[3] Throughout his career Huttunen has been involved in many different organisations, and he has been a well-known health care expert often consulted by the government as well as by international and local authorities.
He served as an acting director general and department chief at the Ministry of Social Welfare and Health (2000-2001).
International assignments include presidency of the Governing Council of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC, 1990-1992), Nordic Cancer Union (1991), and vice presidency of a committee evaluating the Framework Programs of the European Union (2008).
[5] He has belonged to editorial boards of several international scientific journals and was editor of Annals of Clinical Research (1984-1989).
Even as director general he was actively involved in epidemiological studies on cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.