The European Centre of Excellence for Civilian Crisis Management is delighted to announce the appointment of Johanna Sumuvuori as its second Director.

From April 1^st, Johanna Sumuvuori will join the CoE as its new Director. A Finnish national, Johanna brings over 20 years of experience in the fields of international affairs, policy making, and diplomacy. With expertise in strategic planning, stakeholder engagement, and external relations, the CoE will benefit immensely from Johanna’s leadership and strategic direction.

Prior to joining the CoE, Johanna held various high-level roles including as State Secretary to the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Finland, and most recently as a Senior Advisor at the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in New York. Prior to this, Johanna has served as a Member of Parliament of Finland and a City Councillor in Helsinki, and in positions at the Embassy of Finland in London and the Finnish Institute in the UK and Ireland. She has also held leading positions in civil society organisations as well as in different kinds of positions of trust, including advocacy for civilian crisis management.

Johanna Sumuvuori is excited about the opportunity to lead the highly experienced team at the CoE.

“Civilian Crisis Management is needed more than ever. It is an essential part of the EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP), as it covers the whole conflict cycle from prevention to reconstruction. Together with its members and partners, CoE can build stronger civilian capacities and preparedness for the future, contributing to the goals of the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP)”, she stated.

Dr. Thomas Bagger, State Secretary of the German Federal Foreign Office said:

“Johanna Sumuvuori’s extensive experiences and expertise in Civilian Crisis Management will be a valued asset for Member States in further strengthening their cooperation in this field as part of the CoE. We thank Dr. Volker Jacoby for his outstanding achievements as Founding Director and will support Johanna Sumuvuori and her team in their important work.”