Superson names Nordic leads as it scales creative OS model

Superson has appointed Kaija Rossi and Lauri Vassinen to lead its Nordic operations, as the Finland-founded company expands its regional leadership model across Europe and Asia-Pacific.

The company describes itself as a "creative operating system" and says it connects brands with specialist talent through short project cycles called Supersprints. Superson said the pair joined after first working with the company as independent specialists.

Rossi moved into advertising after a career in academia, according to the company. She later became Chief Strategy Officer at Bob the Robot. She then moved to Lucy Loves Stories as CEO of a film production company.

Vassinen previously led Nord DDB's Helsinki office within the network's Nordic structure. He described the challenge of working across regional structures and internal politics. "With all love for my Swedish colleagues," Vassinen laughs, "there's a reason the saying goes: Swedes discuss, Finns execute."

Superson said both leaders had become sceptical about traditional agency structures and had decided not to join another agency. The company framed their move as a sign of shifting expectations among senior talent in advertising and brand work.

Independent route

Superson said neither hire followed a conventional recruitment process. Both began by delivering client work through Supersprints, which the company described as intensive collaborations lasting between two and four weeks.

Rossi said feedback from clients influenced her decision. "Client testimonials kept saying the same thing: 'WOW, how much we got done,'" said Kaija Rossi, Nordic Lead, Superson. "This is the first time I've truthfully said we operate differently, and the way our way of working resonates with clients proves it."

Rossi also said she wanted a leadership structure that included a close creative counterpart. "I don't think lone wolves achieve much. The Superson model is built on collaboration - not just with clients, but within our own team. That duo structure was non-negotiable," said Rossi.

Global structure

Superson also outlined changes to its leadership set-up, with Founder Samppa Vilkuna taking the role of Global CEO. The company said it has distributed regional leadership across Helsinki for the Nordics, Amsterdam for Europe, and Singapore for Asia-Pacific.

The company positioned the approach as consistent with Finland's reputation for building products and systems that travel internationally. Superson cited a range of Finnish companies and technologies as part of that narrative, from games and wearables to satellites and industrial engineering.

Vassinen linked that tradition directly to Superson's approach. "Finland is exceptional at engineering operating systems," said Lauri Vassinen, Nordic Lead, Superson. "Superson is literally a creative operating system - engineered in Finland, built for global markets. We're applying that same product-focused discipline to creativity itself."

Superson said its Nordic hub will expand its Nordic client base and its wider network of specialists, which it put at more than 400 vetted individuals. The company also indicated it plans to continue recruiting specialists.

Agency pressure

In the wider advertising market, brands have pushed agencies to reduce costs and speed up delivery. Many clients have also shifted work in-house or adopted project-based buying, which has changed the commercial model for agency groups and independent shops.

Superson linked its operating model to that trend, arguing that brands still require creative work while changing how they buy it. The company said major brands have cut the length of traditional agency relationships, from an average of 5.5 years to 18 months.

Superson said its Supersprint model brings client teams together with external specialists for focused delivery over a short cycle. The company also argued that the approach avoids overhead and internal regional negotiations that feature in large agency networks.

"We're not just offering a service. We're building a better way to build brands through experience, creativity, speed, and wisdom. This is about applying the right tools for the right problems - an operating system that unlocks the best outcomes. It's a creative renaissance where experience is valued at the core to guide brands forward with confidence," said Rossi.

Vassinen described the commercial implications of that positioning. "We're selling creative solutions on demand, not headcount," said Vassinen. "That changes everything about how we work, what we promise clients, and whether this industry has a future worth joining."

Superson said it has delivered projects for clients including Google, Netflix, Intersport and Fiskars, and it said the Nordic leadership appointments sit alongside its regional leadership presence in Amsterdam and Singapore.