GFI Board Welcomes Newest Members Kristiina Helenius and Rose Omamo

GFI Board Welcomes Newest Members Kristiina Helenius and Rose Omamo

Created: Monday, 20 May 2024 17:40

GFI WELCOMES NEW BOARD MEMBERS
KRISTIINA HELENIUS AND ROSE OMAMO

Kristiina Helenius, former Finnish Journalist and CEO of the International Sanctions and Export Control Society, and “Mama Union” Rose Omamo, General Secretary of the Amalgamated Union of Kenya Metal Workers join GFI Board

The Global Fairness Initiative (GFI) is pleased to welcome former Finnish journalist and social influencer Kristiina Helenius, and Kenya's "Mama Union" Rose Omamo have joined the GFI Board of Directors. Rose and Kristiina bring extensive experience in international relations and social activism to GFI’s exceptional Board of Directors representing government, civil society, labor, and private industry from throughout the globe.

"We are so fortunate to have Rose and Kristiina as part of the leadership of this excellent organization, "said HE Kabine Komara, former Prime Minister of Guinea and GFI Board Chair. “Together they bring deep experience and their own unique perspective on the humanitarian and social justice issues at the center of GFI's work. We are honored to have them as part of this distinguished Board.”

Ms. Helenius, is a former journalist and social influencer, having served as a foreign correspondent in Munich, Seoul, Paris, and Brussels, for Finland's leading publications. She currently serves as CEO of the International Sanctions and Export Control Society, based in Washington, D.C. Ms. Omamo is a former mechanic who now serves as General Secretary of the Amalgamated Union of Kenya Metal Workers (AUKMW) and also was the National Chair of the Central Organization of Trade Unions. Kristiina was the first woman appointed chief correspondent at Yleisradio, Finland's national public broadcasting company, and similarly Rose was the first women to serve as General Secretary at AUKMW. Together, they have pushed through barriers and championed the values of workforce equity and inclusion that lie at the heart of GFI's work globally.

“GFI strives to break the barriers to access and opportunity for the working poor, "said GFI Founder and President, Karen Tramontano. "We are simply thrilled to welcome Rose and Kristiina who have committed their careers to the principals of fairness. They bring valuable knowledge and experience, but also a shared commitment to advocating for the rights and opportunities of the working poor. We are honored to have them as part of the Global Fairness Initiative leadership.”

The Global Fairness Initiative is an international NGO that works to create a more equitable, sustainable approach to economic development, and to make our global economy work for those who need it most − the world’s working poor. For nearly twenty year GFI has steadily built a track record of success through innovative programs to reduce poverty, enfranchise informal communities, and advance human rights and livelihoods around the world.

Kristiina Helenius (Finland)

Kristiina Helenius, who started her career as a news reporter, foreign correspondent, and social influencer based in Munich, Seoul, Paris, and Brussels, currently serves as CEO of the International Sanctions and Export Control Society, based in Washington, D.C. Previously, Helenius has served as CEO of the American Chamber of Commerce in Finland, Press Counselor at the Embassy of Finland in Washington, and CEO and partner of Miltton USA advising Nordic companies accessing the US market. As a journalist, Kristiina worked at the Finnish Broadcasting Company, where she was the first woman appointed as chief correspondent covering the EU, NATO, and the European Central Bank. Helenius has held numerous trustee positions including an executive board seat at AmChams-in-Europe, International Women's Forum DC, and the delegation of the Finnish Institute of International Affairs. She is a founding member of the John Morton Centre of American Studies at the University of Turku, the school where she received her Master's in Economics and Business Administration.

Rose Omamo (Kenya)

Rose Omamo is a mechanic by trade who worked in an assembly plant for nearly three decades. After experiencing the imbalance in gender representation in her union, which is 90% male, and seeing union negotiations that failed to take women into account, she decided to become more involved. Rose worked her way through the ranks and now serves as the General Secretary of the Amalgamated Union of Kenya Metal Workers, the first woman to hold this position. In addition, she was the National Chair of the Central Organization of Trade Unions - Kenya (Kenya’s equivalent of the AFL-CIO) Women’s Committee. Rose is known throughout Kenya as “Mama Union”. In 2019, Rose and helped make history by leading a landmark agreement to organize 5,600 workers in Kenya’s informal sector. This agreement was signed by the between the Metal Workers Union, and informal workers associations representing vendors, cleaners, autobody workers, and mechanics. Rose has been an outspoken leader on the need for gender representation and equality in the labor movement, and was a key worker representative in discussions on a treaty the ILO ratified in 2019 to address gender-based violence at work.