Elmar Vaher appointed as the new Director General of ECDI

On the proposal of the Senior Executive Selection Committee operating under the Government Office, Minister of Defence Hanno Pevkur has appointed Elmar Vaher as the new Director General of the Estonian Centre for Defence Investments (Estonian Centre for Defence Investments, ECDI). Vaher was selected through an open competition and assumed office on Monday, 12th of January.

According to Minister of Defence Hanno Pevkur, the role and workload of ECDI have grown significantly in recent years. “Today, ECDI is an organisation managing defence investments amounting to billions of euros, and its team has expanded rapidly. At this stage, ECDI requires proven capability to lead a large organisation through change. The Senior Executive Selection Committee of the Government Office carried out a thorough process and nominated Elmar Vaher as the strongest candidate, with long-standing experience in reforming and leading one of Estonia’s largest government agencies,” said Pevkur.

From 2013 to 2023, Elmar Vaher served as Director General of the Police and Border Guard Board, where he led the consolidation and modernisation of one of Estonia’s largest public-sector organisations. He holds a master’s degree in law and has completed several executive-level leadership programmes.

“ECDI is directly responsible for the use of taxpayers’ money in developing Estonia’s defence capabilities. Therefore, my objective is to proceed from the needs of the Defence Forces and to be a reliable partner for companies. Today, ECDI bears significantly greater responsibility than it did a few years ago — there are more procurements, they are more strategically important, and public expectations are higher,” said Vaher.

“I understand that assuming such a position of responsibility will attract attention. The Senior Executive Selection Committee conducted a thorough competition, which gives me confidence that my previous work and experience are valued, and I am ready to fully commit myself to strengthening Estonia’s defence capability,” Vaher added.