Finding purpose in tech and health
I’m Sanna Virkkunen, Business Director at Solita Health. I’m responsible for our business operations in Finnish wellbeing services counties. I originally intended to become a doctor, but during my study break for med school entrance exams, I realised patient care wasn’t my calling. I didn’t want to only treat symptoms. I wanted to understand root causes and create a lasting impact. And honestly, I noticed early on that I was drawn to logic, structure and building things. Whether it was Sim City or a new way of understanding how systems work. I enjoyed spending time with technology, and it came naturally to me.
After high school, I studied physics for a year, but the field felt too theoretical. Then I discovered a new study program in Finland: health technology. It combined tech and people, and I was hooked. The studies covered everything from digital and electrical engineering to programming, safety, human physiology, and social and healthcare systems. It was the perfect match for me.
During my studies, I worked summers at Polar Electro assembling heart rate monitors. I also did sales and customer service jobs at places like Makuuni and Stockmann. These roles taught me a lot about customer needs, quality work, and team dynamics. I also got involved in various roles in student organisations: learning negotiation, leadership, and networking skills that have served me throughout my career. Early on, I discovered I gravitated toward roles where I could bring structure to ambiguity – leading people, partnerships, or platforms toward something better.
Building systems that matter
My career hasn’t followed a straight line but more like a purposeful zigzag. I began at Oulu University Hospital as a Systems Specialist, working with radiology systems. I was developing, maintaining and integrating them across the hospital district. Teleradiology between OYS, regional health centers and hospitals across Finland became part of my everyday work. I also taught telemedicine and telemedicine technology, sharing what I was doing in practice.
Telemedicine, the digitalisation of diagnostics and early work on Kanta definitions sparked my interest in interoperability. I was excited to get involved in the national conversation, something I’ve continued ever since. I’m also Co-Chair of IHE Finland and on the board of HL7 Finland, where I contribute to building shared understanding and practical collaboration across health and social care.
I later moved from diagnostics into hospital IT, where I took on broader responsibilities and many interesting development projects. One of the most inspiring phases of my time at OYS was my role as Head of Architecture and Design. There, I collaborated with external partners through OYS TestLab. It was a unique opportunity to connect real healthcare needs with emerging technologies in a sandbox environment, free from the limitations of regulation or personal data concerns. OYS TestLab made experimentation possible in a tightly regulated context and strengthened the innovation and development culture that was already deeply rooted in the region.
In 2019, I joined Solita shortly after Solita Health was founded. It immediately felt like home. It was a place where tech, data, research and human impact intersect. Here, I’ve worked across various public domains: cities, energy, maritime, and health and e.g. led our public sector bidding team. Still, I found myself drawn back to health. It’s a domain where complexity, ethics, technology and deep human-centred thinking come together, and that’s where I want to be, building what truly matters.
Balance, identity and intentional living
I’ve never seen my gender as a barrier or a particular advantage. I grew up in an environment where girls and boys did everything together. In working life, I’ve always been seen first and foremost as a person.
My life is in balance. I’m a mother of four, and we have two dogs. I’ve completed three degrees while on maternity leaves. Alongside parenting, I’ve always worked, studied, taught Nia classes as a certified 1st Degree Black Belt Nia teacher, and trained in athletics. It’s a rhythm that’s given me structure, energy, perspective, and a strong sense of purpose.
I’ve been lucky, but more than that, I’ve been determined and ambitious. This life has been possible because I’ve planned, prioritised and worked with purpose, even during challenging seasons.
My days often start with a morning run or some yoga. I work with focus, but I build in breaks, and even micro-pauses help. A quick walk, hanging laundry, or a walking meeting in the woods resets my mind. My workday ends when it’s time to drive the kids to their hobbies or head to training myself. That’s the perfect boundary. When the house gets quiet at night, I prep for the next day.
None of this would work without Solita’s culture of trust and flexibility. People here understand that you do your best work when your whole life works.
Advice I actually believe in
Study what excites you. You don’t always have to play it safe. If you have an analytical mindset and an interest in technology, dare to use it boldly. The tech field needs clear thinking, problem-solving skills, and the ability to grasp big, complex systems. These are talents many people have but don’t always dare to fully use.
If I could give one piece of advice to my younger self, it would be: “Trust your instincts, and follow the fire in your heart.” Careers are rarely straight lines. They twist, turn, and climb like a trail run in rough terrain. But if you keep following what inspires you, you won’t go too far wrong. Every sidestep has taught me something valuable.
And when you find something you genuinely love doing, you don’t have to let it go, not even when your career takes center stage. Sometimes a passion becomes a side profession, one that energises and brings perspective to everything else you do.
Leading with purpose
Leadership to me is about presence – with people, complexity and purpose. It’s about understanding what helps others thrive, removing friction, and never losing sight of who we’re doing the work for. And it requires grounding in markets, strategy, and the systems we’re part of.
Over the years, I’ve looked at leadership through many lenses, from psychological safety to blue ocean thinking. What’s stayed constant is this: real leadership starts by being present. Fully. In the room, at the whiteboard, beside your team.
I’m currently pursuing doctoral studies at Aalto University, exploring what must happen at the level of ecosystem leadership and integration governance to enable new, value-creating services on top of interoperable platforms. This connects directly to my long-standing work with HL7 and IHE Finland, and to my interest in turning standards into impact.
The health sector is complex, dynamic and full of potential. With AI, service design and data in the mix and regulation layered on top, the stakes are high. But so is the opportunity to shape a future that is ethical, intelligent and human. Especially for those most in need, remembering that technology should always serve people, not the other way around. No software will ever replace a human touch or a kind look.
What makes working here so rewarding is that I get to work across domains and challenges, applying technology in ways that truly help public sector organisations thrive. That also means building financially sustainable solutions, not just technically elegant or user-friendly, but services that deliver real value, scale across systems, and use public resources wisely. Through Solita Health, I contribute to services that benefit entire wellbeing services counties, and ideally, all of Finland. I hope to see both our work and Finnish healthtech more broadly become part of the country’s next wave of high-impact exports, in one of the world’s most important markets. I want to keep building that world and show that engineering is a powerful human path. Especially for women.
If you would like to work here, take a look at our open positions.