Tarja Jaakkola makes history in NATO’s top laundry – This is how she relaxes: “It’s going to be painful” – 2024-09-01 23:18:28

Tarja Jaakkola has had a long career in various positions in the defense administration. Ministry of Defence

Finnish Tarja Jaakkola makes history. Secretary General of NATO Jens Stoltenberg has appointed Jaakkola as the coalition’s deputy secretary-general responsible for defense investments as of September 2.

– After all, this is a great honor for me to be chosen for such a task, which, however, in this security situation is very demanding, says Jaakkola in an interview with Iltalehti.

In addition to the Secretary General, NATO has a Deputy Secretary General and eight Deputy Secretaries General, each of whom has their own area of ​​responsibility.

Jaakkola’s position at the head of NATO’s defense investment department is significant, after all, Finland has only been a NATO member for barely a year and a half. The mission of the Defense Investment Department is to support the development of the material capabilities of the alliance and allies.

A versatile career

Jaakkola has a bachelor’s degree in law and has been awarded the title of deputy judge. In the early part of his career, he says that he worked for a few years as a district judge at the Helsinki District Court.

From there, however, Jaakkola’s path soon led to the defense forces.

– I came to the General Staff of the Defense Forces in 1997 actually as a contract and procurement lawyer from the beginning. I have been involved for a long time specifically in these issues concerning defense material and industry and the defense market.

According to Jaakkola, the legal background has been useful in the state administration. However, tasks related to material projects and procurement have also required deepening of technical understanding along the course of my career.

– I have had to learn them during my working career. Of course, I’m not saying that I became an engineer during my career.

Jaakkola will work until the turn of August or September as the department head of the resource policy department of the Ministry of Defense. The department is responsible for, among other things, the development of Finnish military national defense capabilities.

As an official of the Ministry of Defence, Jaakkola was also involved in, for example, Finland’s NATO membership process.

– Yes, our membership process was exceptionally fast. It’s been a year since the application and we were members, which of course poses new challenges in administration. We had to make ourselves operationally fit for NATO on a very fast schedule.

Moving to Brussels

With the new task, Jaakkola has to move to Brussels. It is a city Jaakkola is familiar with through his work at the European Defense Agency, EDA. Jaakkola worked at EDA for six years in the 2010s.

– I started there as an assistant department head, and with the organizational change, in addition to the role of assistant department head, I had my own unit to manage. A very multinational workplace, where the employees came from different EU member states.

Since 23 of NATO’s 32 member countries also belong to the European Union, Jaakkola also has extensive networks through that. Many current and familiar colleagues from the EDA days will therefore continue as partners in the future as well.

– The assignment included a lot of work with EU member states. EDA is an agency under the Council, where the highest decision-making belongs to the Ministers of Defense. It meant a lot of preparation tasks in different work areas with member countries.

Busy autumn

Jaakkola does not want to comment on the substantive issues of his new position at this stage. Strengthening the capacity of the European defense industry and, for example, munitions production, has been considered very important in terms of European security.

– I wouldn’t open it at this point. 2.9. I will start in the position there and after familiarization I will be able to enter the new position. So far, my perspective has been that of a NATO ally. Now I have to change my own point of view and income.

– Autumn will certainly be very busy. There are many different initiatives going on in this sector.

In the midst of a busy and busy autumn, Jaakkola plans to relax with literature, among other things.

– Literature is close to the heart. I read a lot of different literature, from detective stories to fiction and memoirs. Moving the books to Brussels will be painful, Jaakkola laughs.