Heljä-Tuulia Pihamaa continues as Deputy Data Protection Ombudsman

On Thursday 29 January 2026, the Government appointed Heljä-Tuulia Pihamaa, Master of Laws, to the post of Deputy Data Protection Ombudsman for the next five-year term of office, starting on 22 March. Pihamaa has been serving as Deputy Data Protection Ombudsman since March 2021.

As Deputy Data Protection Ombudsman, Heljä-Tuulia Pihamaa leads the private sector guidance and supervision unit at the Office of the Data Protection Ombudsman. She is responsible for resolution and supervisory activities and stakeholder cooperation in her area, and is a member of the Sanctions Board of the Office of the Data Protection Ombudsman. The Board is tasked with imposing administrative fines in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation.

Prior to her position as Deputy Data Protection Ombudsman, Pihamaa was Data Protection Officer for S-Group. Prior to that, she worked as Data Protection Officer at S-Bank and as Office manager and Senior Inspector at the Office of the Data Protection Ombudsman.

The Data Protection Ombudsman and two Deputy Data Protection Ombudsmen at the Office  are independent and autonomous in their duties. 

Eight people applied for the post. 

Further information: 

Ministry of Justice's press release 29 January 2026 (in Finnish): Apulaistietosuojavaltuutetuksi Heljä-Tuulia Pihamaa (oikeusministerio.fi)