Organisation and management

Turku University of Applied Sciences is divided into three teaching faculties and a corporate services department. Operations are managed by the Rector and President, assisted by the executive board. Turku University of Applied Sciences is maintained by Turku University of Applied Sciences Ltd.

On this page you will find more detailed information about our organisational structure, management and shareholders.

The executive board

The executive board, appointed by the Rector and President, assists the Rector in the management of Turku UAS. The executive board also coordinates and develops common policies within Turku UAS. The executive board member are the Rector and President (chairperson), Vice Rector, Director of Services, Director of Finance and Administration and Deans.

  • Vesa Taatila

    Rector and President
    +358 50 598 5761
    vesa.taatila@turkuamk.fi
  • Juhani Soini

    Vice Rector
    +358 50 598 5321
    juhani.soini@turkuamk.fi
  • Sami Savolainen

    Director of Services
    +358 50 559 0489
    sami.savolainen@turkuamk.fi
  • Ulla-Maija Lakka

    Director of Finance and Administration
    +358 50 598 5614
    ulla-maija.lakka@turkuamk.fi
  • Juha Kontio

    Dean
    +358 50 385 4122
    juha.kontio@turkuamk.fi
  • Timo Tanskanen

    Dean
    +358 50 598 5210
    timo.tanskanen@turkuamk.fi
  • Anne Isotalo

    Dean
    +358 40 355 0443
    anne.isotalo@turkuamk.fi

Organisational structure

Our organisation is divided into three teaching faculties and corporate services. The organisation chart below shows the faculty deans and directors of corporates services as well as the units and their heads with in the different faculties.

You can search for the staff of different units on the contact information page.

Our organisational changes as of 1.1.2025

Organisational changes:

Juha Kontio will become the new vice rector as of 1.1.2025. He will primarily be responsible for steering and developing educational activities.

The Faculty of Engineering and Business will be divided into three faculties. The new faculties and their deans will start on 1.1.2025.

View the new organisation chart

Read the news article about the change.

The shareholders of Turku UAS

The shareholders of Turku University of Applied Sciences Ltd are the City of Turku (91%), the City of Salo (6%) and the University of Turku (3%).

The Board of Turku UAS

The Board of Turku University of Applied Sciences Ltd. Is appointed at the General Meeting. In addition, the composition of the Board is regulated by the Act on Universities of Applied Sciences.

The duties of the Board are regulated by the Limited Liability Companies Act, the Act on Universities of Applied Sciences and the Regulations of Turku UAS. The Board is responsible for the appropriate organisation and administration of the company’s operations.

Members of the Board

The Chair of the Board is Niko Aaltonen and the Vice-Chair of the Board is Eeva-Johanna Eloranta. The presenting official on the Board is Rector and President Vesa Taatila and the secretary of the Board is Director of Services Sami Savolainen.

Potrettikuva, Niko Aaltonen

Niko Aaltonen, Chair

Service Manager, City of Turku Urban Environment Department

  • Bachelor of Business Administration, Turku University of Applied Sciences
  • National Defence Course 2015
  • Member of Turku City Council 2010 –
  • Member of Turku City Council 2017 –
  • Member of the Regional Council of the Union of Southwest Finland 2010 –
  • Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Hospital District of Southwest Finland 2017-2021
  • Chairman of the Board of Tradenomiliitto 2009-2018
  • Member of the Board of Akava (2010, 2012, 2014)
Potrettikuva, Eeva-Johanna Eloranta

Eeva-Johanna Eloranta, Vice-Chair

Member of Parliament, Parliament of Finland

  • Master of Philosophy, Master of Political Science, University of Turku
  • Member of the Education Committee (since 2011), Vice-Chair (since 2019)
  • Member of the Board of the Finnish National Board of Education (since 2015), Chairman (since 2019)
  • Member of the Parliamentary Group on the Reform of Continuous Learning (since 2019)

Timo Aro, Member

Strategy Director, City of Turku

  • Doctor of Social Sciences, University of Turku
  • Leading Expert/MDI, Development Manager/City of Pori, Development Manager/ Net Effect Oy
  • Member of the Board of The Housing Finance and Development Centre of Finland (ARA) 2022-
  • Chair of the Board of Migration Institute of Finland 2025-
  • City of Pori, Member of the City Board and City Council 2021-2025
Potrettikuva, Satu Haapalainen

Satu Haapalainen, Member

Sh, PhD, Lecturer in Health and Welfare Sector, Emergency Nursing, Nursing, Midwifery and Diagnostic Services

  • Master of Health Sciences, University of Turku, 2009
  • Naantali City Council-, Deputy Councillor 2021-
  • City of Naantali, Deputy Member of the Education Committee 2021-
  • MLL Southwest Finland Family Services Ltd., Chairman of the Board 2022-
  • Member of the Board (Secretary) of the Naantali Coalition Party Municipal Organisation 2022-
  • City of Naantali, Member of the Social and Health Committee and Individual Section 2021-2022
  • MLL Southwest Finland District, Vice Chair of the District Board 2016-2023
  • MLL Raisio local association, Chairman 2010-2018
Potrettikuva, Santeri Levo

Santeri Levo, Member

Information and Communication Technology student at Turku University of Applied Sciences

  • Software Engineering Trainee at Konsgberg Maritime 2024
  • Junior Developer at Veikkaus Oy 2022 – 2024
  • Graduated-, Puolalanmäki High School 2016
  • Member of the Education Committee 2024 –
  • Information and Communication Technology Executive Group equivalent 2024
  • Member of Students’ Union TUO Representative Council 2022-
  • Positions of trust:
  • Students’ Union (TUO) President 2022-2023
  • Lounais-Suomen Insinöörit LOUSI ry Board Member 2023
  • Turku Engineering Students (TIO) Association Vice President 2022
  • Turku Engineering Students (TIO) Association Board Member 2021
Potrettikuva, Mika Mannervesi

Mika Mannervesi, Member

Director of Vitality, City of Salo

  • Graduate Engineer, Helsinki University of Technology
  • Managing Director, Salo IoT Park Oy 2017
  • Salon District Heating Ltd. (oto) 2020-21
  • Salon Vesi (oto) 2022-
  • Lounavoima Oy 2017-24, Kaarea Oy 2019-24, Länsirata Oy 2020-

Maija Peltola, Member

Vice Rector at the University of Turku

  • Professor, Data analytics
  • PhD, 2003
  • Finnish Education Employers (FEE), YV-committee, 2025-2026
  • Chair of the Board of The Finnish Union of University Researchers and Teachers, 2019-2022
  • Member of the Board of the University of Turku, 2014-2019
Potrettikuva, Marja Salenius-Ranki

Marja Salenius-Ranki, Member

Human Resources Director, Elomatic

M.Sc. (Econ.), University of Vaasa

Potrettikuva, Mervi Uusitalo-Heikkinen

Mervi Uusitalo-Heikkinen, Member

Class teacher, Lauste School City of Turku,

  • KM, University of Turku, Rauma OKL
  • Member of the Board of Turku Student Village Foundation 2023-
  • Member of the Board of the Turku Teachers’ Union 2022-
  • Vice-Chair of the Multiculturalism Council of the Southwest Finland Prosperity Region 2022-
  • Chairman of the Audit Committee of the Turku Regional Municipal Corporation 2023-
  • Deputy Member of the City Government of Turku, Deputy Member of the City Council, Vice-Chairman of the Left Alliance of Turku from 2021
  • Member of Turku City Council, Member of the Culture Committee 2017-2021
  • Deputy member of Turku City Council 2008-2017