Helena Päivikki Sångeland (born 17 September 1961[ citation needed]) is a Swedish diplomat and is the current Swedish Ambassador to China. Sångeland presented her credentials on May 16, 2019. [1]
She grew up in Gothenburg, where her parents had moved from Finland in the 1950s. [2] She studied economy at Stockholm School of Economics, graduating in 1988, after which she took a job at the publishing house Bra Böcker in Höganäs but soon moved to the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs. [2] She worked at the ministry in Stockholm, but also at the embassies in Helsinki – where she served as embassy secretary between 1992 and 1995 [3] – and Hanoi. [2] A career diplomat, she served in the ministry for 17 years before she was appointed the Swedish Ambassador to Malaysia in 2005. [2] She was appointed Ambassador to Iran in 2016, [4] until she replaced Anna Lindstedt, Swedish Ambassador to China, who was recalled to Stockholm. [5] She's previously headed the Asia and Oceania department at the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs. [6]
Sångeland is married to architect Patrick Orhammar and has two children. [7]
Helena Päivikki Sångeland (born 17 September 1961[ citation needed]) is a Swedish diplomat and is the current Swedish Ambassador to China. Sångeland presented her credentials on May 16, 2019. [1]
She grew up in Gothenburg, where her parents had moved from Finland in the 1950s. [2] She studied economy at Stockholm School of Economics, graduating in 1988, after which she took a job at the publishing house Bra Böcker in Höganäs but soon moved to the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs. [2] She worked at the ministry in Stockholm, but also at the embassies in Helsinki – where she served as embassy secretary between 1992 and 1995 [3] – and Hanoi. [2] A career diplomat, she served in the ministry for 17 years before she was appointed the Swedish Ambassador to Malaysia in 2005. [2] She was appointed Ambassador to Iran in 2016, [4] until she replaced Anna Lindstedt, Swedish Ambassador to China, who was recalled to Stockholm. [5] She's previously headed the Asia and Oceania department at the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs. [6]
Sångeland is married to architect Patrick Orhammar and has two children. [7]