Finlandia Foundation Boston
Who We Are
Current Board
Erika Verkkonen is an experienced educator and development project professional with a background in special education and international project work. She holds degrees from Universidad Tecnológica Equinoccial (Pedagogy, Ecuador) and Universidad de Cadiz (Special Education, Spain), with experience in Ecuador, Brazil, and Finland. She has also served with the Suomi-koulu of New England and Finlandia Foundation Boston.
Petri Perinne is a financial and operations leader with over 15 years of experience in corporate finance, strategic planning, and business development. He has held leadership roles at Valmet, Metso Paper, and Sherwin-Williams, where he successfully managed multimillion-dollar global product portfolios, led cross-functional teams, and drove revenue growth through strategic sales initiatives and process improvements. As the Managing Director of Perinne Group, Inc., Petri Perinne has advised organizations on strategy, operational efficiency, and market expansion. His expertise spans financial planning, risk management, sales, supply chain optimization, and data-driven decision-making, positioning him as a trusted advisor in driving sustainable growth.
Petri holds a Master of Science in Finance from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, as well as a Master of Business Administration and a Master of Science in Technology from Aalto University. He is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and CPA exam eligible in Massachusetts. Committed to financial excellence and operational innovation, he brings strategic insight and fiscal leadership to his role as Treasurer. A dedicated member of the Greater Boston community, Petri is passionate about supporting nonprofit initiatives and youth sports. In his free time, he enjoys boating, hiking, skiing, and coaching local youth sports teams.
Saana McDaniel, a graduate of the University of Helsinki, has been on the Finlandia Foundation board since 1996. First as a President, followed by as a newsletter editor and most recently as the Clerk. Saana is an Assistant Director of Academic Programs Administration at MIT and teaches Finnish at Harvard. She is an early morning swimmer, an avid yogi, cyclist and a pickleball player who loves to travel.
Tiina Itämeri is from Turku, Finland, and has lived abroad for over thirty years. She lived in France, Italy, Russia, Spain, Denmark, and Greece before moving to the United States in 2006. As a long-time expat, a strong connection to Finland has always been important to Tiina. She has maintained this by finding Finnish communities wherever she lives and ensuring her daughter grew up speaking Finnish.
Krista Jarner is a fairly new Bostonian, originally from Helsinki, where she spent most of her life. She’s a marketing professional with a special interest in branding and content creation, and currently works as a Social Media Manager for local businesses in the Boston area.
Simo J Lahtinen is a dedicated advocate for Finnish-American business relations and cultural exchange. He serves as the Founder and CEO of Capteeni Oy and Capteeni LLC, helping Nordic companies establish a strong foothold in the U.S. market. With extensive experience in international trade, he has successfully guided numerous businesses across industries such as energy, manufacturing, and technology.
In addition to his leadership at Capteeni, he holds key roles in Finnish-American organizations, including as Chairman of Profitable Landing New England, Inc., a FinnCham initiative supporting transatlantic commerce. He is also a Board Member of the Finnish-American Chamber of Commerce (FACC) Greater Houston and FACC Midwest, actively fostering business opportunities between Finland and the United States.
His expertise in U.S. market entry, strategic partnerships, and transatlantic business development makes him a valuable asset to the Finlandia Foundation Boston Chapter, where he is committed to promoting Finnish culture, heritage, and business engagement in the region.
On his spare time Simo enjoys skiing & dancing with his wife Dr. Kayla Engström, M.D
Katariina Majamaa is a global product management and marketing executive with professional experience across six countries on three continents. She holds a Master of Science, Chemical Engineering degree from Helsinki University of Technology/Aalto University. Katariina is a recent transplant to Boston area and currently resides in Cambridge, MA. She is excited to be part of the Finlandia Foundation Boston Chapter board to promote Finland and celebrate Finnish culture.
Teresia Möller is a "barefooted" Helsinki-native Finn and has lived in the USA for 24 years, 19y of which in Massachusetts. She has a PhD in radiochemistry from the University of Helsinki and currently works as a Director of Pharma Collaborations and Business Management at Life Molecular Imaging, an international company specializing in manufacture of radiopharmaceuticals for imaging of the brain and heart supporting diagnosis and therapy of Alzheimer's Disease and Cardiac Amyloidosis. She enjoys typical Finnish things, like hikes in nature with her dog, eating fish and ruisleipä and spending time at the family summer cottage.
Lydia Rigby is a Senior Systems Analyst at a global law firm in Boston. She holds an MBA from Boston College. Lydia resides in Boston, MA. She is a sauna enthusiast and Finnish language fanatic.
Lauren Tuiskula is the Associate Managing Editor at The GIST, a female-founded sports media company. She was a founding member of the Finlandia Foundation National Young Leaders Board and serves as chair of the Finlandia Foundation Boston scholarship committee. Lauren is a dual citizen of the U.S. and Finland and currently lives in Allston, MA.Milena Virrankoski was raised in Turku, Finland, and in the early 2000s also served on the culture team for the international club (IAESTE) at Tampere University of Technology. She moved to the Boston area in 2002 and now lives in Sharon, Massachusetts, with her husband, two sons (a high school junior and a fifth grader), a cat, and a dog. Milena works in biotech, currently in neuroscience early development supporting Phase 1 clinical trials. She's excited about the opportunity to collaborate with New England Finns and to continue bringing Finnish-influenced activities to the local Finnish community and Finland-minded friends.