Finland is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2017. As a Finn, I am naturally proud of this fact. Even though we are population-wise only a small nation in the northern corner of Europe, we have maintained our independency for a century already, while building important connections to Western Europe.
From local to global
These connections have facilitated the smooth growth of local businesses not only in Finland but also abroad. Peikko’s international operations have been supported by Finland’s membership of the European Union and the use of Euro, not to mention the construction material related standards and norms such as Eurocodes, ETA approvals etc.
Though Peikko is of Finnish origin, we are nowadays an international company with many nationalities. Peikko is present in 32 countries and our team is culturally very diverse, consisting of more than 40 nationalities. We are proud of our Finnish roots, but also foster a culture that strongly promotes equality among nationalities, without highlighting anybody’s background. In business, after all, what you do is more important than where you come from.
What can Peikko learn from Finland?
Finland as a country can be set as an example for businesses in the 21st century. Here are a few things that we can learn from Finland:
- Independency is not just given, but it has to be fought for. Good results do not always come easily.
- The world is dynamic; one needs to be on top of all the changes and adapt accordingly.
- Small countries or companies can be innovators and leaders in certain fields; size does not always matter.
- Both nations and companies need a bit of self-esteem, pride, but also humility.
Congratulations to the 100-year-old Finland! In only 48 years, it will be Peikko’s turn to celebrate our 100th anniversary!
Topi Paananen, CEO of Peikko Group Corporation
Topi Paananen, CEO of Peikko Group Corporation
Topi Paananen, M.Sc. (Econ) has been Peikko Group's CEO since 2010. He has worked at Peikko since 2005 and has previously held the positions of Chairman of the Board of Directors and Director, International Operations. Before joining Peikko, Topi worked in the mobile phone component business (Eimo/Foxconn) and decorative coatings business (Akzo Nobel)