Martin Öövel took office as the Director General of the National Library of Estonia in September 2023, succeeding Janne Andresoo who had been holding this position since 2008.

Having IT-law background, Martin Öövel fulfilled the role of CIO in various Estonian public sector institutions since 2011. In 2016 he decided to take on a new challenge and entered the educational field, working as a school director  in two large upper secondary schools.

As Director General of the National Library, Martin Öövel considers it vital to develop cooperation and new solutions in order to expand access to cultural heritage, to continue with educational activities for schoolchildren and adults, and to focus on the completion of the renovation project of the library building.