Foreign Heads of Mission from Italy, Finland, and Sweden present their credentials to President Tharman Shanmugaratnam in a formal ceremony at the Istana on 31 October 2023
In a ceremony held at the Istana on 31 October 2023, President Tharman Shanmugaratnam welcomed three distinguished ambassadors who presented their credentials in separate ceremonies.
His Excellency Dante Brandi
Ambassador to Singapore, Italian Republic
Ambassador Dante Brandi, appointed as the Ambassador to Singapore from the Italian Republic, began his diplomatic career in 2000. Before his current role, he led the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation’s communication coordination unit from 2021 to 2023, focusing on public diplomacy, social media, disinformation, and strategic communications. Ambassador Brandi has served in various overseas postings, including Consul-General in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and Head of the economic office at the Italian Embassy in London, UK. Born in Civitavecchia, Rome, in 1971, Ambassador Brandi holds a degree in Political Science from the University of Rome “La Sapienza” and was awarded the Order of Merit of the Republic of Italy in 2013. He is married and has four children.
His Excellency Juha Markkanen
Ambassador to Singapore, Republic of Finland
Ambassador Juha Markkanen, the appointed Ambassador to Singapore from the Republic of Finland, joined the Ministry for Foreign Affairs (MFA) of Finland in 1991. Before his current role, he served nearly seven years at the Finnish MFA’s Trade Promotion Unit. Ambassador Markkanen has a diverse diplomatic career, including roles such as Consul-General in Los Angeles, USA, and Deputy Head of the Finnish Embassy in Stockholm, Sweden. He graduated from the University of Turku in Finland with a Master of Law. Ambassador Markkanen is married and has two adult children.
His Excellency Anders Sjöberg
Ambassador to Singapore, Kingdom of Sweden
Ambassador Anders Sjöberg, appointed as the Ambassador to Singapore from the Kingdom of Sweden, had a significant role overseeing the strategic affairs programme at the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs’ Department for Trade Promotion, Nation Branding & Corporate Social Responsibility. His diplomatic career includes serving as Sweden’s Ambassador to Tanzania, Burundi, and Afghanistan. Ambassador Sjöberg’s earlier roles include Head of Section for South Asia at the Swedish MFA’s Department for Asia and the Pacific and Deputy Head of Mission at the Swedish Embassy in New Delhi, India. Before joining the Swedish Foreign Service, he served as Deputy Director for the Department of Growth and Regional Department at the Swedish Ministry for Industry and Trade. Ambassador Sjöberg graduated from the Faculty of Social Sciences at Stockholm University and is married with two children.
Source – MFA
