As part of scaling up in Finland, tech consultancy company HiQ is now announcing that Minna Lindholm will lead the Finnish organization. She comes with solid experience in commercial leadership and industry knowledge, with a background in executive roles at various tech companies, most recently at Google.

Lately, HiQ has expanded its Finnish business with the acquisitions of digital commerce consultancy Lamia and, most recently, the public business unit of Ambientia – significantly growing its business in Finland and giving the consultancy a wider presence across the nation. HiQ now has about 280 employees in Finland and offices in Helsinki, Hämeenlinna, Joensuu, Kuopio, Tampere, and Turku.

“HiQ is on a global growth journey, and the Finnish marketplace is a key element. With Minna Lindholm’s strong experience onboard, we have even better opportunities to leverage the incredible potential in the Finnish market and become the leading IT and tech consulting partner for clients who seek to shape the future through digital solutions”, says Samuel Skott, CEO of HiQ International.

Minna Lindholm, MSc, eMBA, joins HiQ after four years at Google Cloud Global Sales. In addition to her time at Google, Minna Lindholm brings extensive industry knowledge and a proven track record of driving business growth at tech companies such as Nordcloud, Fujitsu, Nokia, and Tieto.

“HiQ is a leading and dynamic force in the Finnish tech consulting industry. I am honored to join this amazing company. With its strong focus on innovation, this is a truly inspiring opportunity. I’m passionate about engaging with people, truly understanding their needs, and actively helping them overcome challenges. By working with our talented teams and valued partners, I will make sure we drive forward, leveraging data, analytics, and generative AI to achieve continued growth, and consistently deliver exceptional value and innovative solutions to our customers”, says Minna Lindholm.

Minna Lindholm succeeds Janne Ahonen, who has led HiQ in Finland since the beginning of 2023. HiQ thanks him for the great cooperation and leadership.

Minna Lindholm will assume the new position on June 27th. In her role, she is also part of the management team for HiQ Group.

HiQ is strengthening its management team with a new role dedicated to developing client relationships and driving important partnerships. Simona Bamerlind, with over 20 years of experience in both the tech industry and HiQ's operations, will now drive sales development as the Vice President Sales & Partnerships.

“With Simona’s wholehearted commitment to customers and partners, we bring even more power to our business development. Simona possesses exceptional insight into understanding customer challenges and building solid collaborations. This new role is an important step in HiQ’s growth journey to become the leading partner for customers who seek to shape the future through tech,” says Samuel Skott, CEO at HiQ.

Simona comes from the role as Regional Manager for HiQ’s operations in western Sweden. In her new role, Simona will focus on developing existing customer relationships and driving a sales culture with a high level of activity, as well as on initiating strategic partnerships.

“I am driven about engaging with people, understanding their needs, and helping them address their current challenges. At HiQ, we do business with people, and not with organizations. In my new role, I look forward to continuing building strong relationships and collaborations with our customers and partners,” says Simona Bamerlind, new Vice President Sales & Partnerships at HiQ.

In the new capacity, Simona Bamerlind will be part of HiQ’s Swedish management team.

HiQ, a leading IT and technology consultancy, is strengthening its offering in cybersecurity. To meet the escalating digital threats, and in response to the current skills shortage among Swedish companies and the public sector, HiQ is taking action through its cyber investment. Security expert Pernilla Rönn is onboarded as Head of Cybersecurity to lead the strategic initiative.

HiQ is accelerating its offering and expertise in cybersecurity. Earlier this year, the consulting firm onboarded network and infrastructure consultants through the IT company Consign and acquired nearly a hundred tech consultants specializing in the public sector from the Finnish company Ambientia, including expertise in cybersecurity.

To lead and drive HiQ’s cybersecurity initiative forward, Pernilla Rönn has now been appointed as Head of Cybersecurity, based in and responsible for HiQ’s cybersecurity team in Stockholm, while also leading the work nationwide alongside colleagues in other regions. Pernilla Rönn has held numerous leadership positions within the security industry for over two decades and plays a pivotal role in HiQ’s security offerings.

“At HiQ, there’s a strong drive ingrained in our DNA to be at the forefront of digital solutions and technology. Our expertise in cybersecurity is no exception. With Pernilla in control and our collective knowledge in technology and cybersecurity, we can meet and hopefully even exceed customer expectations in this critical area,” says Samuel Skott, CEO of HiQ.

HiQ has extensive experience in handling complex technical challenges and has significant security expertise across the spectrum, from organizational regulatory compliance to technical product security and infrastructure management.

“Our ambition is to be a leading and proactive partner in cybersecurity. The future requires businesses to have a dynamic and comprehensive strategy for their cybersecurity efforts. I am impressed by the strong expertise in our team and the integrated competence HiQ has in technology and security, and I look forward to contributing to HiQ’s position as a pioneer in this incredibly important area. My focus is to continuously improve and develop our cybersecurity offering and build the team to support even more private businesses and public entities on their security journeys,” says Pernilla Rönn, the new Head of Cybersecurity at HiQ.

Robin Askelöf will assume the role of Chief Marketing Officer at HiQ in May. He has a solid background in communication and marketing, the last ten years as CMO at SaaS company Hypergene.

This role is a strategic recruitment in HiQ’s growth journey to become the leading IT and tech consulting partner for clients who seek to shape the future through digital solutions.

“Robin will be a powerful addition to HiQ. As a consulting partner with long sales cycles and tough competition for talent, the brand plays a key role. We are completely dependent on working with our awareness and clarifying what we stand for and can offer. HiQ has strong brand equity in many ways, but we need to take the next step to meet today’s and tomorrow’s market. I am fully convinced that Robin, together with his team, will realize HiQ’s full potential as a brand,” says Samuel Skott, CEO of HiQ.

Robin Askelöf will have overall responsibility for brand, marketing, and communication for the HiQ Group and will be part of HiQ’s management team. He has 25 years of experience in marketing and communication, focusing on delivering results and driving change. In his role as CMO over the past ten years, he has contributed to making the SaaS company Hypergene a leader in its category. Previously, he has held several roles in the consulting world, both as a consultant and manager, including at Hallvarsson & Halvarsson and the publicly traded company Connecta.

“HiQ has always impressed with sharp consultants, the ability to stand out, and how they truly make a difference for their clients. Therefore, being part of that journey feels both inspiring and incredibly fun. Moreover, HiQ has a fantastic brand to build upon. Now I look forward to getting started, meeting all colleagues, and starting to contribute,” says Robin Askelöf.

Robin Askelöf will assume the role on May 6, 2024.