona, New Mexico, Phoenix, Tucson, Santa Fe, Albuquerque, etc. are all major centers that host a variety of cultural possibilities. Being an expat means that you always miss things in Finland. This is why we are so happy to see Finnish artists here, and the troops do not need much rallying to come to such events. Last year we were lucky to have Eeppi Ursin perform here in Arizona, and we feel even luckier because she will be coming to perform here again in October. There have also been many Finnish metal bands playing here, and comedian Ismo Leikola had an amazing show here that I attended before the pandemic. 

In addition to art, another avenue for exchange I think Finns, and especially businesses, should take advantage of are the research & student exchange programs. Universities in the US can be both academically interesting and major players in the local economy with great established business partnership networks. I have recently been part of discussions to create a student exchange program between Finland and New Mexico and look forward to that happening in practice. 

As per differences, I would have to say the biggest one is traversing by car. You have to drive almost everywhere, so I definitely learned to appreciate the public transportation and cycling paths in Finland. It will definitely be interesting to see how the public transportation here evolves. It might not be so much in the direction we are familiar with, but in the direction of autonomous vehicles and ride sharing – an industry that is huge here. There are more than 12 autonomous vehicle (AV) companies in Arizona that are already in operation, and the 180 square mile AV operating territory in the Phoenix metro area is the largest in the world, according to Waymo.

In terms of differences between Arizona and New Mexico, they are culturally and historically vastly different, but not so much landscape-wise. A friend of mine who has lived in both New Mexico and Arizona summarized it well: what’s considered “old” in Phoenix is from the 1950s, whereas “old” in New Mexico is from the 1600s. Arizona’s population has grown, and continues to grow rapidly. Not only are people from different US states moving here in great numbers, we also have a big international community here.

How are the opportunities for Finnish companies and individuals who wish to expand their horizons to AZ/NM?
The opportunities are aplenty. Arizona is the number one state in Direct Foreign Investment in the US. Phoenix’s growth since the 50s has been off the charts. Given the strength of and investment in advanced industries here, there are many reasons for Finnish companies to expand and move their business here. By going to Arizona or New Mexico, companies can often save up to 20% to 30% in operation costs when compared to California. In many cases, the costs may be less than in Texas. Arizona is very investment friendly, and legal frameworks are drafted with that in mind. The 2015 regulatory framework for autonomous vehicles that made the AV industry’s massive growth possible serves as a good example.

The cooperation between the universities and businesses is also an important factor. The research budgets for universities here are huge, and networking is key. Very few businesses can think to expand their reach to the entire U.S., which is why choosing a suitable location is imperative. Arizona and New Mexico’s pros are that they have the access to the same market as one would have in California and Texas, often with much less operation and production costs.

What kind of hobbies do you have in Arizona? Do they differ from the ones you had in Finland?
For the most part, I have been able to continue the hobbies that I had in Finland. One of the best things that has happened to me here is getting to play football (soccer) with players anywhere from Europe, Africa, Middle East, to the Americas. The internationality makes it very intriguing. One time I played with a Vietnamese team, and another time with a Colombian team. You get to meet people from all over the world and have a great time playing with them. During the pandemic, we sadly lost our floorball shift at a local gym, but I was lucky to be able to take part in the U.S. Championship Tournament, where I played for the Austin, Texas, team. 

Perhaps the most peculiar hobby that you would not guess exists here, in both Arizona and New Mexico, is skiing! Surprisingly, there are a few skiing centers here that we go to with the kids. Arizona Snowbowl, for example, is within two hours of driving. We call it “from shorts to slopes” – you can quite literally leave in shorts in March and April, and be in the snow skiing just a few hours later. That is also an important connection back to the Finnish winter, especially for my children who were all born in Finland and are now skilled skiers/snowboarders. To note, there are also many activities for people not interested in sweating – such as participating in the work of the international communities. I must say, the local Finns and Friends organization has greatly impacted my family’s life here, and has facilitated connections between all Finns and friends of Finland here in Arizona. I am very thankful for having this Finnish community here, and I am so happy to be a part of it.