Soili Nepponen has joined Birn+Partners Finland, bringing over two decades of experience in executive search, recruitment and leadership consulting. As the leader of our Interim services in Finland, Soili will strengthen our ability to support clients through critical transitions and periods of change with flexible, high-impact leadership solutions.
With more than 20 years of experience working at the intersection of strategy, talent and business performance, Soili understands that every key appointment is fundamentally a business decision with lasting consequences. Her approach combines strategic insight with operational execution, making her an invaluable partner to boards, owners and executive teams navigating complex people decisions.
"We are delighted to welcome Soili Nepponen to Birn+Partners Finland. Her extensive experience in both executive search and interim leadership, combined with her hands-on approach and deep understanding of organisational dynamics, makes her uniquely positioned to lead our Interim services. Soili's ability to operate strategically while ensuring practical execution aligns perfectly with our commitment to delivering sustainable results for our clients."
Mona-Maria Ilola
Managing Director, Birn+Partners Finland
Soili's expertise spans Executive Search, Interim Management, Leadership Assessment, Executive Team Development, and Career Advisory services. She has built her career on the principle that people decisions must be directly linked to strategic objectives and long-term competitiveness. Her methodology is pragmatic and research-driven, combining analytical rigour with a people-centric approach that ensures both immediate results and sustainable organisational capability building.
Soili has worked across multiple industries with clients ranging from start-ups to international listed corporations, delivering assignments at specialist, executive and board level. Her career began in the IT sector, where she developed a strong foundation in business technology and commercial understanding. This experience has given her unique insight into how technology, people and business strategy intersect, a perspective that remains highly relevant in today's rapidly evolving business environment.
Soili has leadership experience from executive roles in addition to her consulting work. She has served as Interim Head of HR in an international listed company, leading the HR function through a significant period of change. She has also held the position of CEO of a private equity-backed portfolio company, where she successfully established and scaled an executive search business as part of a staffing services enterprise. Additionally, she built a recruitment business from the ground up for a vocational education institution, demonstrating her ability to create and operationalise new concepts in diverse contexts.
At Birn+Partners, Soili leads our Interim services in Finland while also providing executive search, leadership assessments, executive team development, business consulting, and career advisory and outplacement services. She also takes on interim executive assignments herself in areas such as project management, business development and new concept creation.
"Joining Birn+Partners represents an exciting opportunity to build something truly valuable for the Finnish market. Interim services are increasingly critical as organisations face changes, digital transformation, and evolving talent landscapes.
My goal is to create a service that goes beyond simply filling temporary gaps - we will provide clients with experienced leaders who can drive strategic change, build organisational capability, and deliver measurable business results during critical transitions. I want to combine the agility and flexibility of interim solutions with the strategic depth and quality that Birn+Partners is known for."
Soili Nepponen
Head of Interim Services & Senior Executive Consulting
Soili holds a Master of Science and Bachelor of Science in Economics and Business Administration, and is currently a Doctoral Researcher. Her research focuses on the professional identity construction of executive search consultants and the role of artificial intelligence in identity work reflecting her forward-thinking approach to understanding how the talent advisory profession continues to evolve.
Her expertise in concept development and people-centric process design, combined with her ability to operate effectively at both strategic and tactical levels, enables her to lead projects through to successful execution. High client satisfaction and an excellent experience for both employers and candidates remain key priorities throughout her work.
