I help companiesgrow and scale.
Tessa Koivunen, EMBA — Executive Leader
Helsinki & Europe · London
15+ years of hands-on commercial expertise in scaling operations, leading global transformations, and building high-performing organizations across industries e.g. pharma & life sciences, industrial manufacturing, technology & digital, logistics & supply chain, construction, and retail, in the private and public sector.
“The best time to build a resilient organization was yesterday. The second best time is now.”
Where I create the most value
Proven results across B2B, B2C, and the toughest industries
From complex B2B enterprise sales and industrial supply chains to B2C retail ecosystems and consumer-facing services, I bring hands-on executive experience across the full commercial spectrum.
Six ways I help companies grow.
I work with a select number of clients at a time to ensure depth and real impact. Every engagement is tailored to your specific challenge. No templates, no generic frameworks — just focused execution that moves the needle on revenue, efficiency, and market position.
Executive Strategy & Growth Advisory
Strategic guidance for CEOs, boards, and leadership teams navigating complex growth challenges. I help you find the fastest path to revenue growth, whether through international expansion, new markets, or business model transformation.
- Growth strategy development & execution roadmap
- International market entry planning
- Business model transformation
- Competitive positioning & differentiation
CEOs, boards, and PE-backed companies scaling internationally
Operational Transformation & Scale-Up
End-to-end operational leadership for companies scaling from €5M to €100M+. I restructure operations, build supply chains, and create governance systems that support profitable growth.
- Supply chain & operations redesign
- International partnership development
- Governance & compliance frameworks
- Organizational capability building
Scale-ups and mid-market companies in regulated industries
Board Advisory & Non-Executive Director
Board-level advisory for growth companies, family businesses, and investment-backed organizations. I bring operational depth and commercial rigor to board discussions, not just governance oversight.
- Board composition & governance review
- Strategy oversight & challenge
- ESG & sustainability integration
- Investor & stakeholder relations
Growth companies seeking experienced independent board perspective
M&A Advisory & Integration
Strategic M&A advisory from target identification through post-merger integration. I focus on the 80% of M&A value that is created (or destroyed) after the deal closes.
- Strategic M&A target assessment
- Operational due diligence
- Post-merger integration planning & execution
- Value creation & synergy realization
PE firms, family offices, and corporate development teams
Digital Transformation & AI Strategy
Practical AI and digital transformation strategy for traditional industries. I cut through the hype and focus on where technology creates real competitive advantage and measurable ROI.
- Digital maturity assessment
- AI & data strategy roadmap
- Technology vendor selection
- Change management & adoption
Industrial and regulated companies beginning digital transformation
Interim Executive Leadership
Interim CEO, COO, or Chief Strategy Officer for companies in transition. I stabilize, set direction, and deliver results while you find the right permanent leader.
- Immediate executive leadership & stabilization
- Strategic direction setting within 30 days
- Organizational performance improvement
- Permanent leadership transition support
Companies in transition needing experienced executive leadership fast
Not sure which engagement model fits your situation?
Let's discuss your challengeTechnology that serves the business, not the other way around.
Most digital transformation programs fail because they start with technology instead of business outcomes. I help organizations cut through the hype, identify where AI and digital tools create real competitive advantage, and build transformation programs that deliver measurable results, not just new systems.
Assess & Prioritize
Understanding your current digital maturity, identifying the highest-impact AI and technology opportunities, and building a clear picture of where technology creates real business value.
Design the Roadmap
Creating a phased transformation plan with clear milestones, investment requirements, and expected outcomes. Balancing quick wins with long-term strategic capability building.
Execute & Integrate
Hands-on implementation support, from vendor selection and system integration to process redesign and team upskilling. Ensuring technology and business strategy stay aligned.
Scale & Optimize
Scaling successful pilots across the organization, measuring business impact, and continuously optimizing based on real performance data. Building sustainable digital capabilities.
AI Strategy & Roadmap
Translating AI potential into business reality. Defining where AI creates the most value in your organization, building the business case, and designing a phased implementation roadmap that delivers measurable ROI.
- AI opportunity assessment and prioritization
- Business case development and ROI modeling
- Phased implementation roadmap
- Vendor and technology landscape evaluation
Digital Transformation Leadership
End-to-end digital transformation programs for traditional and industrial organizations. From legacy system modernization and process digitization to building data-driven cultures and digital operating models.
- Digital maturity assessment and benchmarking
- Transformation program design and governance
- Legacy system modernization strategy
- Digital operating model design
Data-Driven Business & Analytics
Building the data infrastructure, capabilities, and culture that turn information into competitive advantage. From enterprise analytics and performance management to predictive insights and data governance.
- Data strategy and governance frameworks
- Analytics capability building
- Performance management systems
- Data-driven decision-making culture
Change Management & Adoption
Technology only creates value when people use it. Designing and executing change management programs that drive adoption, build digital skills, and ensure transformation programs deliver their intended business outcomes.
- Stakeholder impact analysis and engagement
- Digital skills and capability development
- Adoption measurement and optimization
- Organizational readiness assessment
Where I Drive Digital Transformation
Digital transformation in traditional and regulated industries requires a fundamentally different approach than in digital-native companies. I bring deep understanding of legacy systems, compliance requirements, complex stakeholder landscapes, and the change management challenges that come with transforming established organizations.
AI & Digital Transformation Track Record
From strategy to revenue. Systematically.
Great products fail without the right go-to-market execution. I help organizations design and implement GTM strategies that turn market opportunity into predictable revenue, with the sales infrastructure to sustain it.
Go-to-Market Strategy Design
End-to-end GTM strategy development, from market segmentation and value proposition design to channel strategy and launch planning. Built for B2B, B2C, B2G, industrial, and also for highly regulated markets.
- Market segmentation and targeting
- Value proposition and positioning
- Channel strategy and partner selection
- Launch roadmap and milestone planning
Sales Organization & Process
Building and scaling sales organizations that convert. From sales process design and pipeline management to team structure, incentive models, and CRM implementation.
- Sales process design and optimization
- Pipeline management frameworks
- Team structure and hiring strategy
- KPI dashboards and performance tracking
Key Account & Enterprise Sales
Strategic account management for complex, high-value sales cycles. Stakeholder mapping, proposal strategy, and relationship-driven selling in regulated and institutional markets.
- Key account identification and prioritization
- Stakeholder mapping and engagement plans
- Proposal and bid strategy
- Long-term account growth planning
Revenue Growth & Pricing Strategy
Data-driven pricing strategy and revenue optimization. Competitive analysis, value-based pricing models, and commercial frameworks that maximize margin and market share.
- Pricing model design and benchmarking
- Revenue stream diversification
- Competitive positioning analysis
- Commercial terms and contract strategy
GTM Execution
Turning go-to-market plans into measurable results. Hands-on execution support from market segmentation through launch, ensuring strategy translates into pipeline, revenue, and sustainable market position.
- Market segmentation and targeting
- Value proposition and positioning
- Channel strategy and partner selection
- Launch roadmap and milestone planning
GTM & Sales Track Record
Enter new markets with confidence, not guesswork.
International expansion is one of the highest-value, highest-risk decisions a company can make. I bring 15+ years of hands-on experience entering and scaling in new markets across Europe, helping organizations move from opportunity identification to sustainable revenue.
Market Intelligence & Opportunity Assessment
Deep-dive analysis of target markets, competitive landscape, regulatory environment, and customer needs. Identifying the highest-value entry points and potential barriers.
Entry Strategy & Business Case
Designing the optimal market entry model, whether direct, through partnerships, acquisitions, or hybrid approaches. Building the financial business case and investment roadmap.
Commercialisation & Launch Execution
Turning strategy into revenue. Product-market fit validation, pricing for new markets, sales channel activation, and launch execution with clear milestones and accountability.
Scale & Operational Build-Out
Scaling from initial traction to sustainable market presence. Local team building, operational infrastructure, supply chain localization, and governance frameworks.
Markets Experience
Experience spans pharmaceutical, industrial, technology, and service sectors across these regions.
Why Market Entry Fails, and How to Avoid It
Purpose-driven performance, not just compliance.
I help organizations build genuine sustainability into their strategy, operations, and culture. ESG is not a reporting exercise. It is a competitive advantage when done right, a leadership commitment that creates long-term value for all stakeholders.
The Journey to B Corp Certification
ESG Strategy & Materiality Assessment
Defining what sustainability means for the organization, identifying material ESG topics, and aligning leadership around a shared impact vision.
SDG Alignment & Impact Measurement
Mapping business activities to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, building KPIs, and embedding impact metrics into operational decision-making.
B Corp Assessment & Certification Journey
Guiding organizations through the B Impact Assessment, identifying improvement areas, and building the governance structures required for B Corp certification.
Sustainable Growth & Reporting
Scaling impact across markets, integrating ESG into investor communications, and building transparent reporting frameworks that drive trust and long-term value.
Using the UN SDGs as a Strategic Framework
The UN Sustainable Development Goals provide a universal language for impact. I work with organizations to identify which SDGs are most material to their business, build measurable targets around them, and integrate them into strategy, operations, and stakeholder communication.
This is not about ticking boxes. It is about using the SDGs as a lens for innovation, risk management, and long-term competitive positioning. Organizations that embed the SDGs into their core strategy attract better talent, build stronger partnerships, and create more resilient business models.
Priority SDGs I Help Organizations Address
B Corp Certification Expertise
Hands-on experience guiding organizations through the B Impact Assessment, from initial readiness evaluation to full certification. I help leadership teams understand what B Corp means operationally and build the governance, policies, and culture required to meet the standard.
Build brands that earn trust. Design services that sell.
Strong brands are not built by accident. They are built through clarity of purpose, disciplined positioning, and marketing that speaks directly to the people who matter. I help businesses define their brand, structure their service offerings, and build marketing strategies that create lasting competitive advantage.
Understand the Business
Deep immersion into your organization, market position, competitive landscape, and growth ambitions. Understanding the real challenges before designing solutions.
Define the Brand & Service Architecture
Clarifying what you stand for, how your services connect, and how the market should perceive you. Building the strategic foundation everything else sits on.
Build the Marketing Engine
Designing the channels, content, and campaigns that bring the brand to life. Creating demand through credibility, visibility, and consistent storytelling.
Launch, Measure, Refine
Executing with clear milestones, measuring what matters, and continuously refining based on real market feedback. No vanity metrics, only business impact.
Brand Strategy & Positioning
Defining what your brand stands for, who it speaks to, and how it stands apart. From brand architecture and identity to messaging frameworks that resonate with decision-makers and build long-term trust.
- Brand positioning and differentiation strategy
- Brand architecture and identity framework
- Messaging hierarchy and tone of voice
- Stakeholder and audience mapping
Marketing Strategy & Execution
Building marketing engines that drive awareness, trust, and demand. From content strategy and thought leadership to digital marketing, campaign planning, and performance measurement.
- Marketing strategy and channel planning
- Content strategy and thought leadership programs
- Campaign design and execution roadmaps
- Marketing performance measurement and KPIs
Service Concepting & Design
Turning business capabilities into compelling, market-ready service offerings. Structuring, naming, pricing, and packaging services so they are easy to understand, easy to buy, and easy to deliver at scale.
- Service portfolio design and structuring
- Value proposition development per service line
- Pricing strategy and packaging
- Service launch and go-to-market planning
Customer Experience & Loyalty
Designing end-to-end customer journeys that convert prospects into loyal advocates. From first touchpoint to retention, building experiences that reinforce the brand promise at every stage.
- Customer journey mapping and optimization
- Brand touchpoint audit and alignment
- Retention and loyalty strategy
- Voice of customer programs and feedback loops
Industries Where I Build Brands & Services
Brand building and service concepting in B2B, industrial, and regulated markets requires a different approach than consumer marketing. I bring deep understanding of complex buying cycles, multiple stakeholders, and the need for credibility-first positioning.
Bringing real experience to the stage.
I speak from lived experience, not theory. Every talk draws on real decisions made under pressure, in complex organizations, across multiple industries and geographies. No slides full of frameworks. Just honest, practical insight.
Book Tessa to speakSignature Topics
Leading Through Transformation
How to build organizations that can absorb change, maintain performance, and emerge stronger. Drawing on 15+ years of large-scale transformation programs across regulated industries.
Scaling Without Breaking: The Operational Playbook
The systems, structures, and decisions that separate companies that scale successfully from those that stall. Practical frameworks from real international growth journeys.
Strategy in Regulated Environments
How to move fast and create competitive advantage when operating in highly regulated markets, pharma, defense, public sector, and infrastructure.
Women in Executive Leadership
A candid conversation about the realities of reaching and sustaining executive leadership as a woman. What works, what doesn't, and what the next generation needs to know.
AI & Digital Transformation in Traditional Industries
Cutting through the hype to deliver practical strategies for industrial and regulated companies beginning their digital transformation journey.
Purpose-Driven Performance: ESG Without the Buzzwords
How to build organizations that are genuinely sustainable, human-centric, and high-performing, without the empty corporate language that undermines credibility.
Engagement Formats
15+ years of building, scaling, and transforming organizations.
A career defined by leading complex organizations through growth, transformation, and international expansion. From CEO roles in regulated industries to strategic advisory for global corporations, every engagement has been about creating lasting impact, not just short-term results.
What I bring to the table
CEO & C-Suite Leadership
Multiple CEO and director-level appointments across international organizations in pharmaceuticals, workforce solutions, and strategic advisory. Full P&L ownership, executive team leadership, and board-level accountability in complex, regulated environments.
International Growth & Market Entry
Designed and executed global expansion strategies across Europe. Led international partnerships, commercial scaling, and supply chain development in markets requiring deep regulatory and cultural navigation.
Operational Transformation
Restructured and modernized operations in industrial, pharmaceutical, and service organizations. Delivered turnaround programs, operational scaling, and efficiency gains that directly impacted profitability and market position.
Strategy & M&A Advisory
Advised global corporations, industrial organizations, and public institutions on growth strategy, mergers and acquisitions, digital transformation, and AI-driven business initiatives.
Digital Transformation & AI
Led enterprise-wide digital transformation programs from early-stage analytics and performance management systems to modern AI and data-driven business strategies. Bridging technology and business outcomes across sectors.
Brand, CX & Commercial Strategy
Executive responsibility for customer strategy, brand positioning, and commercial development. Built marketing functions, redesigned customer experiences, and launched service concepts that drove measurable growth.
Hands-on executive experience across nine sectors, each with unique regulatory, operational, and commercial complexity.
Available for international engagements globally.
Let's explore what's possible.
Whether you're looking for a strategic advisor, a board member, a keynote speaker, or an interim executive, I'd be glad to have a conversation.