Birthe Suni
KOTKA
Summary
Business development professional with over 20 years of experience in events and hospitality. Demonstrates strong strategic thinking and exceptional team leadership skills. Proficient negotiator with advanced verbal communication abilities in Finnish, English, and German. Thrives in fast-paced environments and embraces challenges with a positive attitude.
Overview
26
26
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Production Director
Kristina Cruises Ltd
01.2017 - Current
- I have the P/L responsibility of the company's production.
- Responsibilities include strategic development and service design and market research.
- I am in charge of international business partnerships and collaboration with all our suppliers.
- My responsibilities involve negotiating all contracts with vendors e.g. shipping companies, venues, DMCs, and service providers for over 160 annual tours all over the world.
- Responsibility for designing different events for corporate clients.
- I lead our production team of 20 professionals.
- My career at Kristina has developed my knowledge of international business and multicultural collaboration projects.
- I developed have the company's sustainability program, their custom-made production control system as a part of the CRM system and several production strategies to drive business growth.
- I am a member of the board.
Director of Tourism
Cursor Ltd, Kotka-Hamina regional Development Agency
01.2007 - 01.2017
- I was responsible for events and tourism development, and for the brand marketing on a national and international level.
- The responsibility for service development and funding for development programs, as well as leadership in projects through public-private partnerships, were essential parts of my responsibilities.
- Responsible for designing and conducting market research, analyzing, and drawing actionable, strategy-aligned conclusions.
- Worked closely with tourism and retail investment cases on an international level.
- During my career at the company, I gained experience in leading strategic processes, executing strategies, and reorganizing operations.
- Collaborated with government agencies on tourism policies and initiatives.
- Responsibility for multiple global trade shows, promotional events for investors, possible partners, and the public.
- I was a member of the board.
Project manager
City of Kotka & Jyrkilä Oy
01.2005 - 01.2007
- At City of Kotka I was responsible for organizing a national well-being festival, including responsibility for the event budget (incl. sponsorship & fundraising), collaboration with local and national corporations and associations, sponsorships, and communication on a national and international level.
- At Jyrkilä Oy, I mainly focused on a joint project which was funded by Cursor Ltd and carried out through a partnership agreement.
- The project's main goal was to develop the international communication of SME sector companies.
Managing Director
City of Hamina and Hamina Bastion Event Services Oy
01.2000 - 01.2005
- Led the business development and operations of the event arena.
- Carried out projects concerning brand development, communication, and funding (incl.) Sponsorships, service, and concept development.
- I participated in organizing over one hundred events, and developed an operational model for the venue, which improved the cost-effectiveness substantially.
- Accountability for leading a wide range of cooperation with a multi-stakeholder network, including corporate partners and high-level representatives of international governments.
Education
Master's Degree Programme - Business Administration, International Tourism and Event Management
LAB University of Applied Sciences
Finland12-2024
Service Design, course
Haaga-Helia
01-2021
eMBA - International Business Management
TAMK University of Applied Sciences
Finland12-2015
Leadership and organizational theories
Aalto University, Open University
FinlandSkills
- Quality management
- Event coordination
- Sustainability initiatives
- Negotiation strategies
- Global partnerships
- Strategic planning
- Data analysis
- Business analytics
- Process improvement
- Business development
- Service innovation
- Implementation strategies
- Problem solving
- Team collaboration
- International business relations
- Operational efficiency
- Workflow optimization
Languages
- Finnish
- German
- English
- Swedish
Affiliations
- Active contributor in the Events and Tourism Committee of the Kymenlaakso Chamber of Commerce
- Member of the Responsible Tourism Development Working Group within the Association of Finnish Travel Industry
Certification
- Approved Board Memeber
- Travelife Sustainability Management
Timeline
Production Director
Kristina Cruises Ltd
01.2017 - Current
Director of Tourism
Cursor Ltd, Kotka-Hamina regional Development Agency
01.2007 - 01.2017
Project manager
City of Kotka & Jyrkilä Oy
01.2005 - 01.2007
Managing Director
City of Hamina and Hamina Bastion Event Services Oy
01.2000 - 01.2005
Master's Degree Programme - Business Administration, International Tourism and Event Management
LAB University of Applied Sciences
Service Design, course
Haaga-Helia
eMBA - International Business Management
TAMK University of Applied Sciences
Leadership and organizational theories
Aalto University, Open University