Juha Nurminen, the founder and Chairman of the Board of the Foundation, expresses his thanks: “Annamari Arrakoski-Engardt has been a skilful pilot for the Foundation’s team, leading it energetically and systematically towards growth. During her time at the Foundation, our operations have expanded significantly, our administration and fundraising have become more professional, and we have created important new initiatives in the fields of both marine protection and marine culture. Annamari has been an uncompromising implementer of our Foundation’s purpose, relying on its operational principles of efficiency, measurable results, and impact.”

“It has been a great pleasure to be involved in creating and implementing extremely important new initiatives for the Finnish cultural sector. It is wonderful to lead an organisation that has played a key role in achieving a world record for marine protection in the Baltic Sea”, says Arrakoski-Engardt.

Currently, the John Nurminen Foundation is studying new ways to decrease the internal load of the Baltic Sea; at the same time, it is curbing the nutrient discharges from cultivated fields with gypsum treatment, and leading an international project where gypsum treatment will be introduced to the entire Baltic Sea area. Moreover, the Foundation is delving into nutrient discharges from fertilizer shipping, balancing out the surplus of phosphorus from manure in Finland, reducing the nutrient discharges from biogas production, and commercializing fish stock management in Finland, Sweden, and Åland.

“Making an impact is a really motivating goal, and to reach it, we need continuous development of our operations, which is something we at the John Nurminen Foundation have really focused on. In all our projects, cooperation and partnerships play a key role. The Digimuseo.fi service we launched together with the Finnish Museums Association in May is a great example of how great breakthroughs can be achieved with cooperation and agility”, Arrakoski-Engardt sums up.

From 2012 to 2019, Annamari Arrakoski-Engardt was the chair of the Foundation’s advisory group for marine culture. During this period, the marine online service lokistories.fi was developed in cooperation with maritime museums. As a continuation of this cooperation, the Foundation and the Finnish Museums Association have jointly established a social enterprise whose first service, Digimuseo.fi, was launched this summer.

Prior to working for the Foundation, Annamari Arrakoski-Engardt was the Director of the Academic Bookstore from 2010 to 2013, and a Board Member of the John Nurminen Foundation from 2012 to 2013. Before this, she was Publishing Director at Tammi Publishers (2002 to 2009) and in German media groups (from 1998 to 2002). Arrakoski-Engardt completed her first university degree (M.A.) In the Bielefeld University in Germany in 1995, and her second degree (Lic.Phil.) in the University of Turku in 1997. Her doctoral dissertation in the field of comparative literature was accepted in the University of Turku in 2018. Arrakoski-Engardt is Chairman of the Board of the Booksellers’ Association of Finland, the Foundation of the Finnish Book Institute, and the Aue Foundation.

John Nurminen Foundation – Baltic Sea protection and marine culture
Founded in 1992, the purpose of the John Nurminen Foundation is to save the Baltic Sea and its heritage for future generations. The Foundation has been awarded for its work as a communicator of information and producer of marine content. The goal of the Foundation’s Clean Baltic Sea projects is to improve the condition of the Baltic Sea with tangible measures that will reduce the load and environmental risks directed towards the sea. The work is steered by measurable results and impact. www.johnnurmisensaatio.fi

More information:

Annamari Arrakoski-Engardt, Ph.D.
Managing Director, John Nurminen Foundation
Tel. +358 400 477 878
annamari.arrakoski-engardt@jnfoundation.fi
Twitter @AArrakoski 

Tuula Putkinen
Communications Director, John Nurminen Foundation
Tel. +358 400 907 809
tuula.putkinen@jnfoundation.fi

Please read also Annamari Arrakoski-Engardt’s blog, where she reviews the past year for the John Nurminen Foundation, and takes a look into the future.