Susanna Koskimaa named executive director of Pirkanmaan Festivaalit, starts 1 June 2026
Susanna Koskimaa will become executive director of Pirkanmaan Festivaalit ry on 1 June 2026; she previously led the association's communications and served briefly as acting director.
ePressi reports that Susanna Koskimaa will take over as executive director of Pirkanmaan Festivaalit ry on 1 June 2026. She steps into the role after a recruitment process that drew 26 applicants. Koskimaa has led the association's communications and served briefly as acting executive director. The board weighed candidates' skills against the organisation's current needs, a changing operating environment, members' expectations and future development goals when making the appointment.
Her appointment follows a turbulent 2025 for the association, which saw several staff changes and relocations of premises. During the year Pirkanmaan Festivaalit led the Skilled and Inclusive Event project, progressed a strategy refresh and ran a number of collaboration projects. At its spring meeting the board approved a new strategy for 2026–2029, which Koskimaa says provides a clear starting point for her work.
"I am very grateful for the support and encouragement I have received from within our network and from many partners," Koskimaa said. "Although the work is familiar to me, the new start feels good and fresh. It is a great honour to lead the association toward its 20th anniversary in 2029."
She highlighted deepening cooperation, strengthening networks and boosting both domestic and international event expertise as central aims, noting that the Pirkanmaa festival network is unique in Finland and attracts interest abroad. The updated strategy places particular emphasis on international networking.
Looking ahead, she identified a weak economic outlook and limited political understanding of art and culture as immediate challenges. Koskimaa urged better collection and analysis of financial data and promoted social impact measures for festivals, stressing that the association's work must start from the needs of its members. "Everything starts with the members and the festivals themselves," she said. "We want to listen carefully to what they need and what level of support or collaboration they require."
Catch the full story over at ePressi
