I became fascinated by retail when, after graduating from the upper secondary school, I started working as a salesperson at a sports store opposite Stockmann in the Three Smiths Square in Helsinki. I felt like interacting with customers and exciting products was ‘the thing’ for me. At some point, I realised that I could make it a career. I studied marketing at the University of Helsinki and from then on, I have had the chance to work with interesting brands, especially in the specialty retail trade. I am still fascinated by the same things: how to create a superb product and service offering forming an interesting whole that provides an excellent customer experience.  

What was your first touching point with Stocka?

I am from Veikkola, in Kirkkonummi, and each weekend we went shopping at Stockmann in Tapiola, Espoo – especially One Way was an extremely big thing for a young lad. It was the place to buy jeans and listen to new records.

How do you spend your free time?

In my spare time, I spend as much time as possible with my family, which consists of my wife and two children. I also try to exercise and find time to read every day.

What will Stockmann focus on during the next few months?

We must simultaneously play both the short and the long game. In the short term, we need to achieve our commercial and financial targets. The market environment is challenging, so we must be efficient, innovative, and flexible to reach those targets. In the longer term, we need to accelerate the implementation of our strategy and the improvement of our profitability.

Will Stockmann’s strategy change now when you are taking the helm?

Our strategy will not change – we will continue to focus on our existing focus areas: the best offering, loyal customers, our omnichannel operating model, the continuous improvement of operational efficiency, and digitalisation.

At the same time, we must also be able to adapt our strategy to the surrounding world and the market. Hence, we will put special focus on things that support the implementation of our strategy while also ensuring our competitiveness, here and now. Consequently, the priorities within the strategy might shift slightly.

WHAT DO YOU THINK ARE STOCKMANN’S MOST SIGNIFICANT STRENGTHS?

As a brand-oriented person, I consider the Stockmann brand an important strength. The brand supports the strategy implementation in all areas. At the same time, it is our customer promise – A feeling that lasts. Alongside the brand, our most significant strength is our fantastic staff, who live and breathe that promise every day and ensure that the customer is always at the centre of our operations.