A Diverse Career Path: The Role of Fortunate Coincidences and Sponsors
My career has been filled with diverse roles that have shaped me into the professional I am today. Generally, one thing leads to another, and everything from the past teaches us new challenges and opportunities.
My first career steps were when I sold Christmas calendars as a scout and hamburgers at McDonald’s. McDonald’s is often considered a “university of customer service” for a good reason. These experiences have been a good “crash course” in customer service. Living in Vaasa and its surrounding municipalities, I also picked up Swedish. The learned Swedish has been beneficial in future positions.
Fortunate coincidences and my character traits have strongly influenced my career —persistence, and ambition are typical of people from Ostrobothnia. With these traits, I studied Energy and Environmental engineering and, later, an M.Sc. in Strategic Business Development. I completed my M.Sc. studies during the pandemic while working full-time for 1,5 years, making the studies extremely efficient through remote connections. Education helps to structure thoughts and provides theoretical guidelines and capabilities – please study and learn more because the world is changing rapidly.
I have been privileged because my career has been framed by a few sponsors who were my supervisors at the time but have remained positive in my life even after the supervisor-subordinate phase. Sponsors believe in you, coach, encourage, challenge, guide you to think about things, and possibly offer their networks for your use. The significance of sponsors in my career is enormous.
I’ve worked in the international manufacturing industry at ABB, Wärtsilä, Kalmar, and Metso. My roles have varied from working at the sales interface to sales and business development, strategy, and marketing. I have been fortunate because, in long-term employment contracts, I have had opportunities to develop and grow.
In 2008, I entered the world of technical sales at Wärtsilä, where I ultimately worked for six years in sales. The most significant success was a pilot LowNox engine conversion sold with the Solution Sales model, and its sales were high in the Norwegian market. NOx refers to harmful air pollutants and nitrogen oxides. In 2014, sales and customer experience expertise was needed for a new Differentiated Service Model program led by Nelli Paasikivi, my first Sponsor. We successfully developed and deployed Wärtsilä’s Online services in the program and combined them with a tailored customer service model. This experience has been one of the most supportive for my later career, not just the work itself but the countless experiences and lessons with customers worldwide. The biggest lessons from this experience were the broad basics of international change management, both internally and externally, where marketing, sales capabilities, and building a strong network played a significant role. Working in sales has taught me a lot about strategic thinking and customer-centricity. We should not forget the richness that long-term employments usually provide — lifelong friendships.
The merger of Outotec and Metso brought an engaging experience: the merger of two large companies. I wrote my Master’s Thesis on employees’ experiences of the merger at different organizational levels during the pandemic. It was eye-opening to study literature and simultaneously live and experience the change brought by the merger. The merger is already a very educational experience for anyone, as it brings new colleagues and capabilities to the company. I strongly felt that in this reorganization, the role of the Sponsor was very significant.
I had been involved with the aftermarket throughout my career, so it was time to “jump to the other side of the coin” into Metso’s capital business organization and learn new sales “laws” where projects are entirely different by nature with longer projects and cycles than the faster cycle of the aftermarket. Continuous development is at the core of business. To quote Brian Tracy: “Excellence is not a destination; it is a continuous journey that never ends.”
I enjoy mentoring students and people at the beginning of their careers because it also gives me a lot — it opens my eyes and teaches me to think about things in new ways. I have told everyone I mentor, “Never burn bridges behind you,” because you never know what and who you will find again on your path. The world, and especially Finland, is tiny in circles. Someone always knows someone, and your reputation follows you. Fortunately, I got one of the most amazing sponsors of my career, Annami Toukoniitty, as my supervisor. She has significantly influenced my development and growth.
Emotional intelligence (EQ) is a topic that is very close to my heart. Emotional intelligence helps you go “beneath the surface” and fosters more profound relationships in the workplace and life. One of my favorite quotes is by the American author Maya Angelou: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
The next step was to take the HHJ course and the HHJ qualification. After being selected for the Boardman, Helsinki Board Partners’ network, I was also selected to the Helsinki Economists’ Board, for which I am very grateful, and I hope that I can bring more value to members in exchange for their membership fee through my experience.
I hope my story inspires others to see the value of versatility and Sponsors and use it to their advantage in their careers.
Writer Profile:
- Name: Anu Mattsson
- Current position: VP, Sales Development, Strategy and Marketing, at Metso Business Area Minerals
- Role in Helsingin Ekonomit: Board Member
- Studies: University of Vaasa, M.Sc. Strategic Business Development (Thesis: Identity formation challenges in the post-merger organization experienced by three hierarchical levels) and Vaasa University of Applied Sciences, B.Sc. Energy and Environmental Technology
- Interests: AI development, EQ, Leadership, Sales concepts, marketing
- Hobbies: pilates, cycling, BodyAttack (LesMills), food and wine, reading, interior design
