Ms Tarja Jaakkola is NATO´s Assistant Secretary General for Defence Investment.
In this role she leads the division responsible for facilitating the development and
adoption of cutting-edge, innovative and interoperable capabilities, critical to
ensuring the Alliance´s ability to undertake the full spectrum of missions and
operations.
Before her current position, Tarja worked as Director General, Resource Policy
Department in the Finnish Ministry of Defence and as Finnish National Armaments
Director. From 2018 until late 2022 she held the position of Director of the Materiel
Unit and Deputy National Armaments Director.
From October 2011 to September 2017 Tarja worked in the European Defence
Agency in Brussels. She initially held the position of Assistant Director of the
Industry and Market Directorate, and from 2014 onwards she worked in the
European Synergies and Innovation Directorate as Deputy Director and the Head
of Industry Strategy and wider EU Policies Unit.
Tarja has previously held different positions within the Ministry of Defence of
Finland and Finnish Defence Forces with various armaments, defence industry and
market related responsibilities. She has also served as a judge at the City Court
of Helsinki, Senior Advisor at the Finnish Rail Administration and attorney-at-law.
Ms. Jaakkola received her Master of Laws Degree from Helsinki University.
She is
married and has one daughter
