Maarit Palovirta

Maarit Palovirta is the Deputy Director General of Connect Europe, the voice of the leading providers of connectivity networks and services in Europe. She leads the association’s policy and organisational strategy, overseeing its work on a variety of policy and regulatory topics as well as its international outreach. She is also a Board member of CTAM Europe.

Before joining the Association as a Director of Regulatory Affairs in 2019, Maarit was a Senior Manager of European Affairs at the Internet Society where she acquired strong experience in internet development as well as extensive links with global internet and tech stakeholders. Prior to that, she engaged with governments across EMEA as a public sector business development manager at Cisco Systems for six years. Maarit has also developed a strong service-oriented, hands-on profile acquired in leading public affairs consultancies in Brussels.

Maarit has an academic background from the College of Europe, London School of Economics, King’s College London and SciencesPo Paris and has completed executive education courses at IESE. She speaks Finnish, English and French.