Preceded by Ahti Karjalainen Name Olavi Mattila Succeeded by Kalevi Sorsa | Preceded by Vaino Leskinen Succeeded by Kalevi Sorsa | |
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Born 24 October 1918
Hyvinkaa, Finland ( 1918-10-24 ) Spouse(s) Annikki (deceased, June 2004) Occupation official in the ministry of trade and industry Died August 4, 2013, Hyvinkaa, Finland | ||
Olavi Johannes Mattila (24 October 1918 – 4 August 2013) 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, China and Buenos Aires, Argentina 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 studying the Bible with them, and he subsequently joined the religion. He died 4 August 2013 at the age of 94.