According to the minister, Heiter has a good knowledge of the field of state information systems, which will support him in carrying out major reforms in the digital state. ‘In the coming years, the digital state of Estonia will have to adapt to the development of technology, be it artificial intelligence, automation, or the development of a personalised state. I believe that with his experience, Joonas is prepared to bring the digital state closer to the people, to rethink public services, and to develop them based on the needs of the users,’ said Tiit Riisalo.
Heiter is currently Director of State Information System of the Information System Authority, and was previously Head of the State Data Exchange Department. Prior to joining RIA in 2018, he worked at Elisa Eesti AS.
‘I applied for the position of Director General because during more than five years at the Information System Authority, I have gained a very good understanding of the role of the RIA, and through a clear strategy process, I wish to accelerate RIA’s move towards becoming a centre of excellence in the digital state. The organisational culture of RIA supports responsiveness to changes in focus caused by the environment around us. My ambition as the Director General of RIA is to ensure that the digital state is customer-focused, cyber-secure, and efficient,’ said the new Director General Joonas Heiter.
Joonas Heiter has graduated from the Tallinn University of Technology with a master’s degree in telecommunications and from the University of Tartu in business management.
Heiter will start as the Director General on 1 March 2024.
