Ari Alatossava is Oulu’s new Mayor

On Monday, Oulu’s City Council elected Ari Alatossava as Oulu’s new Mayor. Alatossava has been filling in for the role of mayor for a time already, and now transfers to the role permanently from the position of Central Administration Director. 

The City Council meeting on Monday evening culminated in the vote for a new mayor. The final candidates were the acting mayor Ari Alatossava and the Deputy Managing Director of the Association of Finnish Municipalities Timo Reina. 

Alatossava was elected as Oulu’s new Mayor in a closed ballot with votes 39-28. 

Alatossava, 59, is from Kuusamo and has been working in Oulu’s Central Administration since 2022. He has been filling in for previous mayors of Oulu, Päivi Laajala and Seppo Määttä. He has been the acting Mayor since last December.  

Before working as Oulu’s Central Administration Director, Alatossava served as the mayor of Ii in the years 2015–2022 and before that he acted as the CEO of different business development, technology and regional development companies for 15 years, including Micropolis of Ii and Iilaakso Oy. Alatossava graduated as a Master of Arts from the University of Oulu in 1994. 

The mayor was elected to a non-fixed term.