That's me!
I’m Riikka - endlessly curious, systems thinker, and quietly obsessed with making work work better.
I’ve always been drawn to problem-solving; whether it’s untangling a messy project, streamlining team workflows, or just finding a smarter way to do everyday things. (It’s probably what led me to join British Mensa, if we’re being honest - and why wouldn't we be!)
Born in the Nordics, I find peace in the quiet of a good hike, balance in the gym, and joy in the small things - like knitting in winter, reading something unexpected, or catching up with friends over a pint in a cosy pub. I love clarity. I love progress. I love when something just works.
I’m happiest when I’m solving complex, people-shaped puzzles; helping teams and companies build systems that feel natural, scalable, and just a little bit magical. I can also solve a Rubik’s Cube in about 90 seconds, but the real satisfaction comes from fixing the stuff that doesn’t come with instructions.
My background
I’ve spent the last decade working in fast-paced tech startups – leading People Operations, driving cross-functional projects, and quietly becoming the go-to person for “How do we fix this?”
If name-dropping is still a thing, think companies like: NextGames, HelloFresh UK, Paddle.com, Ember, and Volt.io.
I also hold an MSc in Human Resource Management and I’m Level 7 CIPD qualified - so the academic foundations are there, but I’ve always been more interested in making things work in the real world.
My roles have always sat at the intersection of people, process, data, and impact; often bridging the gaps between employees, managers, HR, operations, and tech. I’ve built processes from scratch, scaled systems across countries, supported high-growth teams through restructures, and led cross-functional projects that actually stuck. I’ve worked in both startup chaos and scale-up complexity - and learned how to make things work in practice, not just in slide decks.
After another recent end of employment, I realised I didn’t want to jump straight into another internal role. I wanted to take what I’m great at - fixing the invisible stuff, bridging the gaps, and helping teams scale smarter - and offer it to more companies.
You know what they say: when one door closes, another one opens. (Not how doors actually work, by the way, like, at all - but let’s just go with it.)
So I started SpinOps.
My approach
I bring structure, speed, and a genuine care for how people experience (should) work.
I’m not about rinse-and-repeat policy templates (unless that’s exactly what you need - although honestly, if it’s just a policy, ChatGPT probably has you covered). I take time to understand your context, ask the right questions, and work with you to figure out what actually needs solving - then we solve it together.
With a mix of systems thinking and human-first design, I believe good operations should make work feel smoother, not more complicated. Often, it’s not about adding more tools; it’s about making better use of the ones you already have. Whether you’re using Notion, Slack, Miro, Google Workspace, HiBob, or a messy combo of all of them (or something else entirely), I’ll help you streamline, optimise, and do more with less, including light-touch automation where it actually makes life easier.
Whether it’s rethinking your onboarding, designing a performance process that actually enables people, or supporting your business as a fractional Head of People, I’ll help you cut through the noise and simplify what matters - with a touch of silliness and humour too. It’s not all that serious, after all.