Laaksonen, Ari Matti

Brigadier General 

Date and place of birth 

1970, Helsinki

Family
Married
Two children

Career

• Conscript service, Armoured Brigade 1990 - 1991
• Several Junior Officer positions, Armoured Brigade 1995 – 1999
• Company Commaner, Armoured Brigade 1999 – 2003
• Research Officer, Armoured Brigade 2004 – 2006
• Staff Officer, Army Command G10 Material 2007 – 2009
• Military Assistant to the Commander of the Finnish Army, Army Command 2009 – 2011
• Staff Officer, J5 Plans and Policy, Defence Command 2011 – 2014
• Commandant of the Armoured School, Armoured Brigade/Army Academy 2014 – 2016
• Senior Staff Officer, G5 Plans, Army Command 2016 – 2017
• Commander of the FINCON (UNIFIL, Lebanon) 2017 – 2018
• Head of the Governance development sector, J5 Plans and Policy, Defence Command 
• Head of the Strategic Planning Sector, J5 Plans and Policy, Defence Command 2019 – 2023
• Commander of Kainuu Brigade 1.7.2023-

Education

• Matriculation examination, Helsingin Yhteislyseon lukio 1989
• Officer's degree, Military Academy (National Defence University) 1991 – 1995
• Battalion Commander Course 1998
• Staff Officer Course 2003 – 2004
• Mechanised Battalion Commander Course (Sweden) 2005
• General Staff Officer Course 2006 – 2007
• Senior Command Course 2014
• The Global Strategy Programme in international security and strategic leadership, Royal College of Defence Studies (UK) 2021- 2022
• 240 National Defence Course 2022
• High Command Course 2023

Promotions

• 1991 Second Lieutenant 
• 1993 Lieutenant
• 1995 First Lieutenant  
• 2000 Captain 
• 2005 Major
• 2012 Lieutenant Colonel
• 2019 Colonel
• 2023 Brigadier General

Decorations

• Commander of the Order of the Lion of Finland
• Knight, First Class, of the Order of the Lion of Finland
• Medal for Military Merits
• Cross of Merit, The Finnish Reservists' Association

• Infantry Cross of Merit with a clasp

• UN Medal, UNIFIL Operation, Lebanon

Language

Finnish, English and Swedish