Finland’s banking sector operates in one of Europe’s most digitally advanced environments. From central banking to municipal finance and retail banking groups, the industry depends on resilient infrastructure, regulatory discipline, and strong cyber governance. The leaders below stand out for combining operational depth with strategic oversight in institutions where trust, stability, and compliance are foundational.
Mikko Itävuo – Head of Information Security, Bank of Finland
Mikko Itävuo has built his career inside Finland’s central banking institution, progressing from systems analyst and information security expert to Head of Information Security. That trajectory reflects deep institutional knowledge combined with technical grounding. In a central bank context, where financial stability, payment systems, and national economic infrastructure intersect, his experience signals a leader who understands both operational technology and the regulatory expectations that shape monetary institutions. His long tenure within the organization reinforces continuity, maturity, and strategic alignment in one of Finland’s most critical financial entities.
Jani Räty – Chief Information Security Officer, Nordic Investment Bank
Jani Räty operates in a multilateral banking environment that spans several Nordic and Baltic member states. Serving as Associate Director and Chief Information Security Officer, he works within the second line of defense, focusing on security risk quantification, governance, and executive advisory. His profile emphasizes measurement, performance indicators, and continual improvement—an approach well suited to a supranational financial institution where oversight, transparency, and structured risk management are paramount. With experience leading operational risk and security control functions, he represents a governance-driven CISO archetype built for regulatory scrutiny and cross-border coordination.
Jussi Salminen – Chief Security Officer and Chief Information Security Officer, POP Pankki -ryhmä / POP Bank Group
Jussi Salminen combines both Chief Security Officer and Chief Information Security Officer responsibilities within POP Bank Group, reflecting an integrated security leadership model. His background spans financial services, retail, telecommunications, and global enterprise environments, with deep exposure to cloud platforms, identity and access management, security architecture, and regulatory standards such as ISO 27001 and PCI DSS. Having led security functions in both public and private sectors, he brings infrastructure-scale thinking into a cooperative banking group setting—where resilience, vendor oversight, and modernization must coexist with conservative risk posture.
Mikko Lavento – Chief Information Security Officer, Kuntarahoitus Oyj
Mikko Lavento’s career reflects experience on both the purchasing and supplier sides of technology, giving him a balanced perspective on risk, contracts, and infrastructure strategy. As Chief Information Security Officer at Municipality Finance Plc, he oversees security in an institution that finances Finland’s municipalities and public housing. His background in infrastructure leadership, identity management, large-scale vendor transitions, and multi-year transformation programs positions him as a pragmatic operator. In a public-finance context where funding continuity and system integrity are essential, that blend of technical fluency and governance focus is particularly valuable.
Tuukka Jousi – Chief Information Security Officer, Säästöpankkiryhmä
Tuukka Jousi brings long-term financial-sector experience across pensions and banking into his Chief Information Security Officer role at Säästöpankkiryhmä. His background includes serving as Head of Security and Data Protection Officer, reflecting dual expertise in operational security and privacy governance. This combination is increasingly important in European banking, where regulatory frameworks demand close coordination between cybersecurity, data protection, and risk management. His trajectory signals a leader comfortable aligning compliance, resilience, and digital transformation within cooperative and savings-bank structures.
Safeguarding Trust in a Digitally Advanced Banking System
Finland’s banking ecosystem is deeply digital, interconnected, and highly regulated. The leaders featured here represent different layers of that system—central banking, multilateral finance, retail banking groups, and municipal finance. What unites them is a focus on measurable security maturity, structured governance, and operational resilience. In a sector where public confidence and systemic stability are inseparable from cybersecurity strength, these CISOs and security executives stand out for building programs designed to endure scrutiny and scale securely.