Mr Kari Wihlman has been appointed Director-General of the Finnish Transport Safety Agency with effect from 1 January 2010. The Government of Finland announced the appointment on 22 December 2009. Appointment to the post of Director-General is for a period of five years ending on 31 December 2014.
Mr Wihlman is a Master of Laws, trained on the bench. He became Director-General of the Finnish Vehicle Administration in 2008. Before that he worked as the Administration's Director responsible for vehicle registration and taxation. Between 2000 and 2007 he acted as Sector Director and between 1996 and 2000 as Vice Director-General at the Administration.
As of 1 January 2010 the six agencies within the administrative sector of the Ministry of Transport and Communications will merge into two larger units, Transport Safety Agency and Transport Infrastructure Agency.
The Transport Safety Agency will be responsible for the safety operations of the Vehicle Administration, Civil Aviation Authority, Rail Agency and Maritime Administration.
The Transport Safety Agency will be an administration and safety authority responsible for transport system regulation and supervision tasks. Its duties will be to promote transport safety and sustainable development of the transport system and to provide public services in transport.
Further information:
Mr Harri Pursiainen, Permanent Secretary, tel. +358 9 160 28389, +358 500 787 742
