Creativity, sustainability, integrity – Sulapac values bring together a set of diverse talents

In only a few years Sulapac has evolved from a dream of two biochemists into a success story attracting international brands as well as top talents from the leading Finnish companies. As we are in the state of scaling-up our business, the need for new crew members is a timely topic. We are excited to have many new colleagues on board, and to start with, we’d like to introduce four key players whose wide expertise and experience covering sourcing, production, finance, and marketing allow us to step on a whole new level. 

Sourcing expertise and fierce negotiation skill

Eunice Joensuu, M.Sc. (Econ) in Industrial Management, started as Sulapac’s Supply Chain and Sourcing Director in Spring 2019. She has over ten years of experience in procurement and logistics in various sectors and has been in charge of large-scale investment projects for example in the paper industry.

“Eunice has very versatile experience, which is highly valued in the environment we operate in”, says Suvi Haimi, Sulapac CEO.

Eunice was drawn to Sulapac by its mission.“Saving the world from plastic waste – I wanted to be part of that too!”. For Eunice sustainability, one of Sulapac’s core values, is a driving force. “Making sure sustainability is applied throughout the supply chain is central in my work.”

After working in the more conventional industries, Eunice was happy to join the dynamic startup world. Thanks to her previous experience with startups Eunice knew what to expect. “I enjoy change and challenges. At Sulapac I’m never bored”, she laughs.

From the lab to production lines – implementation excellence

Panu Hendolin, Ph.D. Molecular Medicine, M.Sc. in Biotechnology, was appointed Chief Technology Officer at Sulapac in January 2019. Panu has previously worked in leadership positions in the medical device sector. “Panu’s extensive experience from production and R&D development combined with deep understanding of commercial and economical dependencies is extremely valuable for Sulapac”, stresses Suvi Haimi.

At Sulapac we challenge ourselves to constantly come up with new ideas and innovations. To transform those ideas and innovations into commercially available products is where Panu plays a major role.

“Sulapac is in an interesting stage right now as we are bringing novel products to the market and moving fast towards the goal of industrial scale production. It makes our work both challenging and rewarding,” says Panu.

 

Investor perspective and deep financial knowhow

Tero Lehtinen, M. Sc. (Econ), started as Sulapac Chief Financial Officer in December 2018. Tero joined Sulapac from KONE corporation and has over 15 years of experience from demanding finance positions from consulting to board memberships. “The possibility to build something entirely new was tempting,” he says about his transition to Sulapac.

“Tero has helped us to better understand the investor perspective as we have been exploring new funding opportunities”, says Suvi Haimi. “Moreover, Tero’s competence in developing the financial management in pace with our growth is invaluable for Sulapac.”

Integrity, also one of Sulapac’s core values, is something that can be easily attached to Tero. Besides a man who keeps his word, Tero is someone who is incredibly committed to his work.

“I can get rather immersed in things I find intriguing, like in case of Sulapac”, he admits smiling.

 

Boldness to think big

Antti Valtonen, M. Sc. (Econ),Sulapac Chief Marketing Officer since Spring 2018, has an exceptional track record in driving sales through marketing in an international setting. With over fifteen years of experience from leading marketing positions Antti brings both knowhow and vision to speed up Sulapac’s world conquest.

After a long journey with his previous employer Antti was up to new challenges. However, he found it hard to find something as meaningful as his previous work at F-Secure, a company protecting people against cyber threats. Until Suvi called. “To be honest I was surprised to find myself in a startup. It’s an entirely different world. But I haven’t regretted a second,” Antti says.

Antti’s goal is to make Sulapac the ‘Goretex of sustainable materials’ – a brand that is synonym for sustainability and high quality, a brand whose logo companies want to have next to theirs. “At Sulapac, everyone is encouraged to think big. Antti is our lead example of that,” says Suvi Haimi.

 

A variety of talents on a joint mission

The versatility of the Sulapac team is a valuable asset as such, something to be praised. “Different people bring different insights. Even if it doesn’t always make things nice and smooth, it means that more aspects are being considered in decision making”, says Suvi. On our journey towards becoming the #1 sustainable material in the world we are going to need even more great people with their particular skillsets. If you want to be a part of a team of exceptional individuals on a mission to save the world from plastic waste, let us hear from you.

In the next part of this blog series you will meet our Sustainability Director Maija Pohjakallio, and Sales Directors Kristian Saelan and Erno Syvälahti – stay connected.

 

Send your open application to recruitment@sulapac.com

 

Sulapac® is a fully biodegradable and microplastic-free material made of sustainably sourced wood and natural binders. Plastic product manufacturers can use Sulapac with their existing machinery. Sulapac is designed for brands that want to eliminate plastic waste and demonstrate a genuine commitment to sustainability by choosing a premium ecological material. The company was founded in 2016 by Suvi Haimi and Laura Tirkkonen-Rajasalo and is based in Helsinki, Finland.