NordenBladet — On 5 August 2021, the Government appointed Olli-Pekka Rantala, Master of Social Sciences, as Director of the Services Department and Laura Eiro, Master of Laws, as Director of the Data Department at the Ministry of Transport and Communications. The appointments will be for a period from 1 September 2021 to 31 August 2026.
Mr Rantala served as Director General of the Data Department from the beginning of January until the end of August in 2016. Since September 2016 he has worked as Director General of the Services Department. Prior to that, he served as Unit Director in three different units in the Ministry’s Communications Policy Department. Rantala has also worked as Counsellor at the Permanent Representation of Finland to the EU in Brussels.
From 2018 to 2021, Laura Eiro acted as Programme Director at Intelligent Transportation Society of Finland, ITS Finland. Since February 2021, she has worked as Senior Specialist at the Ministry of Finance in the role of Secretary-General of the Technology Advisory Board. Ms Eiro has previously worked as Director of two units at the Ministry of Transport and Communications. She has also worked as Counsellor at the Permanent Representation of Finland to the EU in Brussels.
The Director General is a member of the Ministry’s management groups and is responsible for the management and effective operations of the department.