Susanna Pettersson PhD has been appointed the new director and secretary-general of the Alvar Aalto Foundation, effective 1 October 2010. She will be directing the Alvar Aalto Museum and leading the administration of the various units of the Alvar Aalto Foundation.

Susanna Pettersson is a highly qualified and experienced professional in the museum sector who has also served in important capacities in the field at the international level. She is currently head of Community Relations and Development at the Finnish National Gallery in Helsinki.

The Alvar Aalto Museum in Jyväskylä has the world’s largest collection of works by a single architect. The Alvar Aalto Academy is an international forum in the fields of environmental culture, contemporary architecture and design. Together, they provide a comprehensive view of the work of Alvar Aalto – an architect and designer of international importance – with the means of collections, exhibitions and multidisciplinary research.

The Alvar Aalto Foundation has recently been featured in the media for its nationally significant plan to establish a permanent exhibition venue focusing on design by Alvar Aalto in the Rautatalo building in the centre of Helsinki. Susanna Pettersson’s extensive professional experience will enhance the role of the Alvar Aalto Foundation among the three leading international organizations maintaining the heritage of modern architecture and individual architects.

The Foundation’s current director, Markku Lahti MA, will retire by the end of 2011.

Alvar Aalto Academy and Alvar Aalto Museum are part of the Alvar Aalto Foundation, based on the cultural heritage of Alvar Aalto and the values of humanity and egology.

For more information, please contact:
The Alvar Aalto Foundation / Mikko Mansikka, President of the Board of Management, Tel. 040 567 5600

Requests for materials and interviews
Information Officer Aila Kolehmainen, Tel. 040 776 9192, aila.kolehmainen@alvaraalto.fi
www.alvaraalto.fi