Changes to Customs management in May

Several changes in personnel have taken place among the management at Customs during May. The new Director General, Sami Rakshit, started his in early May. In addition to Customs having a new Director General, there have been several changes to department director positions.

The new Director General of Finnish Customs, Sami Rakshit, started his term on 1 May 2024. Rakshit has extensive experience with Customs. He moved to the position of Director General from that of Director of the Enforcement Department. Until the end of August, Mr Rakshit’s first deputy is Deputy Director General Jarkko Saksa. During Saksa’s holiday, Rakshit will be deputised by Stefan Aniszewski, Director of Administration and by Samy Gardemeister, Director of the Enforcement Department.

Stefan Aniszewski started as the new Director of the Administration Department on 1 May 2024. Aniszewski has a long and versatile career with Customs and in international tasks. Aniszewski has deputised the Director of Administration during the spring.

As of 2 May 2024, the Enforcement Department has been led by Samy Gardemeister. Gardemeister has 30 years of experience of multiple tasks within Customs. He has also worked for the World Customs Organization (WCO). Gardemeister took over as Director of the Enforcement Department and left his post as Director of Customs Enforcement.

As of 15 May 2024, the Foreign Trade and Taxation Department has been led by Tom Ferm. He has almost 30 years of experience with Customs, and took over as Director of the Foreign Trade and Taxation Department from the position of Director of Customer Relations and Tax Collection. 

Pekka Äijälä will continue as the Director of the Customs Offices Department. He has led the Department since the end of last year. Pekka Äijälä has worked at Customs for dozens of years, and has extensive skills acquired in tasks on all of Finland’s borders. In addition to tasks at the Customs Offices Department, Äijälä has experience for example in criminal investigations. He will continue working as Head of Sea Customs which is subordinate to the Customs Offices Department.

Pekka Pylkkänen, Director of Financial Management and Mika Parkkonen, Director of Communications are also members of the Steering Group of Finnish Customs.

Read also previous news items from Customs:
Sami Rakshit is the new Director General of Finnish Customs (4 April 2024)
Read more about changes to the management of the Enforcement Department: Changes in the management of the Enforcement Department of Finnish Customs as of 2 May 2024
Read more about changes to the management of the Foreign Trade and Taxation Department: Changes in the management of the Foreign Trade and Taxation Department as of 15 May 2024 (in Finnish)