THL | Familiar names from the pandemic era are vying for the post of CEO

Health and 17 applications were received for the position of director general of the welfare institution by Friday’s deadline.

Among the applicants are, for example, familiar names from the times of the corona pandemic, such as the director of THL’s welfare department Mika Salminen and head of THL’s health security department Otto Helve.

The same applies to the position, for example Taneli Puumalainenwho currently works as a department head in the safety and health department of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health (STM).

Both Salminen Helve and Puumalainen repeatedly appeared in public during the corona pandemic in 2020–2022. Salminen worked until the fall of 2022 as the director of THL’s health and safety department.

Puumalainen, on the other hand, worked as THL’s chief physician in the early days of the pandemic, after which he moved to STM in the spring of 2021. Helve has also previously worked as THL’s chief physician. He was elected department head last fall.

from the ranks of STM the application had also been submitted by the former head of the office Päivi Sillanaukee.

According to the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, the list of applicants will only be confirmed once and for all on Monday, when it becomes clear whether last-minute paper applications have arrived at the registry office.

THL’s the position of the CEO will be filled for a five-year term starting at the beginning of next year.

According to the application notice, the director-general manages the institution’s operations and is responsible for achieving the performance goals set for it and ensuring that the institution’s tasks are handled economically and efficiently. The general manager also takes care of the general development and renewal of the institution’s operations.

Last spring, the director general’s shame was in the public eye, when the Ministry of Administration decided to relax the eligibility requirements for the position. According to the decree approved in May, the CEO is no longer required to have a doctor’s degree.

THL’s current CEO Markku Tervahautan the five-year term of office began in 2019. Yle reported on Friday that Tervahauta has applied for the position of director-general of the Eastern Finland Regional Administrative Agency.

Correction 9.9. 6:30 a.m.: Päivi Sillanaukee is no longer STM’s head of office, as the article previously read.