Professor Mika Olavi Salminen, Ph.D., is Director General of the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), a 1300+ FTE public health agency reporting to the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health. THL also manages multiple EU contracts, such as the EU medicines stockpile, with a budget of over 300 million Euro. Professor Salminen is Adjunct Professor at the University of Helsinki, a former member of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) as well as the EU Commissions DG HERA’s scientific Advisory Forum. He has published widely on various infectious disease and public health topics. He works closely with the WHO and has led multiple IHR Join External Evaluation missions, in major countries of the EURO, EMRO and WPRO regions. Professor Salminen is member of the Executive Board of IANPHI and currently serves as the organisations Treasurer. Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, Mika served as the primary scientific advisor to the then Prime Minister Sanna Marin’s office and her National Cabinet of Ministers.