Ari Sihvola (born 1951) began his career at the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs as a young civil servant in the 1970s. Over the years, Ari has played a key role in the development of public governance and the development of the skills of civil servants, especially in EU affairs and leadership. In addition to Finland and the European Commission, Ari's expertise has been utilised in many demanding international projects on four continents.