Former President and CEO of Nokia and native Latvian, Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo has been appointed chairman of the committee tasked to support the World Design Capital Helsinki 2012 project.
The committee consists of 45 opinion leaders and specialists from various industries, and serves to support the management and board of the WDC project, offering them broad-based social perspective.
“World Design Capital Helsinki 2012 is a unique opportunity with a broad social interface that already stems from the project’s foundations,” says Kallasvuo. “We are all committed to offering our expertise to support the project’s decision making.”
Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo (right) and wife, Ursula Ranin
Photo Credit: Touko Yrttimaa / YLE
The committee was appointed by the International Design Foundation, which represents the cities of Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa, Kauniainen and Lahti, and the participating universities. The committee will convene three times a year through spring 2013.
“The committee’s first meeting in December 2010 was promising,” says Tero Vähäkylä, Chairman of the Board of International Design Foundation. “The meeting was marked by active participation, lively discussion and inspired commitment. The discussions especially focused on the cities’ role in the project and the long-term effects of the World Design Capital year.”
