Hi there! I'm Maarit Salonen, a professional coach providing both individual coaching and team coaching services in English.
I am a Brain-Based Coach trained by the NeuroLeadership Institute Finland. I am also a certified coach by the International Coaching Federation (ICF-ACC) and an accredited coach by the European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC-EIA). I am naturally curious and maintain my professional skills by attending further training and participating in various webinars.
I work ethically: Eettiset säännöt | EMCC Finland and Eettiset säännöt – ICF Finland.
Since I was young, I've had a desire to help others succeed. I've worked as a personal trainer in sports and founded a company Fitness & Wellness Sporttius in 2006. After my MBA, I realized that helping others was my true calling, and that's how I became an agile coach. For five years, I worked as an agile coach at Ericsson R&D and Fiskars Digital & IT, coaching multicultural software development teams that operated with an agile model. Three years ago, during my Brain-Based Coaching studies, I founded Coachius, through which I coach both individuals and teams.
I also work as a coach for horses. I am a so-called horse whisperer. I use positive reinforcement, act ethically, and enable success for both horses and their owners. My special expertise is in ground handling and desensitization—especially the re-training of horses for trailers.
I've also been very active in sports and attempted to climb Grossglockner, the highest mountain in Austria (and the highest peak in the Eastern Alps). The summit remained unconquered as my partner developed acute mountain sickness just before the top. As a team player, I chose to descend with my partner. This experience taught me about taking responsibility and making high-stakes decisions under pressure, confirming that the well-being of the team always takes precedence over individual achievement for me. I have successfully summited Germany's highest peak, the Zugspitze, and am passionate about the spectacular scenery and challenging Via Ferrata routes in Northern Italy.
When I was younger, I briefly competed in women's road cycling and was part of the Finnish national team, participating in a six-day stage race in Sweden. I realized I wasn't cut out for individual competitive sports, as I felt the need to support my fellow competitors rather than defeat them. From road cycling, I gained significant resilience, adaptability to change, and perseverance.
My involvement in competitive road cycling ended following my divorce (as my ex-husband competed in the men's elite category), and today I enjoy mountain biking.
I live in Kirkkonummi in the middle of the forest with my partner, Kimmo, and our English Springer Spaniel, Esko. We spend a lot of time outdoors in the woods and regularly go to play with other dogs. This balanced daily life and connection to nature help me maintain the ability to be a present and energetic coach
I continuously develop and maintain my expertise by completing various certifications and accreditations. As a coach, this means I use tested and proven methodologies and am committed to strict ethical codes. My certifications and accreditations guarantee you quality, ethical practice, and reliable methods.
Thinking about whether I'm the right coach for you? Book a free virtual meeting with me, and we can discuss it further. I look forward to hearing from you!
044-299 2119
Maarit Salonen, Coach | LinkedIn
Brain-Based Coach
Certified ICF Individual Coach
Accredited EMCC Individual Coach
Accredited EMCC Team Coach
Certified Agile Coach
Certified Enterprise Agile Coach
Certified SAFe Agilist
Certified Prosci Change Practitioner
MBA & B.Sc
