Riikka Salonen

About Riikka Salonen

Riikka Salonen is the managing director of Health and Culture Solutions at BCT Partners, where she brings a deep commitment and extensive experience to enhancing healthcare practices across the United States and globally. With nearly three decades of specialized expertise in organizational development, training, and intercultural communication, she leads a team dedicated to promoting culturally responsive solutions across industries. Ms. Salonen works nationwide with public health departments and health systems to improve healthcare access and delivery. Before joining BCT Partners, Ms. Salonen held impactful roles at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) and PeaceHealth, where she led various quality improvement processes focused on comprehensive and considerate care in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. She was a driving force behind initiatives that improved the employee life cycle, from talent sourcing, acquisition, and development to employee engagement, advancement, and retention. Her strategic approach to program development has been crucial in fostering economic growth within various communities, emphasizing the development of a skilled healthcare workforce and the empowerment of small businesses. Ms. Salonen leads BCT Partners’ globalization efforts and services to organizations that want to improve employee engagement and loyalty, organizational culture, and productivity. Ms. Salonen has worked in 20 countries and is a global expert in benchmarking organizational practices, a service BCT offers its clients. Before her healthcare career, Ms. Salonen was part of a global start-up team creating an ocean-going university, The Scholar Ship. She co-led the intercultural residential life and taught intercultural communication while circumnavigating the world with university students and peers from 55 nations. Before this, she was an associate director for assessment and research at the Intercultural Communication Institute. Ms. Salonen provided services to clients using the Intercultural Development Inventory and Intercultural Conflict Style Inventory and participants attending the Summer Institute for Intercultural Communication worldwide.

Experience

1. Managing Director of Health and Culture Solutions

   BCT Partners

   Oct 2022 — Present

   Riikka Salonen is the managing director of Health and Culture Solutions at BCT Partners, where she brings a deep commitment and extensive experience to enhancing healthcare practices across the United States and globally. With nearly three decades of specialized expertise in organizational development, training, and intercultural communication, she leads a team dedicated to promoting National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services in Health and Health Care Standards through educational programs. Under her leadership, her team manages the national Think Cultural Health Program, which has trained 1.2 million healthcare professionals to offer culturally and linguistically appropriate services. This program is sponsored by the Office of Minority Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.Ms. Salonen works nationwide with public health departments and health systems to improve healthcare access and delivery. She also helps organizations improve the employee life cycle, from talent sourcing, acquisition, and development to employee engagement, advancement, and retention. Ms. Salonen leads BCT Partners’ globalization efforts and services to organizations that want to improve employee engagement and loyalty, organizational culture, and productivity. Ms. Salonen has worked in 20 countries and is a global expert in benchmarking organizational practices, a service BCT offers its clients. BCT Partners is a minority-owned and operated consulting firm that delivers a full range of research, consulting, training, technology, and analytics services. BCT creates lasting change in the following markets: housing and community development, economic development, workforce development, children and families, health, and education.Learn more about BCT Partners:

Education

• Etelä-Kymenlaakso Vocational College, Kotka, Finland

  Vocational Degree. Major: Culinary Arts.

  1990 — 1994

• Multiple institutions

  Certifications

  1999 — 2016

• University of Jyväskylä

  Master of Arts (M.A.), Speech communication, Organizational Communication/PR, Intercultural Relations

  1995 — 2002

Skills

• Workshop Facilitation
• Instructional Design
• Diversity Training
• Program Development
• Organizational Development
• Strategy
• Adult Education
• Community Outreach
• Coaching
• Event Management
• Cross-Cultural Teams
• Leadership
• Grant Writing
• Human Resources
• Training
• Culturally Competent Healthcare
• Nonprofits
• Policy
• Cultural Diversity
• Research
• Leadership Development
• Intercultural Communication
• Communication Training
• Program Evaluation
• Public Relations
• Higher Education
• Qualitative Research
• Facilitation
• Executive Coaching
• Non-Profits
• Diversity & Inclusion
• Editing
• Staff Development
• Public Speaking
• Career Development
• Emotional Intelligence
• Nonprofit Organizations
• Strategic Planning
• International Relations
• Teaching