Famous Finnish Leaders

Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim was a Finnish statesman and military leader who served as the leader of the White Guard during the Finnish Civil War of 1918. He also played a key role during World War II where he served as the Chief of Defense of Finland's defense forces. Thanks to his achievements, Mannerheim is regarded as Finland's greatest statesman.

Martti Ahtisaari is a Finnish politician who served as the tenth president of Finland; he was in office from 1994 to 2000. In 2008, he was honored with the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize for playing an important role in resolving long-lasting and serious conflicts, such as the ones in Namibia and Iraq. In 2008, he was also awarded the Delta Prize for Global Understanding.

Finnish statesman Johan Vilhelm Snellman was a major figure of the Fennoman movement that was geared toward establishing Finnish as a national language, replacing Swedish. He had been both a professor and a senator, and has switched the Finnish monetary standard from rubles to marks.

Sari Essayah is a Finnish former athlete who specialized in race walking. A former European champion and world champion in the 10,000 metres event, Essayah created seven national records during her athletic career. After retiring from sports, Sari Essayah became a politician and is currently serving as the president of the Christian Democrats party.

Georg Magnus Sprengtporten was a Finland-Swedish politician best remembered as the younger half-brother of Jacob Magnus Sprengtporten. He played an important role during the Seven Years' War where he served as a captain. As he defected to Russia, Georg Magnus Sprengtporten is considered a traitor in Sweden.