Leadership

The executive leadership of Medfiles administrates the daily implementation of leadership policies and ensures that they are in line with company values, mission and vision. In addition, the executive leadership assures that good governance practices are established and maintained within the organisation while leading the company and its employees to the path of success by following our values: flexibility, reliability and fairness.

Norifumi Ninokata

Norifumi Ninokata
CEO

Norifumi Ninokata, CEO of Medfiles Group, was appointed president and CEO of the current Medfiles US (at that time DZS clinical services) in September 2018, after which he was also appointed president and CEO of Oy Medfiles Ltd in May 2020. In 2023, Medfiles US and Oy Medfiles Ltd increased their collaboration to work together under one joint corporate umbrella, Medfiles Group, which Norifumi now serves as CEO.

Norifumi holds a Master’s degree in management technology from Tokyo University of Science in Japan. His career at the parent company of Medfiles began in 2005, when Norifumi was appointed Director of Sales and Global Business at WDB holdings Group. In this position, Norifumi worked in particular with business plan development, human resources management and the management of WBD subsidiaries. In 2010, as the president and CEO of Business Succession Partners Co., Ltd., Norifumi was responsible for developing and expanding the business operations of WDB Group. In addition, from 2016, as the president and CEO of WDB Medical Data Inc., Norifumi was responsible for managing the business operations of the company and the other subsidiaries of WDB Holdings in the United States as well as the the business operations of WDB Group.

Mirja Savolainen

Mirja Savolainen
Director, R&D and Analytical services​

Mirja Savolainen joined Medfiles in 1997. She started as a laboratory manager in the microbiological laboratory, establishing the service area and developing it further. After 10 years in that position, Mirja moved on to lead the entire R&D and Analytical Services Unit, which today employs 70 technicians and experts.

Mirja graduated from the University of Eastern Finland with a Master of Science degree in biochemistry. Before Medfiles, Mirja worked in various teaching positions at the University of Eastern Finland, microbiology as her main subject.

During her long career as a business unit director, Mirja has also acted as the responsible director (GMP) of Medfiles for ten years. From 2007 to 2012, she also held the position of occupational safety manager. Furthermore, Mirja has been active in marketing and sales as well as in strategic planning, as a member of the management team. During the years, Mirja has gained extensive experience in leading the business in the GMP-regulated area and providing services for the pharmaceutical industry in Europe and beyond.

Heta Karvinen

Heta Karvinen
Director, Pharma Regulatory Affairs

Heta Karvinen has worked at Medfiles since 2013. All in all, she has some 15 years of experience from pharmaceutical development, marketing application dossiers and post-approval changes. Before joining Medfiles, Heta was involved in drug product and drug substance development in the pharmaceutical industry.

She has experience from planning pharmaceutical and chemical studies needed for global marketing authorisation applications as well as the regulatory guidelines that govern such studies. Previously at Medfiles, Heta worked as a senior pharmaceutical chemical expert, utilising her skillset in various drug development projects as well as managing quality dossiers for human and veterinary medicines, post-approval variation applications and the studies required to support them. During the years, she has gained valuable expertise from active substance documentation in both the European Union and the United States. In February 2022, Heta was appointed Director of Pharma Regulatory Affairs at Medfiles.

Essi Sarkkinen

Essi Sarkkinen
Director, Development & Operations

Essi Sarkkinen has worked at Medfiles since 2014, first leading the Food & Feed and Cosmetics Unit and for the past five years, leading the Medfiles Clinical Unit having experts in Finland and the Baltics. In the beginning of 2024, she was nominated as a Director of Development & Operations.

Essi has a PhD in clinical nutrition and she is adjunct professor at the University of Eastern Finland. Essi has published dozens of scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals and supervised four academic dissertations. After her academic career, she has worked for over 15 years managing and leading contract research in the field of food and nutrition. In the beginning of the 2000s, Essi started working with clinical trials for medicinal products and good clinical practice (GCP), as well as regulatory affairs concerning food products, including work with health claims and novel foods.

Essi has over 30 years of experience in clinical trials and medical writing as well as know-how of R&D and regulatory affairs in the fields of food, medical devices and pharmaceuticals. All in all, she has worked in various leadership positions in contract research organisations for over 25 years.

Jari Huttunen

Jari Huttunen
Director, ICT

Jari has been an important part of Medfiles since 2009. Initially focusing on roles related to implementing the document management system, Jari currently serves as the ICT Director, overseeing the seamless operation of the IT infrastructure at company level. With a team of dedicated professionals, Jari ensures the alignment of tech strategies with the core objectives of the company.

Jari holds a master’s degree in computer science and has a strong interest in data integrity and servant leadership, backed by over 15 years of experience in the pharma and biotech industry. His commitment to using emerging technologies to drive organisational success is demonstrated by his ongoing efforts to ensure optimal IT infrastructures and solutions for the company.

In his current role, he combines his interests in efficient operations and new technology, bringing together a strong mix of strategic insight and innovative approaches. He has played a key role in promoting a culture of collaboration and inclusivity while never losing focus on the robust and secure IT solutions required in the pharmaceutical sector.

Jari continues to explore technological advancements, participating actively in forums and contributing to discussions around technological evolution in the pharmaceutical sector, to ensure that the best possible solutions are employed at Medfiles – now and in the future.