We are happy to announce that Sanna Aikio in MU Finland has been appointed as Group Director. Sanna is a Group Director and Team Leader at Mercuri Urval, based in Oulu, Finland, where she has partnered with clients across energy, industrial, logistics, and public sectors since joining the firm in 2015. She brings strong expertise in executive search, leadership assessment, coaching (certified coach ICF), and advisory services, built on a foundation in Economics and Business Administration and enriched by international experience studying in Canada and time living in Germany. On free time she loves to go to nature to walk, ski, or bike. Sanna also enjoys reading, the theatre every now and then, and spending time with her family and friends.
Now let us introduce Sanna Aikio.
Being appointed Group Director at MU is proof that I have worked dedicatedly, persistently, and successfully with my clients. Although the appointment has now come to me, I want to acknowledge that I have not done this work alone, but alongside my capable colleagues both in Finland and internationally.
For me, several important factors influence my commitment to MU. First and foremost, the customers. It is immensely rewarding to be able to help my clients from various fields succeed in their businesses by supporting them in finding new leaders in the market and developing their existing leadership.
Secondly, I value my capable, smart, and hardworking colleagues. I truly believe that our clients gain tangible added value from the fact that our assignments are always done as a team.
There is also a third important motivational factor for me related to both customers and colleagues: internationality. It is meaningful to work in an international company where we can help clients in different markets very effectively and agilely.
Lastly, I would like to highlight our science-based approach and quality. The landscape is diverse, with many players in this field. However, I believe that our approach, methods, tools, and processes support our success in this work, as demonstrated by our high success rate in our assignments (>90% success rate)
I have been with MU for over 10 years, and this decade has been filled with highlights. First and foremost, successful assignments should be mentioned. Particularly memorable are those that presented some extra challenges. For example, when the timeline has been extremely tight, the task especially challenging, or the location difficult, but nevertheless, we have succeeded, and the client has been very satisfied.
I also have fond memories of the internal coaching excellence course we took together with my international colleagues in the Netherlands. MU has a tradition of rewarding teams for particularly good performances with joint trips. Those trips have also left me with especially good memories. MU has always employed smart and humorous people. Work can be tough at times, but we also know how to have fun.
Having returned to work six months ago from parental and study leave, I was excited to see that my old clients were eager to continue our collaboration. In the first few months since coming back, I've already had the opportunity to support many of them with executive search assignments in both Finland and internationally.
I want to highlight one particular international search that went exceptionally well and quickly. I believe the key factor in this was the long and trusting relationship with my client. My experienced colleague in France also played a very important role, as she had a relevant background in the client's field, allowing her to quickly understand where suitable expertise could be found to meet the client's needs. I believe that our close internal collaboration during the project was also a crucial enabler of our success. In addition, our high-quality assessment methods helped the client ultimately make a hiring decision among the good candidates based on whose leadership and work style best align with their goals and culture.
Are you curious about a global career at MU, where you can make a genuine impact on your clients, grow alongside exceptional colleagues, and work in a dynamic, supportive culture? Read more at our a career at MU page and reach out to Robin Karlestedt, Global Talent Aquisition, to learn more!