Vice Admiral Markku Hassinen

Vice Admiral Markku Hassinen was appointed Chief of the Finnish Border Guard as of 1 January 2025. He commands the agency responsible for border management and maritime safety and security in Finland, an organization consisting of Headquarters, four border guard districts, two coast guard districts, the Border and Coast Guard Academy, and the Air Patrol Squadron, collectively employing approximately 3,000 personnel, including both military ranks and civilian staff.

Prior to his current position, Vice Admiral Hassinen served as Deputy Chief of the Finnish Border Guard from October 2019 until January 2025. In this capacity, he oversaw the planning, effectiveness and development of the Finnish Border Guard operations as well as leading the Border Guard Department of the Ministry of the Interior.

Vice Admiral Hassinen possesses extensive experience in both national and international border and coast guard positions. He served as Chief of Operations of the Finnish Border Guard from 2018 to 2019, responsible for the operational tasks of the Finnish Border Guard, including both border and coast guard duties. Earlier in his career, he served as Chief of the Personnel Division at the Finnish Border Guard Headquarters. Hassinen also commanded the Gulf of Finland Coast Guard District for six years, during which time he was in charge of coast guard functions in the Gulf of Finland area and border guard duties at Helsinki Airport. Furthermore, he has served as Counsellor at the Permanent Representation of Finland to the European Union for three years. In his early years of service, he gained operational coast guard experience onboard Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs).

Vice Admiral Hassinen was born in Kuopio, Finland on 19 November, 1964. He began his military education with the Officer’s Examination in 1987 and earned the General Staff Officer’s Diploma in 1997 from the Finnish National Defence University. Hassinen was promoted to Vice Admiral in January 2025.