Maris Hellrand Email & Phone Number

Tallinn

Production and fixing for international media in Estonia: TV - ZDF, BBC, ARD (incl. NDR, WDR, RBB, BR, SWR), Arte, Deutsche Welle, TV4 (Sweden), Euronews, France 24, ORF, CNN, Nelonen; radio – SR (Sweden), Radio Europe 1 (France), RAI, Deutschlandfunk; newspapers – WSJ, Die Welt, FAZ, Süddeutsche Zeitung; magazines – Economist, Life in Estonia; news agencies – AFP, AP. Documentary film maker. International PR for Tallinn Music Week, Estonian Song and Dance Celebration. Press coordination for Lennart Meri Conference.Media training, moderating, talks.

Tallinn, Harjumaa, Estonia

The EU:Africa online hackathon is seeking innovative solutions to socio-economic problems in Africa that have been amplified by the COVID-19 crisis. Estonia and the African Union, in cooperation with Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg and Poland, with the implementing partners Garage48 and Smart Africa are organising an online cross-continental hackathon EU:Africa The Post Crisis Journey on 10-13 December 2020. The recruitment of participants and mentors has started on euafricathejourney.com

Tallinn, Harjumaa, Estonia

Tallinn

Tallinn

I was in charge of the press centre of the EU ministerial meetings including the EU summit in Tallinn in September 2017, coordinated the press pools, the coverage by the host broadcaster, press conferences and live transmissions.I oversaw the organisation of the official opening (for EU commissioners) and the public opening event of the EU presidency in July 2017 (attended by 10 000 people), the inaugural international press trip with 60+ participants and ongoing international media relations.

Estonia

I took care of the international publicity of Tallinn 2011 - creating press releases and newsletters, organizing press visits and events, compiling a research report about the influence and legacy of the project.

Tallinn, Estonia

I worked as a freelance correspondent for the biggest Estonian daily newspaper in South Korea and in the UK (2003-2007) covering the current affairs in the resident country. The highlight of this work was an interview with the British Prime Minister Tony Blair on the enlargement of the European Union.

I worked as a freelance correspondent for RFE Estonian service from South Korea writing and presenting broadcasts on current affairs in Korea and the Asian region.

I was responsible for two major client's public relations accounts. The work involved writing and placing press releases on behalf on the clients, arranging and conducting a press conference, setting up the client's website in Estonian, English and German languages

As the political councellor of the Foreign Minister Toomas H. Ilves I was responsible for his political activities acting as a link between the Minister and his party. In that position I was involved in planning his political campaign for the parliamentary elections in 1999. I was also responsible for his PR regarding Estonia's admission to the European Union. I prepared and wrote speeches for his campaign tour inside Estonia as well as for a working trip to Sweden addressing the Swedish Estonian community in Gothenburg and Stockholm. I accompanied the Minister on trips to the EU summit in Luxembourg, to Israel, to Sweden and inside Estonia. I had to leave this position as the Minister left office and my position was tied to the person of the Minister.

I worked for the late President Lennart Meri as his private secretary and as his "Information advisor"​. As the private secretary I was responsible for taking minutes of the President's meetings, scheduling, replying to and filing private correspondence. I also assisted him in getting to know and use the internet and WWW. Later my responsibility was compiling daily news clippings as well as creating and updating the President's website. I also edited the magazine "Kadrioru Teataja"​ covering the President's activities that was targeted to the general public.

Estonia

I started at the Estonian service of RFE/RL as a freelance correspondent and was employed permanently in 1992. I wrote and presented own scripts on international current affairs, wrote and presented live newscasts, edited material of freelance correspondents, produced news programs. I also compiled some cultural documentary features. During the German President's (Richard von Weizsacker) visit to Estonia I was accredited to the accompaning press and recorded an interview with him on the return flight. The highlight was certainly the work covering live the coup d'etat in Moscow in August 1991 and the following re-establishment of Estonia's independence.

Communication Science, Political Science, Psychology

I had taken a year off to work for the Estonian President.

Master Of Arts (M.A.), Mass Communications, Political Science, Psychology

Journalism

I left after two years without completing a degree in order to study in Germany.