The FLT Podcast

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Jun 2026

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About the show

We are on a mission to explore and deeply understand Finnish leadership. We will sit down with Finnish leaders and experts to discuss the various aspects of Finnish leadership. Mark, Anneli and Alexei use their decades of academic and corporate experience to help our guests work through their philosophies and experiences with the goal of refining what it means to be a Finnish leader.

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34 recent

October 16, 2026Episode 361 hr 0 min

Recovering from a decathlon - Sami Itani

This week Finnish Leadership is recovering from the decathlon! We sit down with Sami Itani , Aalto professor of practice, ex-decathlete, and former chair of the Finnish Athletics Federation — to discuss leadership as a generalist’s game: what competing across ten wildly different events can teach you about leading. We break down performing at an elite level, the cost of dedication, the importance of recovery and much, much more. Enjoy. Support the show... FLT LinkedIn: (1) Finnish Leadership Team – FLT podcast: Overview | LinkedIn (1) Finnish FLT Website: https://the-flt.com/ FLT Support the show: https://the-flt.com/support-the-show/ Mark’s LinkedIn: (1) Mark Hayton | LinkedIn Anneli’s LinkedIn: (2) Anneli Karlstedt (she/her) | LinkedIn Alexei’s LinkedIn: (2) Alexei Koveshnikov | LinkedIn Bella’s LinkedIn: (1) Bella Kayumova | LinkedIn Kelly’s LinkedIn: (2) Kelly Keodara | LinkedIn A big thanks to... Bloom Finland: Bloom ry (bloomtogether.fi) Digital Fireworks: Home - Digital Fireworks Populum: Your People & Culture Experience platform – Populum Helsinki Think Company: https://www.thinkcompany.fi/ Our channels FLT YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@The-FLT FLT Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2Sj5YAyZ8AJGooVYLC8RA6 FLT Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/fi/podcast/the-flt-podcast/id1727605372 Podcast 24: https://podcast24.fi/podcastit/the-flt-podcast PodBean channel: https://the-flt.podbean.com/

June 10, 2026Episode 3525 min

Exporting our mindset - Toni Räsänen

This week Finnish Leadership is exporting our mindset! We sit down with Arctic 15, COO Toni Räsänen , to discuss taking Finnish leadership internationally, taking lessons from multicultural leadership settings, returning home after travelling the world, the importance of timing, what it takes to build a leadership culture from scratch and much, much more. Enjoy. Support the show... FLT LinkedIn: (1) Finnish Leadership Team – FLT podcast: Overview | LinkedIn (1) Finnish FLT Website: https://the-flt.com/ FLT Support the show: https://the-flt.com/support-the-show/ Mark’s LinkedIn: (1) Mark Hayton | LinkedIn Anneli’s LinkedIn: (2) Anneli Karlstedt (she/her) | LinkedIn Alexei’s LinkedIn: (2) Alexei Koveshnikov | LinkedIn Bella’s LinkedIn: (1) Bella Kayumova | LinkedIn Kelly’s LinkedIn: (2) Kelly Keodara | LinkedIn A big thanks to... Bloom Finland: Bloom ry (bloomtogether.fi) Digital Fireworks: Home - Digital Fireworks Populum: Your People & Culture Experience platform – Populum Helsinki Think Company: https://www.thinkcompany.fi/ Our channels FLT YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@The-FLT FLT Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2Sj5YAyZ8AJGooVYLC8RA6 FLT Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/fi/podcast/the-flt-podcast/id1727605372 Podcast 24: https://podcast24.fi/podcastit/the-flt-podcast PodBean channel: https://the-flt.podbean.com/

April 30, 2026Episode 3441 min

Focussing on Feedback - Johannes Karjula

This week Finnish Leadership is focussing on feedback! We sit down with award-winning entrepreneur and Trustmary CEO Johannes Karjula , to discuss feedback, leading people who can manage themselves, finding a problem worth solving, the way out of the jungle, what our calendars say about us and much, much more. Enjoy. Support the show... FLT LinkedIn: (1) Finnish Leadership Team – FLT podcast: Overview | LinkedIn (1) Finnish FLT Website: https://the-flt.com/ FLT Support the show: https://the-flt.com/support-the-show/ Mark’s LinkedIn: (1) Mark Hayton | LinkedIn Anneli’s LinkedIn: (2) Anneli Karlstedt (she/her) | LinkedIn Alexei’s LinkedIn: (2) Alexei Koveshnikov | LinkedIn Bella’s LinkedIn: (1) Bella Kayumova | LinkedIn Kelly’s LinkedIn: (2) Kelly Keodara | LinkedIn A big thanks to... Bloom Finland: Bloom ry (bloomtogether.fi) Digital Fireworks: Home - Digital Fireworks Populum: Your People & Culture Experience platform – Populum Helsinki Think Company: https://www.thinkcompany.fi/ Our channels FLT YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@The-FLT FLT Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2Sj5YAyZ8AJGooVYLC8RA6 FLT Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/fi/podcast/the-flt-podcast/id1727605372 Podcast 24: https://podcast24.fi/podcastit/the-flt-podcast PodBean channel: https://the-flt.podbean.com/

March 2, 2026Episode 3331 min

Empathising with our egos - Kamilla Sultanova

This week Finnish Leadership is empathising with our egos. We sit down with award-winning keynote speaker and seasoned event host Kamilla Sultanova , to discuss resilience and vulnerability, DEI and tokenism, growing as a leader while managing your ego as you go, bringing your whole self to work and what inclusion really looks like in practice and much, much more. Enjoy. Support the show... FLT LinkedIn: (1) Finnish Leadership Team – FLT podcast: Overview | LinkedIn (1) Finnish FLT Website: https://the-flt.com/ FLT Support the show: https://the-flt.com/support-the-show/ Mark’s LinkedIn: (1) Mark Hayton | LinkedIn Anneli’s LinkedIn: (2) Anneli Karlstedt (she/her) | LinkedIn Alexei’s LinkedIn: (2) Alexei Koveshnikov | LinkedIn Bella’s LinkedIn: (1) Bella Kayumova | LinkedIn Kelly’s LinkedIn: (2) Kelly Keodara | LinkedIn A big thanks to... Bloom Finland: Bloom ry (bloomtogether.fi) Digital Fireworks: Home - Digital Fireworks Populum: Your People & Culture Experience platform – Populum Helsinki Think Company: https://www.thinkcompany.fi/ Our channels FLT YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@The-FLT FLT Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2Sj5YAyZ8AJGooVYLC8RA6 FLT Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/fi/podcast/the-flt-podcast/id1727605372 Podcast 24: https://podcast24.fi/podcastit/the-flt-podcast PodBean channel: https://the-flt.podbean.com/

January 6, 2026Episode 3250 min

Completing the boss level - Risto Holmström

We kick off 2026 with a discussion with Studio Lead and Game Design guru, Risto Holmstrom. In this episode we discuss - Understanding your environment and finding the right direction. - Building commercial success in creative industries. - Choosing our words carefully… … among excellent questions, habits, constraints leading to innovation and the role of leaders in providing meaning for their teams. Give it a listen and let us know if enjoyed Risto’s thinking and dulcet tones as much as we did. Support the show... FLT LinkedIn: (1) Finnish Leadership Team – FLT podcast: Overview | LinkedIn (1) Finnish FLT Website: https://the-flt.com/ FLT Support the show: https://the-flt.com/support-the-show/ Mark’s LinkedIn: (1) Mark Hayton | LinkedIn Anneli’s LinkedIn: (2) Anneli Karlstedt (she/her) | LinkedIn Alexei’s LinkedIn: (2) Alexei Koveshnikov | LinkedIn Bella’s LinkedIn: (1) Bella Kayumova | LinkedIn Kelly’s LinkedIn: (2) Kelly Keodara | LinkedIn A big thanks to... Bloom Finland: Bloom ry (bloomtogether.fi) Digital Fireworks: Home - Digital Fireworks Populum: Your People & Culture Experience platform – Populum Helsinki Think Company: https://www.thinkcompany.fi/ Our channels FLT YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@The-FLT FLT Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2Sj5YAyZ8AJGooVYLC8RA6 FLT Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/fi/podcast/the-flt-podcast/id1727605372 Podcast 24: https://podcast24.fi/podcastit/the-flt-podcast PodBean channel: https://the-flt.podbean.com/

December 5, 2025Episode 311 hr 18 min

To Incubate or Not to Incubate - A Slush side event (for Spotify users)

What incredible energy! We recently hosted a fantastic debate at a Slush side event that truly filled the room with entrepreneurial spirit. Thank you to everyone who attended live!!! The debate covered: ⏱️ What entrepreneurs really need. 🫂 What incubators really provide ⛏️ Nuanced learning from those who have actually walked the path This was so much fun and massive thanks to Risto , Minna and Rashad for their thoughtful and insightful discussion, in what was a very Finnish debate. A big thanks to... Bloom Finland: Bloom ry (bloomtogether.fi) Digital Fireworks: Home - Digital Fireworks Maria 01: https://maria.io/ Helsinki Think Company: https://www.thinkcompany.fi/ Support the show... FLT LinkedIn: (1) Finnish Leadership Team – FLT podcast: Overview | LinkedIn (1) Finnish FLT Website: https://the-flt.com/ FLT Support the show: https://the-flt.com/support-the-show/ Mark’s LinkedIn: (1) Mark Hayton | LinkedIn Anneli’s LinkedIn: (2) Anneli Karlstedt (she/her) | LinkedIn Alexei’s LinkedIn: (2) Alexei Koveshnikov | LinkedIn Bella’s LinkedIn: (1) Bella Kayumova | LinkedIn Kelly’s LinkedIn: (2) Kelly Keodara | LinkedIn Our channels FLT YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@The-FLT FLT Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2Sj5YAyZ8AJGooVYLC8RA6 FLT Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/fi/podcast/the-flt-podcast/id1727605372 Podcast 24: https://podcast24.fi/podcastit/the-flt-podcast PodBean channel: https://the-flt.podbean.com/

October 12, 2025Episode 2925 min

Jaana Saramies - Digging into the data

This month Finnish Leadership is digging into the data. This episode we sit down with the author, trainer and People Analytics evangelist Jaana Saramies . We discuss the role of data in leadership, data-driven decision-making, the stereotypes of Finnish leaders and how that measures up to the reality, building data literacy, the role of data in remote work, the hunger in people teams and much, much more. You can find out more about Jaana's great work here at: https://www.saratiikka.fi/ Support the show... FLT LinkedIn: (1) Finnish Leadership Team – FLT podcast: Overview | LinkedIn (1) Finnish FLT Website: https://the-flt.com/ FLT Support the show: https://the-flt.com/support-the-show/ Mark’s LinkedIn: (1) Mark Hayton | LinkedIn Anneli’s LinkedIn: (2) Anneli Karlstedt (she/her) | LinkedIn Alexei’s LinkedIn: (2) Alexei Koveshnikov | LinkedIn Bella’s LinkedIn: (1) Bella Kayumova | LinkedIn Kelly’s LinkedIn: (2) Kelly Keodara | LinkedIn A big thanks to... Bloom Finland: Bloom ry (bloomtogether.fi) Digital Fireworks: Home - Digital Fireworks Populum: Your People & Culture Experience platform – Populum Helsinki Think Company: https://www.thinkcompany.fi/ Our channels FLT YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@The-FLT FLT Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2Sj5YAyZ8AJGooVYLC8RA6 FLT Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/fi/podcast/the-flt-podcast/id1727605372 Podcast 24: https://podcast24.fi/podcastit/the-flt-podcast PodBean channel: https://the-flt.podbean.com/

August 19, 2025Episode 281 hr 5 min

Christian Fredrikson - Learning From Mistakes

This week Finnish leadership is… Learning from its own mistakes. 🤭 This week we sit down with investor, board member and former CEO of F-Secure and FingerPrint Cards Christian Fredrikson to discuss the lessons of leading global companies and learning from mistakes. Christian is delves into his journey from football and engineering to billion-dollar deals and karaoke. Through the conversation we discuss working cultures, support networks, the hunger for growth, how promises become metrics, how everyone loves Turku and we even touch on the complexities of the Nokia saga and what we can learn from it all. Enjoy! Support the show... FLT LinkedIn: (1) Finnish Leadership Team – FLT podcast: Overview | LinkedIn (1) Finnish FLT Website: https://the-flt.com/ FLT Support the show: https://the-flt.com/support-the-show/ Mark’s LinkedIn: (1) Mark Hayton | LinkedIn Anneli’s LinkedIn: (2) Anneli Karlstedt (she/her) | LinkedIn Alexei’s LinkedIn: (2) Alexei Koveshnikov | LinkedIn Bella’s LinkedIn: (1) Bella Kayumova | LinkedIn Kelly’s LinkedIn: (2) Kelly Keodara | LinkedIn A big thanks to... Bloom Finland: Bloom ry (bloomtogether.fi) Digital Fireworks: www.digitalfireworks.fi Populum: Your People & Culture Experience platform – Populum Helsinki Think Company: https://www.thinkcompany.fi/ Our channels FLT YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@The-FLT FLT Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2Sj5YAyZ8AJGooVYLC8RA6 FLT Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/fi/podcast/the-flt-podcast/id1727605372 Podcast 24: https://podcast24.fi/podcastit/the-flt-podcast PodBean channel: https://the-flt.podbean.com/

July 8, 2025Episode 2757 min

Minna Patosalmi - playing the d**k card

This week Finnish leadership is… playing the d**k card. 🃏 🚨Trigger warning: parental advisory, explicit content🚨 This week we sit down with the Chairperson at Ferroplan, experienced Board Member, coach and keynote speaker Minna Patosalmi to discuss one of the most important aspects of leadership, cutting through the bulls**t, having difficult conversations and empowering those in your team to do the same. Minna talks about her journey from a trainee to becoming the CEO, her challenges and successes in male dominated industry and how she became a “lovable d**k” to her staff and the leaders around her. Minna brings into focus how many businesses have infantilised their staff through ambiguous language and disconnected processes and what we can do to return to help focus and get things done. Find out more about Minna and her work here: https://www.minnapatosalmi.fi/ Support the show... FLT LinkedIn: (1) Finnish Leadership Team – FLT podcast: Overview | LinkedIn (1) Finnish FLT Website: https://the-flt.com/ FLT Support the show: https://the-flt.com/support-the-show/ Mark’s LinkedIn: (1) Mark Hayton | LinkedIn Anneli’s LinkedIn: (2) Anneli Karlstedt (she/her) | LinkedIn Alexei’s LinkedIn: (2) Alexei Koveshnikov | LinkedIn Bella’s LinkedIn: (1) Bella Kayumova | LinkedIn Kelly’s LinkedIn: (2) Kelly Keodara | LinkedIn A big thanks to... Bloom Finland: Bloom ry (bloomtogether.fi) Digital Fireworks: www.digitalfireworks.fi Populum: Your People & Culture Experience platform – Populum Helsinki Think Company: https://www.thinkcompany.fi/ Our channels FLT YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@The-FLT FLT Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2Sj5YAyZ8AJGooVYLC8RA6 FLT Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/fi/podcast/the-flt-podcast/id1727605372 Podcast 24: https://podcast24.fi/podcastit/the-flt-podcast PodBean channel: https://the-flt.podbean.com/

May 15, 2025Episode 2656 min

Alexandra Pasternak-Jackson – Building Rational Optimism

This month Finnish Leadership is building its rational optimism. This episode we sit down with the CEO of the American Chamber of Commerce, Finland Alexandra Pasternak-Jackson . We discuss the role of optimism in leadership, authenticity, the importance of sparring, Finnish leaders’ international appeal, the changing nature of American-Finnish business relationships and much, much more. You can find out more about Alexandra's great work here at: https://amcham.fi/ Support the show... FLT LinkedIn: (1) Finnish Leadership Team – FLT podcast: Overview | LinkedIn (1) Finnish FLT Website: https://the-flt.com/ FLT Support the show: https://the-flt.com/support-the-show/ Mark’s LinkedIn: (1) Mark Hayton | LinkedIn Anneli’s LinkedIn: (2) Anneli Karlstedt (she/her) | LinkedIn Alexei’s LinkedIn: (2) Alexei Koveshnikov | LinkedIn Bella’s LinkedIn: (1) Bella Kayumova | LinkedIn Kelly’s LinkedIn: (2) Kelly Keodara | LinkedIn A big thanks to... Bloom Finland: Bloom ry (bloomtogether.fi) Digital Fireworks: Home - Digital Fireworks Populum: Your People & Culture Experience platform – Populum Helsinki Think Company: https://www.thinkcompany.fi/ Our channels FLT YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@The-FLT FLT Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2Sj5YAyZ8AJGooVYLC8RA6 FLT Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/fi/podcast/the-flt-podcast/id1727605372 Podcast 24: https://podcast24.fi/podcastit/the-flt-podcast PodBean channel: https://the-flt.podbean.com/