About Nerea
Guides through complex currents.

The name Nerea comes from Greek mythology. The Nereids were sea nymphs who helped sailors avoid danger and find safe passage. Nerea was originally the name of the founder's yacht, built on that same idea: good judgement and genuine helpfulness are exactly what is needed when navigating the complex currents of EU policy and regulation. Nerea is also used as a given name, and means "mine" in the Basque language, a nod to a personal, client-centred approach.

Nerea Consulting is registered in the Finnish and EU transparency registers and committed to good advocacy practice. The firm's approach is client-centred, modern, and responsible advocacy, together with strategic and legal support for the needs of forward-looking companies.

Foggy shoreline
View from the sea
The Founder
Jussi Mäkinen, Founder of Nerea Consulting

Jussi Mäkinen · Founder

Jussi Mäkinen

Founder & Principal Advisor

A well-seasoned public policy professional with extensive experience of EU and Finnish digital, innovation, sustainable and resilience policies and regulation.

Lawyer by training with a strong background in privacy, data and AI law, and many years of hands-on experience navigating Brussels, from the cafés to the 13th floor of the Berlaymont. Politically unaffiliated, Jussi specialises in client-centred advocacy grounded in expertise, bringing extensive Helsinki and Brussels networks to every engagement.

Selected Experience

  • Established and led for five years the EU team of Finland's largest export branch, Technology Industries of Finland
  • Served four years on the Executive Board of DIGITALEUROPE
  • Member of the European Commission Expert Group on B2B Data and Cloud Switching; responsible for two sets of Model Contracts for Industrial Data, published by Technology Industries of Finland and the Orgalim Legal Guide on Industrial Data
  • Wide experience across private and public sector roles, at the focal point of policy, regulation and business strategy
  • Extensive networks across EU institutions, trade associations, and think-tanks, built through many years of hands-on Brussels advocacy
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