Maria Pirkkalainen-Barber works as the Internationalisation Expert for Arts Promotion Centre Finland, focusing on creating the first international strategy for Finland's national arts funding, expert and service agency. She is also a member of the secretariat for the country's Creative Economy Advisory Board.
Pirkkalainen-Barber has extensive experience with the internationalisation of the creative industries. From 2019 to 2023, she worked as the Head of Finnish Film Affair, an export and industry event for Nordic films and series. She has also worked for Finland's Ministry for Foreign Affairs in Tallinn, the Finnish Institute in the UK and Ireland, and the British Film Institute. She holds a Master of Science in Economics and Business Administration degree from Aalto University School of Business, as well as a Master of Social Sciences degree from the University of Helsinki.