Introducing the CIRCEX-team
Introducing the CIRCEX team. The CIRCEX team has had a few additions during the spring of 2024. The team now consists of a group of experts with various backgrounds and areas of expertise. Read the introductions of all members below!
Elina Jaakkola
is Professor of Marketing at Turku School of Economics, University of Turku. She specializes in service research and her current research and projects focus on customer experience and journeys, customer/actor engagement, and value creation within service relationships and networks. Her research can be characterized as explorative and theory building in nature, primarily drawing on qualitative research methods. She is interested in examining emerging phenomena that are relevant for contemporary markets but have remained insufficiently understood. In her freetime, Elina likes reading, walking in the forest and digging in her garden.
Ekaterina Panina
is a Postdoctoral researcher in Marketing at Turku School of Economics, University of Turku. She is excited about socially, environmentally, and economically sustainable business and service development. Her current research interests lie in the topics of customer experience (CX) and CX management in different contexts, from omnichannel retailing and sharing economy platforms to industrial solutions and services. She is also interested in customer journey analysis, service and experience design, the influence of experiences on socially beneficial behaviors, and service initiatives aimed at solving current global issues. Ekaterina spends her free time video-calling her family and friends scattered around the globe, playing games, and working on various DIY projects, often using items she finds while thrifting.
Martiina Salokangas
is a doctoral researcher at at Turku School of Economics and the most recent member the CIRCEX research group. She is interested in human experiences and experience design, especially in the context of circular economy transition. She graduated with an M.Sc. in Economics from the Turku School of Economics at the end of last year and will begin her doctoral studies this year. Martiina is from Pori and on her freetime she likes to enjoy the nature with her dog.
Elina Närvänen
is professor of Retailing and Services at Tampere University, and the leader of Wastebusters research group. She is interested in the circular economy transition especially from the point of view of various human and non-human change-agents, including consumer-citizens and business professionals, but also devices, machines and materials involved in circulation. Her expertise is in sociology of consumption and qualitative research methodologies, including interviews and ethnography. On her free time, Elina likes to spend time in the forest with her two dogs and play boardgames with her son.
Nina Mesiranta
is a Senior Research Fellow at Faculty of Management and Business, Tampere University, and one of the founding members of the Wastebusters research group. She also holds the Title of Docent (Associate Professor) at the University of Vaasa. Her scientific background is in marketing and (interpretive) consumer research, and her current research interests focus on how circular economy can be sustainably advanced through transforming practices of stakeholders such as consumers and companies. The role of non-human actors/stakeholders has received also increasing attention in her research. Prior to plastics, she has studied other contexts in CE, such as food waste reduction and sustainable fashion. On her free time, she likes crafts, yoga, and tries to care for the (more) fermented family members, i.e. sourdough & kombucha starter.
Malla Mattila
is a University Lecturer and Academic Director in the international Master’s Degree Programme in Leadership for Change at the Faculty of Management and Business, Tampere University. She is one of the founding members of the Wastebusters research group. Additionally, she holds the Title of Docent (Associate Professor) in the field of digital and sustainable business at the Business School of Lappeenranta-Lahti Technical University LUT, Finland. In her research, Malla combines themes from, for example, strategic management, strategic marketing, consumer research, and theories of materiality into business sustainability and circular economy-related research. She aims to promote the development of sustainable business practices in our society. On her free time, Malla serves as treasurer for her daughter’s football team and is involved in many other activities with her family.
Mari Ainasoja
is a researcher at Tampere University and part of the Wastebusters research group. She is interested in circular consumption, especially consumption work, affects and well-being effects connected to it. Her background is in marketing and customer research projects carried out in close collaboration with companies. Currently, Mari spends her free time with the mundane struggles characteristic of families with small children, but she tries to find some time for enjoying literature, music and visual arts.
Martta Vänskä
is a researcher at Tampere University and part of the Wastebusters research group. She is interested in the human relationship with nature and materials, and various aspects of circular economy, especially circular fashion. Her background is in sociology, and she gets excited about all new things related to, for example, social media, reducing consumption, and cooking. Martta relaxes by doing crafts and watching movies.