Annamari Arrakoski-Engardt

Annamari Arrakoski-Engardt, Ph.D is the Chief Executive Officer of the John Nurminen Foundation (JNF), a leading Finnish non-profit organization dedicated to safeguarding the ecological health and cultural heritage of the Baltic Sea. She has led the Foundation since 2020. She previously worked as a leader at a major Finnish bookstore chain and as publishing director for a notable publishing house. Arrakoski-Engardt brings a unique blend of cultural sensibility and strategic vision to marine conservation.

Under her leadership, JNF combines science, policy advocacy, public awareness and cultural initiatives to tackle the most pressing threats to the Baltic Sea — including nutrient load, eutrophication, biodiversity loss, and pollution from maritime and agricultural sources. She is a passionate advocate for the idea that saving the Baltic Sea requires understanding it not only as an ecosystem, but also as a shared cultural identity.

As a speaker, Arrakoski-Engardt brings together deep expertise in marine ecology, cultural heritage, environmental policy, and public engagement, offering a holistic and interdisciplinary perspective on sustainability, the Blue Economy, and our shared responsibility toward the seas. Annamari Arrakoski-Engardt will be a featured speaker at the A’Pelago Initiative 2026.