Pokkinen died of cardiac arrest at a Helsinki hospital on Wednesday.Panu Pokkinen (1976-2026) Image: Petteri Bülow / YleYle News14:37Panu Pokkinen, the director and editor-in-chief of Yle's News and Sports division, has died at the age of 49.Pokkinen suffered cardiac arrest while jogging during a holiday in Portugal in early June. He was hospitalised in Lisbon for three weeks, after which he was transferred to Finland for further examinations.Doctors said that Pokkinen was making a good recovery from the incident, but he suffered another sudden cardiac arrest at a hospital in Helsinki last week, and died on 8 July."We are truly shocked and saddened by what has happened. Our thoughts are above all with Panu's loved ones: we share the great sorrow of Panu's family and other loved ones. This is of course also a shock to the entire work community, to which we offer all possible help. We lost a wonderful person and a dear colleague," Yle CEO Marit af Björkesten said in a statement on Wednesday afternoon.Pokkinen was appointed Yle's editor-in-chief in June 2024. Before that, he worked as the head of the broadcaster's Sports and Events unit.Previously, Pokkinen worked as the chief news editor of the daily Iltalehti and as news manager of Ilta-Sanomat. He held a masters' degrees in social sciences and military science.Krista Taubert will continue as acting editor-in-chief of Yle's News and Sports division and a member of the management team until further notice. Yle's board of directors appointed Taubert to stand in for Pokkinen in early June.The News and Sports division includes Yle's news in English, Russian, Ukrainian, Somali, Arabic, Sámi and sign language.