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Changes and promotions in the Finnish Border Guard Command on 1 February 2025

Publication date 24.1.2025 16.57 | Published in English on 24.1.2025 at 17.09
Press release
Tom Hanén, Jari Tolppanen, Tuomas Laosmaa and Juha Kivelä
Tom Hanén, Jari Tolppanen, Tuomas Laosmaa and Juha Kivelä

On 24 January 2025, the President of the Republic appointed Rear Admiral, Doctor of Military Sciences Tom Hanén as Deputy Chief of the Finnish Border Guard for the period from 1 February 2025 to 31 December 2027.

The post and function of Deputy Chief of the Finnish Border Guard became vacant, when the current officeholder, Major General Matti Sarasmaa, was on 19 December 2024 appointed as Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of the Interior as from 1 February 2025. 

Furthermore, the President of the Republic appointed Colonel Tuomas Laosmaa to General’s post in the Finnish Border Guard and appointed him as Head of Personnel Division of the Finnish Border Guard Headquarters for the period from 1 February 2025 to 31 December 2029.  The President of the Republic also promoted Laosmaa to Brigadier General as from 1 February 2025.

Rear Admiral Tom Hanén has served in his current position as Head of the Personnel Division of the Border Guard Headquarters since 1 January 2020. Hanén has completed the General Staff Officer’s Degree and was promoted to Rear Admiral on 6 December 2024. Furthermore, Hanén is Doctor of Military Sciences. In addition to his post as Head of the Personnel Division, Hanén has previously worked as Commander of the Gulf of Finland Coast Guard District, Head of the Advanced Studies Department of the Border and Coast Guard Academy, Head of the Maritime Search and Rescue Unit of the Finnish Border Guard Headquarters, as well as Border Security Specialist at the Permanent Representation of Finland to the EU. 

Colonel Tuomas Laosmaa has served in his current position as Commander of the Kainuu Border Guard District since 1 December 2022. Laosmaa has completed the General Staff Officer’s Degree and was promoted to Colonel on 21 March 2020. Previously, Laosmaa has been, inter alia, Head of the Border and Coast Guard Division’s Border Control Unit of the Finnish Border Guard Headquarters, Deputy Chief of the Border and Coast Guard Academy, as well as Head of the Technical Division’s IT Unit.

Moreover, the President of the Republic promoted the following persons as from 1 February 2025:

to Major General, Brigadier General Jari Heikki Tolppanen

to Colonel, Lieutenant Colonel Juha Tapio Kivelä


For further information, please contact: Head of the Legal Division of the Finnish Border Guard Headquarters, Sanna Palo, 0295421601.
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