Lt. Gn. Jaakkola made Finnish Defence Chief

President Sauli Niinistö on Wednesday appointed Lieutenant General Janne Jaakkola as the Chief of Defence for the period April 1, 2024 to March 31 2029, said the Ministry of Defence in a press release.

he current Chief of Defence, General Timo Kivinen, will end his active service on 31 March 2024.

During his career, Lieutenant General Janne Alpertti Jaakkola has distinguished himself in various positions both in Finland and abroad.

He has held several positions in the Defence Command since 2015, including that of Chief of Logistics and Chief of Planning of the Defence Forces. He took up his current position as Deputy Chief of Staff, Strategy, on 1 January 2023.

Previously, Jaakkola has served as Chief of Staff in Pori Brigade, Battalion Commander of Utti Jaeger Regiment, and Senior Staff Officer at the Ministry of Defence, where he led and developed the Ministry's strategy work.

Jaakkola held leadership positions of Finnish troops in crisis management operations in Afghanistan and Kosovo.

Jaakkola graduated as a general staff officer from the National Defence University in 2001. He has also completed a general staff officer course at the Norwegian Defence University College.

He was promoted to Lieutenant General on 4 June 2023.