HELSINKI – Mika Sulin has been named the new general secretary for the Finnish Organizing Committee of the 2012 and 2013 IIHF World Championships that will be co-hosted by Finland and Sweden. Sulin will begin on November 1, 2010. The current general secretary Kimmo Leinonen is stepping down due to health issues.

Mika Sulin has a strong background in sports, having played in the Finnish SM-liiga before starting a career in sports management, including several posts within Finnish hockey. During the ‘90s Sulin led Nike’s Nordic, Central and Eastern Europe operations. After that he first acted as the managing director at Hartwall Arena, then at Exel Sports Ltd.

The last few years, Sulin was an independent consultant for several sports events and arena projects in Finland and internationally.

“Mika has a strong hockey background, a solid business sense, and excellent networks in both the sports and business world. Having been with the organizing committee of the World Championship, he is well aware of the situation. I’m convinced that Mika is an excellent choice, even if losing Kimmo is a big loss to the organization,” says Kalervo Kummola, the chairman of the organizing committee.

Sulin regrets the fact that Leinonen’s health forced him to step down.

“I have already started to drive down my business and will from now on actively take part in the everyday work of the Finnish local organizing committee. Under the circumstances I had no other choice than to say yes when asked to take over Kimmo’s position. I truly hope Kimmo will now be able to slow down and get back in shape. It would be great to have him back in the organization, in some other role.”

The newly appointed general secretary is very enthusiastic and extremely motivated about his new challenge. He wants to share his experience, knowledge and energy fully with the organization.

“We’re facing a unique project, hosting two World Championships in a row. This is a fantastic opportunity for Finnish hockey. We have to make the most out of it and at the same time fulfill all the goals and expectations set by the IIHF and the Finnish Ice Hockey Federation. The tournament organization is also doing ground-breaking work internationally as the tournaments will be co-hosted with Sweden, creating new ways of working for future organizers.”

The 2012 IIHF World Championship will be played May 4-20, 2012. Host cities are Helsinki (Finland) and Stockholm (Sweden). In 2013 the World Championship dates will be May 3-19. While Stockholm becomes the host city, the Finnish venue for 2013 hasn’t been selected yet.

The Finnish Organizing Committee for the 2012 and 2013 IIHF World Championship
General Secretary: Mika Sulin (full time as of Nov 1, 2010)
Competition Manager: Jarmo Jalarvo
Office and Competition Coordinator: Tuula Puputti
Marketing Manager: Tero Kumpulainen
Marketing Coordinator: Sari Myllyniemi
Finance Manager: Eija Tolonen
Manager of PR and Media: Henna Malmberg
RTV Manager: Heikki Seppälä
Media Coordinator: Elina Kulmala
Arena Manager: Jukka Tenhunen
Security Manager: Ville Ketonen
Ticket Sales and Arena coordinator: Pia Högbacka