Strategy is the big thing in my professional life and being part of a professionally led global company with a sharp strategy and an even sharper execution of that strategy is one of the things about Unibake that has inspired me most in my career.
They asked me to lead the integration of my former company, Vaasan Oy, into Lantmännen Unibake back in 2016. We came with a background from various private equity ownerships and opened the door to a long-term perspective leadership mindset. So different from what we knew. The whole set-up was inspiring and I was amazed how warmly we were welcomed in the global family.
There is a hunger for more in multiple ways; growth, developing new ideas, constantly outperform expectations… The global leadership program is a good example. Some companies might do leadership training for a narrow selection of their people. Unibake sees all employees as leaders in their field and everyone trains leadership skills through the same, global program.
For me personally, it is key of Unibake that while it is a really ambitious company with a strong drive leading to strong business results, it is just as much a people oriented company where people cooperate and collaborate across countries and organizational structures.
There is this global and yet local feel – like a family. We come from different parts of the world but when we meet, it still feels close and very warm. It is very strong that a company can have an immense drive and yet no sharp elbows between people. We are ambitious but it is not a hardcore “go-getter” culture. There is an extensive respect for one another – a very good spirit.
I am eager and hungry to learn and I am looking very much forward to my next position. At this stage however, I truly think that the last five years have been the best in my career.