Speakers

Mr Juha Kaskinen
Director, Finland Futures Research Centre (FFRC), University of Turku

Dr. Juha Kaskinen is Director of Finland Futures Research Centre (FFRC) of the University of Turku since May 2005. He has conducted several national and international foresight projects starting from 1999 when he became senior researcher in FFRC. He has also been coordinator of international affairs in 2004-2005.

Mr Mikko Pukkinen
Director General, Confederation of Finnish Industries EK

Master of Law
 
- Director General of Confederation of Finnish Industries since Sept 2010
- Mayor of Turku 2006-2010, Mayor of Seinäjoki 1999-2005
- Attorney (contract & company law, foreign trade law) 1986-1999
- Numerous confidential posts in municipal, educational and social institutions and organizations.

Mr José Anselmo
Ten-T Policy Officer, DG Mobility and Transport, European Commission

Mrs Minna Kivimäki
Director General of the Transport Policy Department in the Ministry of Transport and Communications of Finland.

Mrs Kivimäki was born in 1971 in Janakkala, in Southern Finland. She has a master of law degree from the University of Helsinki. At her studies she specialised in international law and relations.

Mrs Kivimäki has worked in the Ministry of Transport and Communications of Finland from 1997.In the Ministry she worked initially on maritime transport and international issues and later on EU and international co-operation for whole transport sector. In 2008 she was appointed as a Director for Transport Services Unit responsible for questions relating to maritime, aviation, rail and public passenger transport. On 1 March 2010 she was appointed as a Director General.

Before the post in the Ministry of Transport and Communications she worked in the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, in the Department for Legal Affairs. She has worked in the Finnish Permanent Representation to the EU in Brussels as a Transport Counsellor in 2000 - 2003 (dealing mainly with maritime transport, land transport and horizontal transport issues) and again from January 2006 to July 2007 (dealing mainly with horizontal transport issues, transport policy and logistics). During the Finnish EU Presidency 2006 she chaired the Council Working Party for Transport.

Mr Andreas Maurer
Chief of the International Trade Statistics Section at WTO

Maurer studied economics with a specialization in public finance and statistics/econometrics at the University of Hohenheim and holds a doctorate (Dr.oec.) in economics. In 1990, he joined the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe.  He was editor-in-charge of the Statistical Journal of the UN ECE.  In 1994 he moved to GATT/WTO. His current interests include measuring trade in services flows, especially mode 4, and trade in value added.

Mr Patrick Verhoeven
Secretary General, European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO)

After completing his studies in transport economics and maritime law at the University of Antwerp, Patrick Verhoeven started his career in the maritime sector in 1991, working in various departments of the Antwerp-based ship agent Grisar & Velge.

In 1993 he moved to Brussels where he established the office of FEPORT, the Federation of European Private Port Operators. Patrick Verhoeven was the first Secretary General of the organisation, a position which he held for seven years. During this period he also represented the interests of UNISTOCK - the European federation of agribulk storekeepers - and ECASBA - the European association of ship brokers and agents.

In 2000, Patrick Verhoeven was appointed Secretary General of the European Sea Ports Organisation. ESPO represents the port authorities, port associations and port administrations of the seaports of the European Union. The organisation was established in 1993 to promote policies and viewpoints of the European port sector with, primarily, the institutions of the European Union.

In parallel to his activities for ESPO, Patrick Verhoeven is currently preparing a doctoral thesis at the University of Antwerp on port management reform in Europe.

Mr Antti Vehviläinen
Vice Chairman, European Freight and Logistics Leaders Forum

Mr Antti Vehviläinen, Vice President within Stora Enso Logistics, is responsible for business development in corporate logistics and logistics development of the corporate strategic investments.

Mr Vehviläinen has Masters Degrees in Economics and Business Administration both from Vaasa University in Finland and from the Henley Management College at the Brunel University, England.

In his early career he worked in commercial and financial positions for several shipping lines in Finland, in Germany and in Brazil. During the last 25 years he has had different operative management positions within Stora Enso Logistics.

Mr Antti Vehviläinen is a member of the Board in Finavia Corporation, in the Finnish Transport Agency as well as in several private stevedoring companies in Finland. He is a management group member in the European Freight and Logistics Leaders Forum and affiliates management teams of several other international and Finnish logistics organisations.

Dr Katri Pynnöniemi
Researcher, Finnish Institute of International affairs

Dr Pynnöniemi's current research focuses on political constrains for economic development in Russia, implications of defense sector reforms for economic modernization at large and the political dynamics of critical infrastructure protection in Russia. She has published widely on EU-Russia relations, Medvedev's modernization reforms and transport infrastructure modernization.

Mr Fredrik Eriksson
Chartering Negotiator, Stena Bulk Houston

Fredrik has a Master in Business & Management and Russian from Glasow University, Scotland. He joined Stena through its Ship Management team - Northern Marine Management before joining the Stena Bulk team in Moscow, Russia.

After some years at the Stena head office in Gothenburg, Sweden he was assigned to Commercial Operations in Helsinki, Finland. After his time in Helsinki he joined the Chartering desk for the Stena Sonangol Suezmax Pool in Houston before moving to Stena Weco which is a joint venture between Stena Bulk and the Danish ship-owner Weco. Together trading more than 30 first-class MR vessels WW in the refined products, edible oils and easy chemicals segment.

Ms Mervi Pitkänen
Programme Director, Finnish Maritime Cluster Programme

Mr Yrjö Myllylä
Futures Researcher, Finland Futures Research Centre, University of Turku

Yrjö Myllylä, Doctor of Social Sciences, has been working as researcher in the Department of Geography at the University of Joensuu (current University of Eastern Finland). In his doctoral dissertation (2007), Dr Myllylä evaluated the industrial, social and logistic developments in the Murmansk region by using the Delphi Method. His scientific interests focus on so called Strong Prospective Trend concept, which is a synonym for megatrend concept, innovative entrepreneurship, clusters and internationalization of small and medium size enterprises. Dr Myllylä currently works as senior researcher in Finland Futures Research Centre, University of Turku and research consultant at RD Aluekehitys Oy (Regional Development Ltd). Currently he is evaluating the future of arctic maritime technology from the point of view of the Uusimaa SME sector. The evaluation is ordered by the Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment of Uusimaa, Finland.

Mr Arnstein Eknes
Segment Director, Det Norske Veritas AS

Mr Vesa Marttinen
Vice President, Wärtsilä Corporation, Finland

Known as leader with strong social, energetic and visionary characteristics, Vesa Marttinen has been leading professionals and coaching teams to develop new innovations and business models. His focus is on value creation and capture by parties in business network and he has been shaping the future with strong track record from both listed and small & medium size companies. These opportunities have taken Vesa Marttinen to Asia, North-America and Europe in past 15 years

Vesa Marttinen has career that serves this dynamic approach. While finalizing his Master’s degree in Naval Architecture and Industrial Management he joined Silja Line in Finland. There he found himself in project management of cruise ship projects, sale & purchase of 2nd hand Ro-Pax and ship management team of ferry business. After building experience on Scandinavian shipping he accepted the position of President, Deltamarin Engineering Inc. and lead consulting and advisory for cruise majors, while based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. In 2005 he joined Aker Yards (later STX) and his team created consulting engineering, conversions and operation support business with various shipping companies. From 2010 onwards Vesa Marttinen have contributed to innovativeness of Wärtsilä, first leading Environmental Services and lately developing Lifecycle Solutions together with Wärtsilä team, ship owners and shipping service end-users.

He has also served as board member in BestServ (industrial services association) and in advisory committees.

Mr Henrik Grönvik
Captain, Senior Master M/S Viking Grace, Viking Line Abp

Master Mariner Åbo Navigationsinstitut 1991
Deck Officer SSC Radisson Diamond 1992-1996
Deck Officer Viking Line 1997-
Master since 2002: ropax vessels M/S Gabriella, M/S Viking Cinderella, M/S Rosella
Senior Master on newbuildings M/S Viking XPRS 2008-2011, M/S Viking Grace 2011-

Mr Jouko Kunnari
Senior Vice President, Archtech Helsinki Shipyard Oy

Mr Eero Mäkinen
Senior Vice President, Marketing at STX Finland Oy
Vice Chairman of EEIG Euroyards, Brussels
Chairman on Finnish - Korean (South Korea) Trade Association in Helsinki, Finland.

Eero Mäkinen has a M.Sc, Naval Architecture from Helsinki University of Technology in 1970.  Since 1969 he was employed by STX Finland Oy (previous names of the  company Wärtsilä, Wärtsilä Marine Industries, Masa-Yards, Kvaerner Masa-Yards, Aker Finnyards and Aker Yards) and held various functions over the time in the field of ship design, icebreaking/arctic research, sales and marketing.  

His previous posts within the group include: President of the engineering subsidiary Wärtsilä Arctic. in Vancouver, B.C., Canada from 1983 to 1989 (present name of the company STX Canada Marine Inc.); Vice President, Marketing and Sales, Aker Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA in 2000 and SVP of Aker Yards, Cruise and Ferries, covering the marketing of all yards of Aker Yards in France and Finland, office in Saint Nazaire, France in 2006 - 2008.

Mr. Robert Segercrantz
Director, Sales, Deltamarin Ltd.

Robert has a long history of working with marine related companies. He started his career in marine in mid eighties as project manager supplying passenger ships with cabins and galley equipment. Since then Robert have had managing positions in several companies supplying equipment both to the new building market and to ships in operation. Robert has a Bachelor’s Degree in Naval Architecture. 

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