Marek Helm receives high decoration of Finnish Customs

The Minister of Finance, on the recommendation of the Director General of Customs, grants the Cross of Merit of Finnish Customs.

According to Jarkko Saksa, Deputy Director General of Finnish Customs, Marek Helm is an embodiment of great relations between the Finnish and Estonian Customs. “Marek has, through his personal efforts, provided a considerable impetus to strengthen the cooperation between Finnish and Estonian authorities in general and between Finnish and Estonian customs in particular. He is also the first Estonian to ever receive the Finnish Customs Cross,” adds Saksa.

Marek Helm, General Manager of the GCC and Africa at Nortal, says he is honored to receive this high-level recognition. “I’m highly appreciative of the cooperation with colleagues from Finnish Customs over the years, that is built on great partnership and personal contribution of the people,” adds Helm.

Helm also highlights the historic importance of the cooperation playing a significant role in helping shape the Estonian authority in the beginning of the 90s.

“Since beginning of 2017, I have taken on new, exciting challenges at Nortal, a strategic change and technology company, using my expertise to help build innovative tax systems as well as export Estonian e-success stories to the Middle East and Africa,” Helm says.

Before joining Nortal in January 2017 as Head of Public Finance Management, Marek Helm led the Estonian Tax and Customs Board as Director General from December 2011. In June 2018, Marek Helm was appointed General Manager of the GCC and Africa at Nortal.

During his tenure as Director General at the Tax and Customs Board, Helm led the development and implementation of important modern tax collection solutions and e-tax services, enabling the Estonian Tax and Customs Board to take its place internationally among the world’s most developed administrations.

Helm was highly active in international cooperation and engaging in EU and World Customs Organization cooperation. Helm was also active in developing mutual cooperation between the Finnish and Estonian customs administrations; for example, regarding the development of border crossing points, information exchange, enforcement cooperation and electronic data systems.