Jere Pensikkala, CEO of the Art House Turku and a Master of Culture and Arts Management (UAS), is being proposed for the position of Director of Cultural Services for the City of Turku. The City Board will consider the appointment proposal at its meeting on 19 Octobe
A total of 72 people applied for the position by the application deadline. Based on an anonymous assessment of qualifications, ten applicants were invited for interviews, and four candidates advanced to the second round.
Pensikkala was assessed as the most qualified and suitable candidate for the position. His vision for developing Turku’s cultural services and reducing segregation through culture impressed the interview panel.
Due to his previous experience, Pensikkala is well equipped to build consensus between different stakeholders within the constraints set by the economic environment. His collaborative and solution-oriented leadership approach will also support the effective use of Turku’s major cultural investments to strengthen the city’s vitality and enhance its national and international visibility.
Pensikkala has extensive and diverse experience in the cultural sector. Before taking up his current role as CEO of the Art House Turku, he worked as Production Manager at the Finnish National Opera and Ballet, Production and Administration Manager at the Turku City Theatre, and in production roles at the Turku 2011 Foundation and Tehdas Theatre Association.
The Director of Cultural Services leads the City of Turku’s cultural services entity, which employs approximately 400 people, and is responsible for regional and national cooperation and advocacy within the sector. The entity comprises cultural promotion services, library services, the City’s museums, the Turku Philharmonic Orchestra and WAM Museum of Contemporary Art. It is also responsible for cooperation with organisations operating within the independent arts sector.
*This translation was produced with AI and reviewed by a human.