Kristina Heinonen is Professor of Service and Relationship Marketing at the Department of Marketing at Hanken School of Economics where she also has held several leadership positions such as Head of Subject (marketing) and Director of Centre for Relationship Marketing and Service Management. She is also Professor II at the Department of Strategy and Management at Norwegian School of Economics, Norway. Kristina is a distinguished Fulbright Scholar from University of Massachusetts, Boston, USA and has held various honorary and visiting appointments at notable institutions, including University of Tampere (Finland), University of Verona (Italy), University of Maastricht (the Netherlands), University of Naples Federico II (Italy), Poznan University (Poland), and Karlstad University (Sweden). Widely recognized as a leading researcher in the field of service research, Kristina specializes in service innovation, value creation, customer experience, service technologies, and customer-driven service strategy, among other topics. Her extensive body of work encompasses publications in top-tier academic journals, earning her several awards and recognitions for her research contributions, including the Evert Gummesson Outstanding Research Award and several Emerald Literati awards. Kristina brings her expertise to the classroom, having taught a wide range of courses at both the undergraduate and graduate leves, including MBA programs. Furthermore, she plays an active role in guiding and mentoring doctoral researchers as they pursue their research endeavors.
In addition to her research contributions, Kristina is known for her leadership and service to the academic community. She currently serves as the co-chair of American Marketing Association Service Special Interest group (AMA SERVSIG) and is a board member of CTF Center for Service Research at Karlstad University, Sweden. She is the Development Officer of the ServCollab which is a global human services nonprofit focused on serving humanity through collaboration. Kristina served two periods as member of the board of Hanken School of Economics between 2016-2021. She was the director of the research institute Centre for Relationship Marketing and Service Management (CERS) at Hanken between 2010-2023. She is also associate editor and editorial board member of several leading scientific journals.
Outside of academia, Kristina is a sought-after speaker and advisor, with extensive experience working with companies and organizations in the service, food, retail, and financial sectors, among others. She is also the founder and project leader of the Finnish Innovation Index, which is an annual survey-based ranking that measures the innovation capabilities of companies in Finland.
