[1] Hackzell was the Governor of Viborg Province (1918–1920), the Envoy (later Chargé d'affaires) of Finland to the Soviet Union (1922–1927)[2] and served as the deputy director (1930–1936) and director (1936–1945) of Finnish Employers Association.

Hackzell was also the Minister of Foreign Affairs 1932–1936 in the cabinet of Toivo Kivimäki.

[3] In summer 1944 Hackzell was chosen to form a government with the goal of signing a peace treaty with the Soviet Union.

Hackzell suffered a stroke in Savoy Hotel in Moscow while on peace treaty negotiations on 14 September, and he never recovered completely.

His minister of foreign affairs, Carl Enckell, concluded the negotiations.