Maarika Honkonen

Facilitating your path to personal freedom and courage. That is my aim as a mentor of corporate leaders, managers and teams in a variety of professions. I have been helping people find professional success while gaining personal pride in themselves and their accomplishments. 

I thrive in the hospitality sector, where I served as CEO of the Estonian Hotel and Restaurant Association for almost six years and work with the Estonian Vocational Education Quality Board. 
Education is another interest. My current work with the Estonian Education Quality Board on educational issues within vocational schools highlights this. I am also part of the mentoring movement at Eesti Mentorite Koda, working in close cooperation with international recruitment and personal development companies. 
I hold the following certifications:
- ICF and ACC coaching certification (2014)
- Graduate certificate in CTI co-active coaching, Schouten & Nelissen Coaching (2019)
A light-hearted straight talker, I don’t sugarcoat things. But don’t mistake that for being unempathetic. 

For me, fostering a human connection is vital. After all, the professional world is changing, and companies are seeking to create a working environment of “real” people not corporate soldiers with long lists of experiences. Prior to becoming a mentor, I spent: 
25 years in international business strategy development and sales and marketing management
10+ years in the financial sector, including banking and insurance
I worked with executive boards, sales and marketing teams from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, and have partnered with teams from Germany, Poland, Ukraine, Russia, Sweden, Finland, Norway and the USA.
Fluent in Estonian, English and Russian, I also understand and speak Finnish on a basic level.

WORK EXPERIENCE: Along with being the founder of Nu7 Strategy Coaches and Executors, I:
- am a partner at Baltic Hospitality Forum
- am a member of the Supervisory Board at Tallinn Port
- work with the Estonian Vocational Education Quality Board as Council Member
- am a a founding member at the Chamber of Estonian Mentors

My core competencies include strategic marketing, sales management and sales strategy, change management, customer centric strategies in sales and marketing, business development and KPI modelling.

My education is in:
MBA, Tallinn Technical University, Estonia (1997-2003)
Hotel management training, Cornell University USA (1999)
International Economy, Umea University, Sweden (1999)
Leadership, Rotterdam School of Management,The Netherlands (2015)