Riikka Salonen

Riikka Salonen has held a variety of roles in the field of diversity, equity and inclusion since 1994. In 2000, they began their career as a Program Assistant at the Intercultural Communication Institute, where they coordinated banquets, special events, and excursions during the Summer Institute on Intercultural Communication (SIIC). Riikka then served as the Associate Director of Assessment and Research, Program Associate at the same institute from 2002-2007. In 2007, they joined The Scholar Ship as the Academic Teaching Staff for Intercultural Communication, and later became the Intercultural Resident Counselor Coordinator and Intercultural Communication Specialist. From 2008-2019, they held various roles at Oregon Health and Science University, including Program Manager of Diversity Talent Acquisition, Manager of Healthcare Equity and Inclusion, Manager of Workforce Equity and Inclusion, Program Manager of Diversity and Inclusion, and Manager for Cultural Competency, Inclusion, and Service Excellence. From 2009-2017, they were the Co-founder and Managing Partner of Global Inclusion Consulting, LLC, where they provided services in diversity and inclusion strategic planning, diversity recruitment and outreach, intercultural training and education, leadership development and coaching, inclusive healthcare systems design, culturally appropriate policies and clinical services, cultural competence for healthcare providers, and healthcare equity programming. In 2019, they became the System Director for External Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at PeaceHealth, where they were responsible for community- and patient-centered health justice and equity strategy in Oregon, Washington and Alaska. Since 2022, they have been the Managing Director of Health Equity at BCT Partners, where they oversee the BCT Health Equity Practice with 25 employees and subcontractors, leads business development and service for health equity clients, and partners with internal and external stakeholders in advancing education and research about health equity, health disparities, medical racism, culturally responsive care, and strategic DEI leadership in health care. Additionally, since 2010, Riikka Salonen has been a Professional Speaker, delivering presentations on IDEA strategic planning and leadership development, diversity talent acquisition and workforce development, and health equity and culturally-responsive patient care.

Riikka Salonen began their educational journey in 1990, when they attended the Etelä-Kymenlaakso Vocational College in Kotka, Finland, where they earned a Vocational Degree with a major in Culinary Arts. From 1995 to 2002, they attended the University of Jyväskylä, where they received a Master of Arts degree in Speech Communication, Organizational Communication/PR, and Intercultural Relations. From 1999 to 2016, Salonen also completed multiple certifications.