A Luncheon Briefing

by

H.E. Jukka Valtasaari
Ambassador of Finland to the U.S.

and

Mr. Kari-Pekka Wilska

President
Nokia Inc., Americas

 

Monday, January 5

12:00 Noon
(11:30 a.m. networking reception)

Plimsoll Club, 30th Floor, WTC

(Free validated parking in the WTC Garage)

Jukka Valtasaari has been the Ambassador of Finland in Washington D.C. from November 1988 to January 1996, and again since October 2001. Between his Washington tours he served as the Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs in Helsinki, which is the highest non-elected office in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. His previous postings include Director General for Foreign Trade in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 1988, Deputy Director General 1985 to 1988 and Director of Arms Control 1983 to 1985. Prior to joining Finland's foreign service in 1966, he lectured on economics at the University of Helsinki from 1963 to 1966.

Kari-Pekka Wilska is President of Nokia Inc. for the Americas region. With overall responsibilities for each of Nokia’s business units — Nokia Mobile Phones, Nokia Networks and Nokia Ventures Organization — Mr. Wilska is the most senior Nokia official in the region. A Finnish native, he joined Nokia after receiving his bachelor of science from Helsinki Institute of Technology. As Nokia was just on the brink of getting into radio communications, Mr. Wilska was one of the industry’s true pioneers. With a background in engineering, Mr. Wilska was responsible for mobile communications system sales and in mid-1975, was promoted to manage Nokia’s radio telephone division. In the early 1980s, Mr. Wilska came to North America to start Nokia’s sales program in the United States. With the explosive rise of mobile communications in the 1990s, Mr. Wilska helped Nokia become the world's largest cellular phone manufacturer. In 2002, he was promoted to his current position. This year he became only the second recipient of the quadrennial "Engineer of the Year" award of the Finnish Engineers Association.

The speakers will explain how a small country in northern Europe became:

• 1st in the world in competitiveness
• 1st in the world in ability to benefit from information and communications technology
• 1st in the world in environmental sustainability
• 1st in the world in literacy

Sponsoring Organizations

Honorary Consulate of Finland

Louisiana Economic Development

City of New Orleans

Dumas and Associates Law Corporation
Phelps Dunbar LLP

Port of New Orleans

World Trade Center of New Orleans

 

In Cooperation With

Ark-La-Tex Regional Export & Technology Center

Baton Rouge Center for World Affairs

Consular Corps of New Orleans

International Trade Council/Red River Region

Louisiana District Export Council

Louisiana International Trade Center/SBDC

Louisiana Tax Free Shopping

Louisiana Technology Council

Propeller Club, Port of New Orleans

World Affairs Council of New Orleans

World Trade Club of Greater New Orleans

Cost: $25 for members of the sponsoring organizations and companies.  $30 for non-members.