Markku Vierula Brings International Competitive Advantage Expertise to HTGP

Markku Vierula has joined HTGP’s Growth Advisor network. Vierula is a non-fiction author, board professional, advisor, seasoned entrepreneur, and world-class keynote speaker. He is a leading international expert in identifying and creating market-oriented competitive advantage.

Vierula’s core expertise lies in discovering and building market-oriented competitive advantage — the foundation of winning strategy. He helps companies think and operate in new ways and create superior market value instead of merely competing against rivals within existing markets.

Vierula uniquely combines world-class creative expertise with strategic business thinking. He has authored two books on competitive advantage, as well as the widely acclaimed Suuri integraatiokirja, markkinointi, myynti ja viestintä (AlmaTalent, 2014):

• Löydä kilpailuetusi, käsikirja strategian ja brändin kehittämiseen (Kauppakamari, 2nd edition, 2023). The book also led to the launch of a dedicated university course for economics students at the Turku School of Economics.
• Find Your Market-Oriented Competitive Advantage – A Toolkit for Strategy and Branding (Springer Nature, 2024). Published by one of the world’s leading academic publishers, the book has already been accepted into more than 200 top international academic libraries, including Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, Kellogg, Columbia University, Boston University, INSEAD, and MIT. The foreword contributor and pre-reader for the book was Professor Philip Kotler.

At the core of these works is the Find Your Competitive Advantage™ toolkit developed by Vierula, helping organizations identify and translate their competitive advantage into practical action.

Vierula’s approach to consulting is always practical, concrete, and inspiring. He demonstrates that competitive advantage is the silver bullet that must pierce the entire organization. His expertise also includes solving the ultimate equation for success: market-oriented competitive advantage + responsibility. This combination creates the foundation for both financial success and long-term sustainability that resonates with customers and broader society.

In consulting and workshops, his approach is always tailored to the client’s specific needs. Vierula’s extensive and innovative toolkit covers the entire value chain, from discovering new market value to brand definition and both internal and external communications. He helps organizations unlock the kind of strategic thinking and creativity that AI simply cannot replicate.

Growth does not come from doing more of the same. Growth comes from creating new ideas, superior products, and services.

Markku Vierula holds an Executive MBA, a Diploma in Communications and PR and has a background in journalism. He specializes in market-oriented strategy and competitive advantage, strategic marketing, brand strategy, business creativity, and strengthening cross-functional collaboration.