General Secretariat

The General Secretariat is the administrative organ for the Bank of Finland’s top management. The department is in charge of the preparation of the Bank’s decisions and international policy orientations. It is also responsible for strategic planning, communications and legal services. The General Secretariat supplies assistant services for Board members and acts as the secretariat of the Board and the Parliamentary Supervisory Council. In addition, the department manages the activities of the Bank of Finland Museum and coordinates the enhancement of financial literacy.

The Head of the General Secretariat is Elisa Newby.

The Secretariat includes the following divisions, units and teams:

Assistant Services for the Board

The Assistant Services team supplies personal assistant services for the members of the Board. The team is also responsible for the arrangement of meetings of the Board and the Parliamentary Supervisory Council.

International Affairs

The International Affairs division prepares policy orientations and background material to support the international activities of the members of the Board. The division is responsible for preparations for the meetings of the ECB's Governing Council, the General Board of the European Systemic Risk Board and the Bank for International Settlements. In addition, the International Affairs division is responsible for Finland's relations with the International Monetary Fund.

Legal Affairs

Responsibility for legal issues concerning the Bank of Finland and its activities is concentrated in the Legal Affairs unit. The unit participates in the workings of the ESCB related to its field of activities, and contributes to the preparation of decision-making by the Board of the Bank and Eurosystem-related decision-making.

Strategy and Organisation

The Strategy and Organisation team supports the Board of the Bank of Finland by providing expert support in strategic management, organisational development and the steering of operations. In addition, the team is responsible for administering the process of planning the Bank’s operations and assessment of the achievement of targets.

Communications

The Communications unit plans and steers the external and internal communications of the Bank of Finland. The unit is charged with practical communications, the Internet and Intranet services as well as producing the Bank’s publications. The Bank of Finland Museum is part of the Communications unit.