Finland

Mona-Maria Ilola is a long-standing business leader, entrepreneur and executive advisor with more than 25 years of experience as a CEO and board member in multiple Nordic companies. Her career spans over three decades in consulting, life sciences, pharmaceuticals, biotech and leadership roles across sales, marketing and corporate development.

As Managing Director and Partner at Birn+Partners Finland, Mona-Maria has led hundreds of C-level and specialist executive searches and supported organisations in building stronger leadership cultures. She has personally delivered over 500 executive search assignments.

Mona-Maria has also built and led companies as an entrepreneur, served on several boards, and worked actively to strengthen governance and leadership excellence in Finnish organisations. Her background gives her a deep understanding of organisational culture, business strategy and the realities leaders face in demanding environments.

A central value in her work is women’s leadership. Having spent her career in male-dominated industries and executive roles, she is deeply committed to promoting gender-balanced leadership and supporting women at every career stage from rising young leaders to experienced executives looking for their next step. 

Since living many years in Denmark, Mona-Maria works fluently in Finnish, Swedish, English and Danish, and is comfortable operating across cultures and Nordic business environments.