SI 100 Europe - 2020, Finnish -

Staffing 100 Europe | 2020

Minna Vanhala-Harmanen is CEO of Barona, Finland’s largest private HR agency as well as the country’s sixth-largest employer with 30,000 annual employees. Vanhala-Harmanen previously was CEO of Opteam, pivoting to her new role when Barona acquired the firm in 2017. Of her many recent accomplishments, Vanhala-Harmanen is proudest of Barona’s employees, and watching them help people from all different academic and professional backgrounds find employment. Vanhala-Harmanen is a recognised “worklife influencer” in Finland, as well as a popular speaker.

SI 100 Europe - 2022, Finnish -

As CEO of Finnish HR services ­ rm Eezy Oyi since 2019, Sami Asikainen oversaw the group’s recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, with Eezy recently reporting its highest quarterly revenue in the second quarter of 2022. Lately, the group has been on a strategic acquisition spree, most recently with the purchase of research and corporate culture companies The Siqni­ cant Company and Leidenschaft as well as Finnish pharmacy staffing services firm Farenta in March. Eezy has also recently focused on international recruiting and has launched a strategic partnership with VeggArt’s Oy to offer employment services for migrants. Asikainen plans to further develop Eezy’s digital strategy to boost its staffing and professional services businesses.

Staffing 100 Europe | 2022

SI 100 Europe - 2021, Finnish -

An experienced entrepreneur who has founded five startups, Teppo Paavola joined The Adecco Group as chief digital officer in January 2019; he is also a member of the executive committee. Prior to joining The Adecco Group, he was the chief development officer of Spanish multinational bank BBVA Group. Paavola was previously vice president, head of global business development, M&A and developer relations at PayPal. He is a board member of 3 Step IT and previously served on the boards of Simple Finance, Atom Bank and Propel Venture Partners.

Staffing 100 Europe | 2021

SI 100 Europe - 2021, Finnish -

CEO Minna Vanhala-Harmanen leads Barona, Finland’s largest private employment agency and sixth-largest employer with 6,000 FTEs and revenue of €347 million in 2020. Barona operates not only in Finland but also in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Estonia, Spain, Poland, Slovakia and Russia. Particularly skilled in employment law, Vanhala-Harmanen has a master of laws degree from the University of Helsinki and is a member of the Finnish bar. In addition to being named to the Staffing 100 Europe list, she was also named to SIA’s 2020 Global Power — 150 Women in Staffing list.

Staffing 100 Europe | 2021

SI 100 Europe - 2019, Finnish -

Minna Vanhala-Harmanen early last year took over as CEO of Barona, the largest staffing firm in Finland with projected 2019 revenue of €400 million. Following its 2017 acquisition of Opteam, the third-largest firm in the country, she has integrated and transitioned the two firms to develop Barona into a stronger and more agile company with a broader service portfolio. Prior to the acquisition, Vanhala-Harmanen was with Opteam for 10 years, the last six as CEO. She has also for the past 12 years served on the board of the Private Employment Agencies Association in Finland, including five years as chair.

SI 100 Europe - 2022, Finnish -

Lassi Määttä joined Barona in 2004; today, he serves as the organisation’s CEO and drives the strategy renewal that began last year. Over the years, Barona, one of the largest employers in Finland, has expanded its service portfolio from traditional staffing services to a diverse set of solutions designed to meet the quickly changing needs of the world of work. Viewing challenges as opportunities, Määttä aims to make Barona a platform that creates positive influence and value between companies and individuals, offering people opportunities to learn and support their well-being.

Staffing 100 Europe | 2022