Henna Sopanen: Creating opportunities for people to grow

For Henna Sopanen, growth has come through curiosity, new opportunities and the trust of people around her. Today, she brings those experiences into the way she works with clients, builds her team and creates space for others to learn and grow.

A career shaped by people and opportunities

One important turning point in Henna Sopanen’s career came when a small assignment grew into a three-and-a-half-year global transformation programme involving hundreds of people. During that time, she had the opportunity to work in several different roles.

Her career began in consulting, technology and transformation projects, with a focus on developing banking services and improving how organisations work through technology. Rather than following a carefully planned route, her path has evolved through new opportunities and the support of people who encouraged her to grow.

“I have been fortunate to meet people who believed in me, saw my motivation to learn and encouraged me to take the next step. Over time, I have also learned to recognise my own strengths and build on them.”

Today, as Data & Integrations Practice Lead at Tieto Tech Consulting in Finland, Henna wants to offer her team similar opportunities. As she puts it,” Leadership is about helping people succeed.”

Solving problems and seeing new possibilities

Henna’s role brings together skilled professionals, evolving technologies and clients looking to turn data into meaningful business value. What makes it especially meaningful for her is the combination of people, clients and the opportunity to build something new.

High-quality data and well-functioning integrations provide the foundation for data-driven decisions and the effective use of AI.

“Without data, AI has no raw material to work with. The work we do directly affects the quality of the insights and solutions our clients can create,” Henna explains.

“We have an incredible group of highly skilled professionals. It is inspiring to work with leading experts in the field, create opportunities for them to grow and connect them with meaningful assignments involving some of Finland’s largest organisations.”

For Henna, consulting is not only about solving existing challenges but also helping clients see possibilities they may not have considered before.

“Finding solutions to our clients’ challenges is extremely rewarding. It is even more exciting when we can help enable something new that the client had not previously seen as possible.”

Curiosity matters more than having every right answer

After more than seven years at Tieto, working across industries and roles, Henna still enjoys the variety that consulting offers.

“If I stayed in a completely stable environment for too long, I would probably get bored,” she says with a smile. “Consulting is a great fit for people who enjoy developing things. Every project brings an opportunity to learn something new, reflect on your experiences and think about where you want to grow next.”

With technology and client needs constantly changing, Henna believes curiosity and learning through action matter more than knowing everything in advance.

“I learn by doing, participating, listening and asking questions. Events, podcasts and training all have their place, but the most important thing is to say yes to opportunities and start doing. You can then find the answers together with your colleagues. We need to accept that we cannot know everything right now.”

Trust, openness and courage

Henna wants to strengthen a culture founded on trust, openness, continuous development and courage. For her, trust means giving people responsibility and confidence in their abilities, while openness means sharing information transparently so people can understand its impact and make informed decisions.

“When people feel trusted, they are more willing to experiment. Trying new things is how we learn and make progress.”

Her own experiences of being supported by other leaders continue to influence how she leads today.

“I have learned from leaders who trusted me and gave me opportunities. Those experiences influence how I want to lead others today. I want to offer people the same encouragement and space to grow.”

Looking ahead with curiosity

As technologies and required competencies evolve, Henna believes curiosity, collaboration and the willingness to learn will remain essential.

“We may not know exactly what the future will look like. But if we remain curious, adapt to change and help each other succeed, we can create meaningful opportunities for our people and our clients.”

Henna’s story is a reminder that careers do not always need to follow a fixed plan. Sometimes the most meaningful growth comes from staying curious, saying yes to new opportunities and learning alongside the people around you.