Taekwondo’s mother Taina Susiluoto wants to raise the profile of sports in Finland.
Taina Susiluoto enters the conference room of a Helsinki hotel with a wide smile.
The life of a 49-year-old lawyer has changed dramatically. There was a text message on Thursday night followed by a confirmation call: the Olympic Committee had just elected him the new CEO.
Susiluoto has had a long career in hiding from the public. Sure, it can hold a number of responsible and convincing tasks, but it is only sport that raises him to the attention of the public.
– I wouldn’t have applied for this if I hadn’t thought about it in advance, he says.
The new CEO introduces herself as a hard-working taekwondo mother. The two oldest children are competing internationally, and the family pit as well as the parents are scrambling on the edge of the tatami.
Susiluoto was not selected for the position due to his sports background. He was a young lawyer Helena Rannan investigating Serb war crimes in Kosovo. Although the CEO of the Olympic Committee is less weighty, the importance of the appointment should not be underestimated.
No woman has been seen before in the pole position of Finnish sports.
– I’ve never been able to think that way. I’m just gone and done. This is certainly not the first time I am the first woman in a certain position.
– But if it’s a good role model for someone, a hard-line social activist will share.
Crisis organization
The Olympic Committee is, of course, in the midst of the worst PR crisis in its history. Mika Lehtimäki the harassment case highlighted the responsibility inherent in dominance for one’s own actions.
The story continues after the picture.
Taina Susiluoto is the first woman to chair the Olympic Committee. Henri Kärkkäinen
Susiluoto will only start as CEO in June, by which time – at least hopefully – the worst will have subsided. However, he understands that work to restore confidence will continue for a long time to come.
– The rules of the game are the same as in other work communities. Let’s discuss openly and do as we say: according to values and principles, Susiluoto says.
The new CEO emphasizes that the ongoing uproar is not just about the abscess inside the Olympic Committee. Unfortunately, the problem is much broader.
– After all, these things are not foreign to any work community or any sector of society. It is a good idea to have a discussion around the Olympic Committee and to find out. It is important to show that they are serious and will be addressed.
Money talks
Sports funding is in a state of flux. Veikkaus will no longer be the shampoo of the past, and the Olympic Committee will also have to lobby the political actors for operating conditions.
It is in this job that Susiluoto, as a former EK boss and a government official, enjoys the home field advantage. He knows which rope to pull at any given time.
– It is important that we raise the profile of sport and exercise in society. An indication of this would be that the money would remain in the state budget.
– If we understand the significance of mobility, club activities and top sports, it will provide a route to an increase in prestige. We need to raise the bar of ambition.
Money is unfortunately often measured in terms of social significance. This is also true in sports.
– The Olympic Committee will continue to be needed. The sound is louder when we all work together. You just have to do a lot of work in front of it.
During the Olympics, the importance of sport is visible all over Finland. Antti Nikkanen