Published on 20.4.2026
Vivikka Richt Appointed Director of Public Affairs and Communications at the Deaconess Foundation
Vivikka Richt, M.Sc., B.Soc.Sc., has been appointed Director of Public Affairs and Communications at the Deaconess Foundation and a member of the Group Executive Management Team. She transfers to the position from the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, where she has served as Director of Communications since 2020. Richt will take up her new role on 18 May 2026.
Vivikka Richt is a versatile communications professional and leader whose career began as a journalist at Yleisradio (YLE) before progressing into senior communications leadership roles. Prior to joining the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, Richt served as Director of Communications at the cities of Kerava, Riihimäki and Vantaa, as well as at the Finnish National Gallery. In 2024, the Finnish communications professionals’ association Procom named her Communications Professional of the Year.
At the Deaconess Foundation, Vivikka Richt will be responsible for the organisation’s public affairs and communications as a member of the Group Executive Management Team.
“Societal pressures are increasing, and the need to defend human dignity is greater than ever. The Deaconess Foundation is an active reformer in this changing environment, and Vivikka brings exactly the expertise and perspective we need at this moment,” says Elina Juntunen, CEO of the Deaconess Foundation.
“It is wonderful to join the Deaconess Foundation’s work at this time. The Foundation operates where societal decisions and their consequences are directly reflected in people’s everyday lives. Turning these lived experiences into effective advocacy, while making them visible and driving change, makes this role particularly meaningful right now,” says Vivikka Richt, who will take up her position as Director of Public Affairs and Communications on 18 May 2026.
A warm welcome to the Deaconess Foundation, Vivikka!
