From an investor’s perspective, there has been a need for an up-to-date overview of the Finnish economic climate. What are the facts on the ground? What is changing, and how?
It was a hot, summer day in gorgeous Tuscany. We arrived in a small village in Chianti, where we’d heard there was an amazing ice cream place. Driving around, we searched, but had no luck. We had already given up when suddenly – there it was, right in front of us. I had lime-basil ice cream, something I’d never imagined as a combination, but it worked: delicious.
Oliver Rittgen has been a formidable powerhouse in Finland over the past six and a half years. During that time, as CEO of Bayer Nordic based out of Espoo, he’s grown the company to new heights. Bayer is now a central player in the aim to make Finland the life science hub of Europe, and much of this is due to Rittgen’s insights, determination and vision. Now, he is moving on to a new position. Congratulations!
Helsinki is a beautiful and efficient city, but it lacks the joie de vivre of some of its bigger European siblings. Let’s face it: for about eight months of the year, Helsinki is a miserable place to live, thanks to the challenging climate.
So why then do we love it?
What will it take for Helsinki to successfully compete for global companies’ Northern European headquarters? A group of Amcham executives is ready to dig out the answer.
Fact: Multicultural teams outperform homogeneous ones. Fact: The addition of one “foreigner” to a team increases financial turnover. Fact: Cultural differences can enhance our work environments. But let’s be honest. It’s not always easy.
It was so useful to talk about digital transformation that the seventeen C.E.O.s in the room swore to continue the dialogue.
“Top management is not really up to speed about the digital disruption.” That’s what Petteri Poutiainen, Salesforce’s Country Manager in Finland, hears quite frequently.
Finland’s got everything employers are looking for: an abundance of highly educated, experienced and capable young talent. Companies, however, could use an extra dose of courage to realize its potential.
Finland outperforms the rest of the EU when it comes to having an attractive climate for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). So far, Finland hasn’t been able to transform the favourable policy framework into significant FDI inflows. Finland thus foregoes much needed capital, jobs, and knowledge.
The merger of Finnish Konecranes and American Terex was affected by an unsolicited bid by a Chinese interloper. This is the new reality, says Johannes Piha, the Head of Mergers and Acquisitions at Borenius.