Hi there! I’m Mirna, and I love driving change and getting things done. With over ten years of experience, I've had the chance to work on some amazing international projects in the luxury consumer goods, manufacturing, and digital industries. From new product development to process optimization, I thrive on finding innovative solutions and ensuring everything runs smoothly.

I am passionate about design and am constantly inspired by the creativity found throughout the development cycle. I love bringing people together to achieve big goals and make a real impact.

I am intrigued by how technology and user-centered design can be used to communicate and create lasting experiences, products, and solutions in simple yet innovative ways. Whether in fashion, lifestyle, web, or marketing and communications, I am drawn to designs that are functional, cohesive and vibrant. I enable creatives to focus on the design process by providing them the information, tools and support they need to produce their best work.

Telling stories, whether my own or others’ is exciting to me. I enjoy the challenge of finding ways to communicate even the most complex ideas in a way that is interesting but understandable. Everyone has a story to tell, we all just need to start listening. I believe that herein lies the key to any successful project; listening to your team and taking what you’ve heard to create solutions that meet their needs, keeps them motivated and enables productivity.

No matter whether working with large or small teams, old or new, I always bring my best to the table and my wide range of experience allows me to approach every project from a unique angle. I believe that great results are a product of motivation, understanding and respect between team members. This being said, I also know that as humans we all have off days, and strive to lead with empathy and advocate for the well-being of others.

In my current role as New Product Development Process Lead for Iittala, I orchestrate the end-to-end product development cycle, ensuring collections meet the highest quality standards and are launched on-time and within budget. Working closely with the creative, merchandising, marketing, and supply chain teams, I own the critical path and communicate with global manufacturers to select materials, plan production, review samples and deliver products. A key component of my role is change management, coaching stream teams through strategic transformations and continuously evaluating processes, roles and responsibilities to drive improvements and efficiencies.

As the Design Program Manager at Fiskars Group I helped build Design Operations for the Vita business area and created processes that afford designers the time to design. I worked with all five design teams who create products for brands including Iittala, Moomin by Arabia, Royal Copenhagen and Wedgwood.

In my previous role as a Interim Head of Digital Experience/Digital Communications Specialist at Aalto University, I was responsible for steering the Aalto Digital Experience and developing digital platforms. This included collaborating with designers to refresh the visual identity and translating it for use in the design system to ensure brand alignment. As well as improving UX across different touchpoints and communicating needs and targets with key stakeholders.

During my time as the Marketing & Sales Expert for Laser Cut Studio Oy, I created and managed eCommerce and social media content, helped develop new products, and worked with clients to ensure their visions came to fruition. Being a member of such a small team (four employees total) made me value how important of a role we each played in the company’s success.

Having lived, studied and worked in Boston for six years, I moved back to Helsinki in 2015. Upon my return I worked as a freelance content marketing and business development consultant for a variety of start-ups and small business ranging from the media platform Ruskeat Tytöt to cafe’s and clothing stores. Consulting independently gave me the courage I needed to take a chance on myself and start a small fashion business. Kasai Finland was born out of my love for fashion and grew because of my want to create something of my own. Starting my own business, investing my own money, and bringing my own vision to life was exhausting but also rewarding.

During my time abroad I attended Northeastern University and completed a degree in Business Administration, I did two full-time internships, was president of the African Student Organization, and worked as the Social Media Coordinator for a student centre.These experiences taught me a lot about multi-tasking and challenging my limits. During my internships, I learned how to work in fast paced environments, while still paying attention to detail. Whether organizing events, creating client pitches, or writing staff newsletters, I started to understand the importance of a clear communications strategy and how branding can affect business. 

I value all of my experiences and always strive to learn from each of them in order to continuously grow. I believe that my strong work ethic, curiosity and ambition, combined with my want to create and inspire with others, make me a valuable addition to your team.