Jyrki Wirtavuori

Jyrki Wirtavuori is specialized in export & import finance and structured & project finance, and has been involved in projects in several sectors. With a legal background, he has extensive experience of financing contracts. Since 2011, he has been an independent advisor, working with a number of SME sector companies as Board Member or Chairman, as well as with hands-on management and daily operations.

He was Managing Director of Finnish Export Credit Ltd (FEC, 2005-2011); Director of Customer Relations and Business Development, and the Company lawyer, at FIDE Ltd (Export Credit Agency, 1997-2004); and Head of the Project & Structured Finance team at Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken (SEB), Helsinki Branch, for two years.

During 1993-1995, Jyrki was the FEC Representative and Financial Counsellor at the Finland Trade Centre in London, responsible for business relations with EBRD. He was engaged in project and business development, project finance and co-financing in Central and Eastern Europe and Former Soviet Union. Prior to London, he had similar responsibilities in Washington, D.C., USA, as the FEC representative in the Americas and Financial Advisor to the Finnish Embassy responsible for financing of export transactions and co-finance with World Bank, IFC, IDB and U.S. Eximbank. He started his career in 1977 at the Finnish Post and Telecommunications, Procurement Department, as Legal Counsel responsible for commercial contracts, such as Nordic Mobile Telephone (NMT).

He holds an LL.M degree from the University of Helsinki (1977) and has carried out postgraduate studies in commercial and tax laws. He is a Senior lawyer, trained on the bench.

Languages: Finnish, English and Swedish.