DIEM doctoral student Esko Hakanen Pöyry CEO for a Day

DIEM doctoral student and service engineering and management researcher Esko Hakanen was about to finalize his dissertation on changing business models in technology firms as he decided to participate the Pöyry Megatrend competition in the spring 2018.

Read Esko's story below:
 

On September 11, Esko Hakanen (in the middle) made a one-day CEO contract and spent an busy and unforgettable day together with the CEO Martin à Porta, Pöyry Oyj (on the left) and the CEO and Chief Financial Officer of Pöyry Finland, Juuso Pajunen (on the right), at their headquarter in Vantaa.

"Last spring Pöyry held a “Megatrend” competition to students of Aalto University. The idea of the competition was to tackle some of the identified megatrends, such as the growing population, the subsequent need for more fresh water and more (clean) energy, the development of advanced biomaterials, or the expanding number of connected devices. These kind of challenges are similar to what  Pöyry engineers could resolve in the future. The winner of the competition would work as Pöyry’s CEO for a day.
 

I entered the competition to spread the ideas of my dissertation work.

Originally, I figured that my ideas should get me among the finalists, which would mean that I had the opportunity to discuss my ideas further over a dinner. I guess that is something that researchers should look for–opportunities to discuss their ideas with bright people and impacting by presenting their results. Despite the tough competition, my idea came on top and that meant I got my chance at the helm. After an inspiring day, I learned a lot about the company and how it operates. Also, I learned why things are the way they are. 

Throughout the day, I was impressed by the overall atmosphere at Pöyry. Serious business was handled in a not-too-serious way. In particular, I was impressed by how Martin and Juuso are able to perform in a high-level and make decisions without expressing any signs of the stress, which they are inevitably facing.

Analyzing financial figures with Juuro Pajunen

A large part of a decision is about people–about whether they see the person as the right choice to take things forward.

During our talks, Juuso revealed one secret behind this calmness. Like I tend to consider the journey and the small steps toward a goal more important than the ending point itself, Juuso emphasized how their decisions reflect only the tip of the iceberg. Before that point, a number of people, whom they trust, have worked a considerable amount of hours to prepare sufficient grounds for making the decision. In other words, for a large part, Martin and Juuso rely on having the right people in the right places.

It’s safe to say that the day exceeded my expectations. Although, I wasn’t that sure what to expect. For me, the most important offering was to be able to spend the whole day shadowing what Martin and Juuso do. It was also a pleasure to get to know a lot of interesting people throughout the day, like Mikko, Peggy, and Liisa. For instance, after meeting Mikko, I can now better relate to the story when I listen to “Tunnelintekijät” podcast. 

I truly enjoyed my time. I strongly encourage anyone to seek a similar opportunity, if anyhow possible. It was a really special occasion to be able to spend the whole day with Martin and Juuso and discuss with them all the little things that construe their day. Best of all, you are able to get a whole different perspective on things, when you are able to spend that much time with someone.  

First-hand experience on how to run a company

After some time to think, the most important takeaway from the day was getting some first-hand experience on how to run a company. All the small details that I was able to see will surely help me in taking the right steps forward. I was great to get some career-advise from Martin and Juuso–since running a people business, they can offer a real-life perspective on how different applicants are evaluated for a position, and so on."

Read more about Esko's CEO for a Day

Pictures: Liisa Yli-Ojanperä , Pöyry

Pöyry is an international consulting and engineering firm that serves clients globally across the energy and industrial sectors and provides local engineering services in its core markets. Its focus sectors are power generation, transmission & distribution, forest industry, chemicals & biorefining, mining & metals, transportation and water.