Esa Hämäläinen is currently the Director of Administration and the Secretary General of the Board at the University of Helsinki. Among other duties he leads the senior security management team.
He began his career in 1989 in student politics at the Helsinki University Student Union and continued it in various administrative roles at the University of Art and Design Helsinki.
Since 1998 he worked at the University of Helsinki as research policy advisor, evaluation coordinator and director of central services. He is specialized in higher education and research policy, evaluation processes, service development and organisational hanges.
From 2008 till 2011 he was the Director of Administration at the Theatre Academy Helsinki and led the change from state agency to an autonomous university under public law.
At the University of Helsinki he has led major change process for balancing university finances and also the reorganisation and consolidation of university services.
He was OECD IMHE Vice-President of the Governing Board 2011—2016 and the President of HUMANE years 2015-2021. He sits in the Board of Directors of service companies.