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Susanna Rahkamo

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Susanna Rahkamo
Rahkamo at 2011 World Figure Skating Championships in Synchronized Skating
Born (1965-02-25) 25 February 1965 (age 59)
Figure skating career
CountryFinland
Medal record
Figure skating: Ice dancing
Representing  Finland
World Championships
Silver medal – second place 1995 Birmingham Ice dancing
Bronze medal – third place 1994 Chiba Ice dancing
European Championships
Gold medal – first place 1995 Dortmund Ice dancing
Bronze medal – third place 1993 Helsinki Ice dancing

Dr. Susanna Rahkamo (born 25 February 1965) is a Finnish former competitive figure skater, sports leader and leadership consultant.

Education and Research

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Susanna Rahkamo holds a PhD (Aalto University, Industrial Engineering) and a Master's degree in Food Science and Economics (University of Helsinki).[1][2] Rahkamo’s doctoral dissertation in the research field of management, organizations and work psychology examines the impact of creative thinking in the process of acquiring exceptional expertise. According to her study, six critical factors are needed in the process: questioning and playing with thought; insight; systemic application; faith in self; inner drive; and persistent work. Dr.Rahkamo offered this conclusion: Little sparks of insights appear little by little through collaboration, seeing, probing and reflecting, affecting an exclusive perspective, understanding, view and allowing holistic insights to develop. Therefore, building excellence is a collective activity merging many peoples' knowing together.[3]

Competitive Skating and Ice Show Appearances and Productions

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Rahkamo competed with Petri Kokko in ice dancing winning the European Championship and World Championship silver in 1995, the World Championship bronze in 1994 and the European Championship bronze in 1993. The couple competed twice in the Olympics, in 1992 in Albertville (6th place) and in 1994 in Lillehammer (4th place). They were nine times national champions between 1987-1995. After 1995, Rahkamo and Kokko became professionals. They skated in various shows and competitions for five years until they ended their careers in Finland with the Tango Cafe tour at the end of 2000. During their professional years, the pair participated in numerous professional competitions in the United States. In the 1995-1996 season, the couple toured with the highly successful Stars on Ice show in the United States.

The couple also produced ice skating tours, shows and TV productions in Finland, Germany and the United States. Their TV series Susanna and Petri on Ice on MTV3 ran for two seasons MTV3. In 1996, the couple performed in a music video for the band Enigma. Rahkamo and Kokko left their mark on the ice dance in so many ways. The International Skating Union (ISU) commissioned them to develop a new compulsory dance from a quickstep rhythm dance they had used from 1994-99 in competitions. This Finnstep was included in the ISU program for the period 2008-2009.[4] It was ratified in June 2008 as the Finnstep at the Sochi Olympics in 2014. In the period 2020–2021, the Finnstep was also the mandatory part of short dance.

Leadership in Sport

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Dr. Rahkamo was President of the Finnish Figure Skating Association from 2004 to 2014 for a total of five terms. During her presidency, Finnish figure skating was internationally successful. Three different women skaters won nine Championship medals, five of them gold. Synchronized skating also blossomed during Dr. Rahkamo’s presidency with a grand total of thirteen medals at the World championships in Synchronized Skating. During her term, Finland organized three financially and athletically successful Championships in which Laura Lepistö won the European Championship gold and Susanna Pöykiö bronze.[5] At the Synchronized World Figure Skating Championships in Helsinki in 2011, Finnish teams the Rockettes brought gold and Marigold Ice Unity silver. At the end of the season, Dr. Rahkamo was successful in applying for the 2017 World Championships in Finland.

Since November 2008, she has served on the Board of the Finnish Olympic Committee and since 2012 as its Vice President. In 2014, Rahkamo was elected Chairman of the Olympic Culture and Legacy Commission of the EOC (European Olympic Committee).[6] During her term, the Commission's mission has been to promote the Olympic values. To further this mission, the Commission created the European Young Olympic Ambassadors program for young future sport leaders to engage with the European Youth Olympic Festival participants to learn about Olympic values. The fourth training program began in the summer of 2020.[7]

In 2016, Dr. Rahkamo was selected by the International Skating Union (ISU) to lead their strategic flagship project, the Development Commission. The Commission supports local and regional development projects for all three ISU disciplines (Short Track, Speed Skating, Figure Skating) in ISU member countries. Two major accomplishments are the creation of the global ISU Centers of Excellence network and the ISU e-learning.[8] In 2020 Rahkamo was appointed to the steering group of the ISU Digital Development and AI Group.[9][10]

Leadership in Business

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Since 2005, Dr. Rahkamo has worked as a leadership consultant and since 2010 as a senior partner at Pertec Consulting specializing in management consulting. In the autumn of 2019, she sold Pertec Consulting Oy to Hälsa Oy. In 2021, she joined with two other partners to form Yellow Method Oy, which gathers data and insights about the creative potential of organizations.

Family

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Rahkamo and Kokko married in 1995 and have two children. Rahkamo is the daughter of politician Lord Mayor of Helsinki, Kari Rahkamo.

Programs

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Season Original set pattern
/ Original dance 		Free dance Exhibition
1994–95
  • The Psalm
    (12th century church music)
1993–94
  • Rhumba: Taboo

by Don Ralke

1992–93
1991–92
1990–91
  • Blues
1989–90
  • Samba

Results

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International
Event 85–86 86–87 87–88 88–89 89–90 90–91 91–92 92–93 93–94 94–95
Olympics 6th 4th
Worlds 20th 20th 13th 6th 7th 5th 4th 3rd 2nd
Europeans 18th 18th 15th 12th 7th 8th 6th 3rd 4th 1st
Skate America 2nd
Skate Canada 1st
Int. de Paris 3rd
Golden Spin 6th
Moscow News 14th
Piruetten 1st
National
Finnish Champ. 1st 1st 1st 1st 1st 1st

Sources

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  1. ^ "Women Leaders Program".
  2. ^ "Tohtoriksi väitellyt Susanna Rahkamo: Johtajuutta on harjoiteltava, "hyvän ja huippuhyvän ero on iso"".
  3. ^ The Road to Exceptional Expertise and Success - A Study of the Collective Creativity of Five Multiple Olympic Gold Medalists. Aalto University. 2016. ISBN 9789526071770.
  4. ^ "Rahkamo ja Kokko saavat oman tanssin". 31 May 2007.
  5. ^ "Laura Lepistö wins European title in front of ecstatic home audience". Helsingin Sanomat. 26 January 2009. Retrieved 29 March 2011.
  6. ^ "Commissions – the European Olympic Committees".
  7. ^ "EYOA Brochure" (PDF).
  8. ^ "ISU eLearning".
  9. ^ "Development - International Skating Union".
  10. ^ Communication No. 2310 ISU Development Program
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