People are what make growth, innovation and great processes possible. This is one of the philosophies of Juha Ylivakeri, the newly appointed COO of Trysil RMM Oy. Juha sees change management as an essential part of his approach, helping everyone understand and align with the company’s shared goals and their importance for the future.
“That is something I really enjoy about working in Trysil RMM, everyone is so friendly and welcoming. There is a collective mindset within the company, where everyone is genuinely committed to making the company the best it can be,” Juha says.
Roots in developing people and processes
Having started out his career as a System Engineer in the Finnish Defence Forces Material Command Headquarter, Juha has a strong sense of community and teamwork in pursuit of the best results. His work here was characterized by Nordic cooperation, similar to his new role. Even early in his career, Juha recalls being eager to get things done and ensuring processes stayed on track.
“After that, I worked in research and development for several years. I spent a great amount of time traveling, with at times close to 200 days traveling outside of Finland,” Juha remembers.
Despite having built his career in larger companies, Juha is excited to take on his new responsibilities as COO of Trysil RMM Oy. With a particular interest in change management and a passion for working with people, he believes he has landed his dream job.
“Even though I like to see changes and improvements implemented as efficient as possible, I am very conscious of the fact that behind all the numbers, there are people. It’s important to see the bigger picture. I believe change is easier to achieve when people work on it together rather than individually,” Juha says.
The importance of company culture
One of his key aims as a leader is to be a good listener—something he both enjoys and sees great value in. He firmly believes that in order to streamline workflows and improve efficiency, it is crucial to ensure that everyone is working as a team. These are values he sees in Trysil RMM’s culture as well.
“That’s what really struck me about Trysil RMM, how warm and genuine the people are. At the same time, they are eager to take on new opportunities, they have great business ideas, and a strong understanding of the international market,” Juha explains.
While the people and friendly company culture are important to him, Juha also enjoys a challenge and is particularly interested in exploring new opportunities for expansion. Combined, he believes that these elements make Trysil RMM the perfect fit for him, and he cites it as one of the main reasons he wanted to take on the role.
“The product is nothing without the people behind it. That’s why I aim for a coaching-like leadership style that focuses on listening and understanding different perspectives. I believe that in doing so, we can develop the best possible ways of working and help people reach their full potential,” Juha says.
Exploring new horizons, professionally and personally
This preference for productivity and active management is reflected in Juha’s life outside of work as well. He has no trouble staying busy, now that his wonderful children are all grown and spread across Finland. In the winter, he enjoys snowmobiling and cross-country skiing, while in the summer, you can find him restoring his old Jeeps or traveling to explore nature and hike in the mountains.
In his new role, Juha places great value on change management and fostering the company’s growth, ensuring sustainable development for the future. He also emphasizes that there is so much potential both in the people and the product.
“I don’t think it’s very common for everyone in a company to be so eager to contribute to its development. Often, people just want to focus on their individual tasks. That’s something I find truly refreshing about Trysil RMM. It aligns well with what I call my personal slogan, that ‘change is always a possibility’,” Juha concludes.
