Candidate for Secretary
Ville Riihimäki is an experienced tourism professional with a broad international background across sustainability, executive management, transportation, hospitality, and education. His career spans roles such as CEO and Partner at Pink Tomato Travel, Chief Sustainability Officer at Menevä Oy, and senior operational and managerial positions in Finland, Norway, Malta, Ecuador, Saudi Arabia, and the United Kingdom. His education includes sustainability specialisation, leadership training, CELTA certification, and studies in international business, supported by native-level proficiency in both English and Finnish.
Within Skål, Ville has played an active leadership role at both club and international levels. He has served as President of Skål International Helsinki (2023–2025), Executive Board Member since 2020, and currently sits on the National Committee of Skål Finland. Internationally, he has been Co-Chair of the Skål Sustainability Committee since 2024, previously co-chaired the Sustainability Sub-Committee, and has represented Skål at global platforms including Sustainable Travel International. His contributions have been recognised through Certificates of Appreciation at the Skål World Congress in 2022 and 2023.
Ville is particularly engaged in advancing sustainability across the global Skål community. Among his recent initiatives, the Sustainability Champions Network stands out as his flagship project, connecting and empowering members working in sustainable tourism across continents. He aims to expand this network significantly during 2026, focusing on increasing participation from European clubs and strengthening the alignment between Skål Europe and the global sustainability agenda.
As a candidate for Secretary, Ville expresses his full readiness to support Skål Europe in all administrative, operational, and coordination tasks required by the role. His international mindset, strong organisational skills, and deep experience in project management and sustainability make him well-positioned to contribute to the effective governance of Skål Europe. Ville looks forward to supporting the Board’s goals and helping advance initiatives that strengthen collaboration, transparency, and impact across the European Skål family.
