Sanna-Mari Muukka | Director MU Finland
I have taken a long path in the field and tried different employers: I have chosen MU because of the quality processes, friendly and skilled colleagues, and a supportive and enabling culture to have created the best foundation for success in this job. At MU, you have personal freedom and responsibility for your own success, but you don't have to build it alone; instead, you can work daily with pleasant international colleagues. Additionally, our clients and candidates are inspiring and motivating partners - in interesting collaborations, many things succeed and develop almost without notice.
At MU, I have progressed in my career and had the opportunity to try different roles and responsibilities. I appreciate the company's approach to thinking long-term, yet consistently, with quality, but also with agility. MU's toolkit is in good shape, and the team is ready to put in the effort to fulfill our customer promise.
Additionally, the reason why I work in executive search at MU is the consistent compensation that is based on performance, rather than promises made under the table. In MU's compensation model, everyone is treated equally.
I am a goal-oriented, entrepreneurial, and competitive person, and I enjoy both closing deals and receiving positive feedback from clients. The work of an executive search consultant is diverse and challenging, where every interaction in daily work is important to the success of the final outcome. I am committed to the success of my clients, so the best feedback I can receive about a successful assignment is hearing a year later that everything has gone well with the selected candidate and that they have even exceeded the expectations set for the role.
This goal is significantly supported by MU’s way of working. At MU, I have skilled colleagues with whom I can collaborate on search assignments. We have well-established processes, tools, and internal training in place. Our suitability assessment process is ISO-certified, which is an undeniable mark of quality. In addition, I value the opportunity to manage my own work, plan the direction, and define goals in a way that meets the demands of the job.
MU has a longstanding presence in the Finnish market. Finland was among the first countries where MU established operations and has consistently played a significant role within the international organisation. We have built extensive networks and deep-rooted traditions in Finland; however, the progressive nature of MU Finland may not always be visible to those outside our organisation. MU has consistently invested resources in developing the company, refining its operating models, and enhancing its tools, including the implementation of proprietary AI solutions, to effectively respond to market challenges.
Our long history provides an excellent foundation for building demanding, long-term, and rewarding client relationships, which are essential in our industry. I consider these enduring partnerships among the most valuable aspects of my 26 years of career. Through these relationships, I gain a comprehensive understanding of our clients’ businesses, daily operations, and challenges. This enables me to re-engage in collaboration, even after several years, with flexibility and insight.
In addition to these long-term partnerships, I have conducted several notable C-level searches for a range of organisations, from mid-sized, internationally expanding companies to large, publicly listed corporations. Given the relatively concentrated nature of the Finnish market, in my 26 years in this business I have had the opportunity to gain insights into a broad spectrum of companies and industries. This exposure has allowed me to develop as a generalist, and with my background and education, I have focused on sectors such as construction, energy, B2B services, and technology.
Furthermore, I would like to highlight my involvement in leadership development as both a Psychologist and Consultant. In particular, I have contributed to various audit processes, supporting management teams in enhancing their performance. I have also participated in due diligence processes during mergers and have helped build organisations alongside trusted clients. These experiences stand out as significant milestones that reflect the trust and collaboration I value highly in my professional journey.
In addition to long-term client relationships, internationality is an interesting part of everyday life at MU. We continuously form teams around our clients’ needs: a colleague in Germany may ask us to work on a search assignment for our client in Finland, or I may reach out to a colleague elsewhere in the world who can help address our client’s challenges with their local market knowledge. Our clients are always provided with the best expertise in the location they require.
For a consultant, MU’s international collaboration is rewarding and enjoyable cooperation, where the same processes can be used to deliver high quality regardless of location, while still adding a touch of local culture.
Working at MU has been inspiring because it has given me the opportunity to direct my work toward the services that I personally find most interesting. Likewise, I have been able to build client relationships with representatives of industries that align with my background and way of thinking. I have always been passionate about executive search; from the very start of my career, it has clearly been my primary career choice. I enjoy identifying leaders, and for me, the best feedback is achieving a successful outcome for both my client and my candidate.
In addition to executive search, I also enjoy suitability assessments, meaning taking a deeper look into our candidates’ motivation, working style, and attitude. I feel that by identifying my candidate’s strengths and development areas in relation to the role, I can provide valuable information to support the recruitment decision.
What is especially valuable about working at MU is the quality with which the assessment tools have been built. Our assessment process is ISO-certified, and both the client and candidate experience have remained at a particularly high level for years. Assessments require time from the candidate, and not everyone who is assessed will ultimately be selected for the role, so the perceived value of the assessment experience is also important from the candidate’s perspective.
MU’s way of working is based on facts and data, creating an assessment framework that is transparent and fair both to clients and to the candidates participating in the process. MU’s services do not rely solely on the consultant’s expertise; we also have more than 50 years of assessment data, success profiles, achievements, and lessons learned from setbacks. Fairness, equality, and quality are embedded in our processes.