Vesa-Pekka Kirsi

UN Assistant Secretary-General and UN Women Deputy Executive Director

Vesa-Pekka Kirsi is a seasoned business executive with an extensive background in market development, sales, and management. He studied BA (hon.), Business Management & Finance at the University of Lincolnshire and Humberside, BBA, Business Management & Strategy at Mercuria Business School, and Psychology & Statistics at Helsinki University. With a career that spans over two decades, Vesa-Pekka has held various top-tier positions across different organizations. He is currently the Senior Vice President and Head of Alma Markets at Alma Media Corporation, a position he has held since 2019. Alma Markets is responsible for developing Alma Media's digital marketplaces across Finland and Eastern Europe.

Before joining Alma, Vesa-Pekka held various executive positions in different organizations. He was the Business Unit Director and later Vice President of Markets at Fonecta Oy, where he was responsible for managing the company's strategic direction and expansion efforts. Previously, he served as the Head of Nokia Games Publishing and was responsible for developing and managing Nokia's mobile gaming portfolio globally. He was also the Publishing Director at Riot Entertainment Ltd., where he oversaw the company's game production pipeline.

Vesa-Pekka is an accomplished professional, having won several awards and accolades throughout his career. He was awarded the "Best Growth Strategy" award for his work at Fonecta Oy, and Forbes named him as one of the "Top 100 Most Influential People in Finland" in 2018. Additionally, he has served on the board of several successful organizations, including BOLT.works and Treamer.

Experience

Deputy Executive Director for Resource Management, Sustainability and Partnerships at UN Women (December 2023 - Present)

Chief of Staff, Director of the Office of Executive Director at UNICEF (December 2019 - December 2023), Director at UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) (May 2016 - December 2019), 1. Chief, UNICEF National Committee Relations (June 2015 - May 2016) 2. Deputy Regional Director (March 2010 - June 2015) 3. Secretary of the Executive Board (2005 - 2010) 4. Inter-Agency Coordination Manager (February 2000 - June 2002) 5. Humanitarian Assistance Specialist (July 1994 - February 2000), Chief of the IASC Secretariat at Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC), UNOCHA (June 2002 - February 2005)