Kaarina Suonio

Career

Early career and psychologist

During her undergraduate studies at the University of Helsinki, Suonio worked as a library assistant at the Helsinki City Library. From 1963 to 1971, she worked at the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health as a psychologist. During this time, she also taught psychology and education in the Finnish prison service, where she worked as an organisational researcher from 1971 to 1975. Her appearance on programs hosted by journalist Erno Paasilinna made her well-known in Finland. She unsuccessfully attempted to stop Keke Rosberg from competing in the 1985 Grand Prix, saying that she wanted to "make sure the Finnish national anthem may not be played in a country which supports apartheid". From 1993 to 2007, she sat on the High Court of Impeachment of Finland. In 1994, she became the governor of Häme Province and was the last provincial governor of Häme before it was merged with other provinces in 1997.