Sirkka Hämäläinen

Sirkka Aune-Marjatta Hämäläinen (born 8 May 1939 in Riihimäki) is a Finnish economist who served as a member of the Executive Board of the European Central Bank from 1998 to 2003. She previously served as the governor of the Bank of Finland from 1992 to 1998. Hämäläinen was the first woman to hold either post.

Early life and education Hämäläinen was born on 8 May 1939, in Riihimäki. Her parents were Martti Oskari Hinkkala, a farmer, and Impi Aune Nikander, a household economics teacher. She graduated from the Karkkila Co-educational School in 1957 and following it attended Helsinki School of Economics from which she obtained her B.S. and M.Sc. in economics in 1961 and 1964 respectively. She continued her studies at the same alma mater and got her Licentiate and Doctorate in 1979 and 1981 respectively. Hämäläinen resigned from the Bank of Finland when appointed to serve on the Executive Board of the European Central Bank, also the first female in the, which she kept from 1998 to 2003. Chairman of the Risto Ryti Society (1994-2001) Member of Real Academia de Ciencias Económicas y Financieras, Spain. Order of the White Star Order of the White Rose of Finland