Secretary-General, World Meteorological Organization
Professor Petteri Taalas has been the Secretary-General of WMO since 1 January 2016. He was appointed by the World Meteorological Congress in 2015 for a first four-year term. He is now serving his second four-year term (Jan 2020-Dec 2023).
Director General, Finnish Meteorological Institute, 2007–2015 and 2002–2005
Director, WMO Development and Regional Activities Department, 2005–2007
Research professor remote sensing, 2000–2002, and Head of research, Scientist, 1986-1999, leader of ozone research unit
International activities and memberships
Member of WMO Executive Council since 2008 and European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) Council 2002–2005, 2007 to present
Chairman of EUMETSAT Council 2010–2014 and EUMETNET Council 2003–2005
Delegate of Finland to Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 2007–2015
National activities and memberships
Chairman of the board, University of Eastern Finland since 2010
Alumnus of the year of University of Helsinki 2012
Member of the Finnish Science Academy since 2010, Advisory board of Fortum Energy Company (turnover 6.2 bn €) and of the Finnish Space and Arctic boards 2003–2005, 2009 to present
University and other degrees
PhD in Meteorology, University of Helsinki, Department of Physics, 1993
Management, Executive Education, Helsinki School of Economics, 1998 and 2004
List of publications
Author of ~50 peer-reviewed papers on satellite technology, global change, climate & atmospheric chemistry, dozens of other publications & presentations.