Virpi’s Story and Core Expertise
I am Virpi Ojakangas — an executive coach, trainer, and speaker whose work brings together human growth and high performance. Throughout my career, I have been driven by the same question: how can individuals, teams, and leaders develop sustainably in the midst of pressure, change, and uncertainty?
My background is built on two demanding worlds. First in elite sport, where I worked for nearly 15 years as a professional coach, head coach, and coach educator with the Finnish Volleyball Federation, both in Finland and internationally. During those years in sport, I learned what goal orientation, the power of feedback, and psychological safety truly mean in practice when the stakes are high.
My second 15-year career was built at the core of business and leadership within the Adecco Group. I initially led the launch and implementation of a career-transition programme for elite athletes in collaboration with the Finnish Olympic Committee, after which I moved into senior HR and communications leadership roles in Finland and internationally. This work deepened my understanding of organisations, leadership, and culture — and why strategies rarely fail in planning but often fail due to a lack of human connection.
I hold a master’s degree in Sport Sciences from the University of Jyväskylä, with majors in coaching psychology and physiology. They continue to form the foundation of my thinking: seeing the human being as a whole, not merely as a role.
In my current role as an entrepreneur in coaching, now in my seventh year, I work with leaders, leadership teams, and organisations that seek to build sustainable growth, strong trust, and impactful leadership.
“The coaching principles learned through sport – practice, feedback and continuous development – remain at the heart of my work.”
Values and Coaching Philosophy
At the core of my coaching is the idea of sustainable growth. It emerges when energy is directed intentionally and space for learning is built into everyday actions.
Development is conscious work in which direction, responsibility, and interaction are interconnected.
In my coaching, I create a space where it is possible to pause, think, gain insight, and practise. The coachee feels seen, heard, and valued.
Sustainable growth requires the adoption of new skills and ways of operating, as well as the willingness to examine one’s own thinking. As a coach, I challenge beliefs that limit development and strengthen confidence in one’s own capacity to grow.
Sustainable growth is reflected in the quality of thinking, in decisions, and in the way we connect with others. Even ambitious goals must be anchored in how we act in everyday life.
My work is grounded in four core principles:
- Responsibility – development begins with one’s own actions and choices
- Learning – new thinking develops through practical experience
- Feedback – direct and appreciative feedback guides development
- Connection – trust and results are created through interaction
Coaching
Coaching forms the foundation of all my services and defines the way I work.
Coaching is:
- Asking strong and thought‑provoking questions that activate thinking and broaden awareness
- Creating space to think beyond habitual patterns
- Encouraging insights
- Opening potential
- Strengthening belief in one’s abilities
Coaching is not:
- Giving advice or knowing on behalf of someone else
- Commanding or directing thinking into a predetermined direction
- Fixing what is broken on someone else’s behalf
Education and Qualifications
Assessments and Mapping Tools
The assessment tools I use are not an end in themselves. They serve as ways to discover new perspectives, insights, and concrete steps for development. What matters most is how the results are interpreted and incorporated into everyday work.
- 360-degree Assessment: Shows how your behaviour is perceived by others. Highlights leadership and collaboration skills to support development discussions.
- Workplace Big Five Personality Assessment: Identifies the strengths and communication styles of both teams and individuals. Used in team development and improving collaboration.
- Workplace Big5 Team Assessment
- EmergyEmotionalClimateAudit (EECA) Assessment: Measures emotional and interaction skills. Supports the development of workplace atmosphere and emotional intelligence.
- Potential Assessment: Maps strengths, motivation factors and development potential. Supports career coaching and career‑path planning.
Working Methods and Special Expertise
All my services can also be delivered virtually, for example through Teams or Zoom. Individual coaching can also take place outdoors while walking.
In virtual coaching, I use a range of digital tools (such as word clouds, virtual breakout rooms, Padlet and Flinga) to support interaction and maintain an energetic atmosphere.
I am also trained as an exercise physiologist, so in virtual coaching I pay attention not only to content but also to physical alertness.
All services are available in Finnish or English – and individual coaching also in Swedish.
