Matti Vanhala, the Governor of the Bank of Finland until April of this year, died on Wednesday at the age of 58. Vanhala had been suffering from cancer for some years.
He served as Governor and as a member of the Council of the European Central Bank from 1998-2004. Vanhala joined the Bank of Finland in 1970, and had also served as the Nordic representative on the Board of the International Monetary Fund in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
He withdrew from the governorship in March, citing the rigours of his cancer treatment. Vanhala was diagnosed with bladder cancer five years ago, and towards the end of his term in office he was away on two lengthy leaves of absence on medical grounds.
His successor, the former Minister of Finance and European Commissioner Erkki Liikanen, was appointed in late April.
