Who are you and what do you do at UPM Timber?
I am Soili Kuusisto, Senior Manager, Order to Delivery. I am responsible for UPM Timber's order to delivery processes, which is part of UPM Timber's supply chain concept.
My team is closely involved in daily operations. I have six direct subordinates and my team covers the whole UPM Timber order to supply chain. My team consists of specialists in order processing, transport ordering, invoicing, shipping and logistics.
I have been with UPM Timber for five years and with UPM for more than 20 years continuously. Almost 30 years ago, I started in the timber business as a summer trainee. This means that five years ago when I came to UPM Timber, I went full circle back to where my career originally started.
What does your typical working day consist of?
My working days consist of weekly meetings with my team, as well as supply chain management team meetings. Also, the operational side of things requires meetings at a fairly intense pace.
For my team, I want to be someone who is present and listens. I like to have a coaching approach, so I set aside a lot of time with my team for discussion and joint problem-solving. I believe that these discussions support my team members and help them to succeed at UPM Timber.
The meetings are face-to-face at the Tampere office or via Teams. The people responsible for shipping work at UPM Timber's sawmills in Pori and Lappeenranta. Sometimes I also visit the sawmills to see how the work is progressing and meet people. I don't want to be someone who sits in the office all day. When you hear the logs rattling and the sawmill running, you get a much more concrete picture of our processes.
What are you most proud of in your own work?
During the time I've been at UPM, the company has made big changes and big decisions. UPM is always moving forward with determination. It has been great to see how UPM has evolved from a traditional paper industry company into one that develops new innovative and sustainable solutions. I am proud of that.
During this time, I have also learned to see the big picture. I can see what's underneath the surface and this is very useful in my work. I maintain contacts and build interfaces in every direction, with the team, with the supply chain, with UPM Timber. I can be proud of the fact that this communication and networking is working well.