Olavi J. Mattila

Who was Olavi J. Mattila?

Olavi Johannes Mattila was twice Finnish Minister for Foreign Affairs, who also held several other ministerial positions in a number of cabinets in the 1960s and 1970s. He was also the CEO of Valmet. He was considered as a close associate of Urho Kekkonen.

He graduated as master of science in engineering in 1946 and as MBA in 1950. Mattila worked in the diplomatic missions in Beijing and Buenos Aires from 1952 to 1960. Later he became a director in the ministry of trade and industry. He worked in the state-owned Valmet, first as the CEO from 1965 to 1973 and as the chairman of the board from 1973 to 1982. He was also the chairman of the board of Enso-Gutzeit, another state-owned company.

His son, Olli Mattila, who also worked as a diplomat in the foreign ministry, was convicted in the early 2000s for espionage.

In 2002 he was visited by members of Jehovah's Witnesses and he subsequently joined the religion. He died 4 August 2013 at the age of 94.