Juha, Business Unit Manager, Oulu, Finland

Juha is a mechanical engineer, having majored in engineering mechanics and paper industry machinery and equipment. Throughout his career, Juha has participated in various training courses and continuously educated himself. For example, he has studied accounting at the Open University.

– I wrote my master’s thesis, and also had my first job, as a product development engineer in the product development department of paper machines. My main task was structural analysis of paper rolls and structures. It was also during this time that I had my first contact with composite structures, and this led me to Oulu, where I worked for over 10 years with carbon fibre paper machine rolls. As production manager, I led the production team in the production of rollers, the design of laminates and the subcontracting of rollers and materials. At that time, I also learnt about certificates and quality management systems, which continue to keep me occupied! Juha says.

Juha has also gained a firm grasp of working culture in a number of countries. He has been in charge of quality management, environmental matters and occupational safety. The work has also led him out of the office, to installation sites where quality management was to be carried out.

Juha found his way to Comatec by the time-honoured route. 

– One day I saw an interesting job ad and just put in my application. I got an interview, and Oucons and I proved to be a good match. Oucons became part of Comatec Group in 2012.

Juha currently runs Comatec’s Oulu unit. The work includes managing employees and leading projects, which involves extensive contact with clients in meetings. Juha also contributes his sales and quality expertise to Comatec’s strategic planning. In addition, he is in charge of quality-related operative tasks, such as internal and external audits, management reviews, handling of complaints, maintenance of the standards library, as well as a wide range of general quality-related matters. Without a doubt, Juha says, the best part of the job is meeting different people and customers.

– Managing the bigger picture is something I’ve learned to do at Comatec. I’ve also learned to appreciate the importance of good planning in carrying out projects. Risk management in various forms has also added to my skill set. Sometimes the many tight deadlines for assignments can squeeze our resources in particular. But this can be overcome with prioritisation and good scheduling.

In Juha’s view, Comatec is an excellent employer.

– There are a lot of things we do really well, and especially strategic planning and its implementation are absolutely top-notch. That’s not the case in many other companies.

What would you say to someone who’s thinking of applying to Comatec?

– Go for it! And if you happen to have experience from other jobs, it will be a great advantage in the design industry. Welcome!