Hanna Kuusela, Leena Niemistö and Alf Rehn selected to the Uniarts Helsinki Board
The University Collegium has appointed three new members from outside the Uniarts Helsinki community for a four-year term from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2029. The newly selected members are Hanna Kuusela, Leena Niemistö and Alf Rehn.
Hanna Kuusela (b. 1982), PhD, docent, is an associate professor of sociology at the University of Jyväskylä. Previously, she has served as an academy research fellow as well as a shop steward and a member of the academic board at Tampere University. Kuusela’s research interests focus on economy, culture and democracy as well as their relations. She has also studied university democracy and higher education policies and written numerous non-fiction books on these topics. Hanna Kuusela has led several research projects and received multiple awards for her work.
Leena Niemistö (b. 1963), Doctor of Medicine, is a board professional and investor. She was the CEO of the healthcare company Dextra in 2003–2016 and the deputy CEO of the social and healthcare service provider Pihlajalinna in 2013–2016. Niemistö served as the chair of the board of the Finnish National Opera and Ballet in 2016–2025. She has also served as the chair of the jury for the Ars Fennica Award since 2004. Niemistö is a member of the supervisory boards of the Finnish Cultural Foundation and the Finnish National Theatre. In addition to her board work in arts organisations, Niemistö has served as a board member in various companies and communities; she is currently a board member of Pihlajalinna, the food company Raisio and the medical technology company Nexstim, for example.
Alf Rehn (b. 1972), PhD, is a professor of innovation, design and management at the University of Southern Denmark. He is the head of the Center for Organizational Datafication and its Ethics in Society, which carries out research into questions such as the impact of artificial intelligence on management and creative work. Previously, Rehn has held professorships at KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm School of Entrepreneurship and Åbo Akademi University. Alf Rehn is an active public speaker and a prolific writer and columnist. He has served as a board member of various organisations, including the Central Organization for Finnish Culture and Arts Association Kulta ry and Finland’s national gaming company Veikkaus and been involved in the activities of the event arena Logomo, advertising agency Satumaa and Nordic Business Forum.
The Uniarts Helsinki Board has a total of 11 members. Five of them come from outside of the university community and six of them are internal members. Besides the newly selected members Hanna Kuusela, Leena Niemistö and Alf Rehn, the Board’s external members also include Minna Nurminen and Timo Viherkenttä, whose terms will continue until the end of 2027. Four staff representatives and two student representatives will be elected to the Board as internal members in autumn 2025.
The Collegium made the decision at its meeting on 25 August 2025.