Many jobs in one company  

Essi Hannula The journey at Stora Enso began in May 2005.  

“I was studying for a BBA degree at what was then Helia in Helsinki. I started working on my final project and needed an internship. I applied for one in Hamina, where I had moved away when I was four. I wanted to go and see where I really came from.”  

He had no particular connection to the forest industry, but his thesis dealt with the company.  

"However, I have a pretty close relationship with nature, the closest thing is mushroom picking at the cottage. But when I was looking for an internship, I looked at the largest employers in Hamina, and since there was a Stora Enso factory in Summa, it was a good fit." 

The internship was for three months, but Hannula needed five months to complete her degree. However, the challenge was overcome and her career at the company has continued for 21 years. Hannula has worked in the HR department, controlling, investor relations and product manager, among other things.  

Hannula gained experience in management even before joining Stora Enso. She joined the army in 2002 – to complete women's voluntary military service. Hannula, who attended the RUK, is a first lieutenant in the reserve.  

“It was largely a time of discomfort, but I consider the gap year a good growth and leadership experience. It has also opened up networks that I would not otherwise have access to.”  

A time of change for the forest industry 

Hannula moved to Helsinki in 2007. In 2009, Hannula moved to work in investor relations. The forest industry was in a state of transition and Stora Enso was also adjusting its strategy. The Summa paper mill was also closed in 2008. 

“I worked in investor relations for a couple of years, telling analysts and investors what kind of company Stora Enso wanted to be in 2015. In 2009, the company's management knew that the decline in paper demand would continue. Even then, the strategy emphasized packaging and biomaterials.”   

Wood is versatile, but not enough for everything 

According to Hannula, the forest industry is at the forefront today in offering sustainable solutions, replacing fossil products and creating positive climate impacts.   

"We use a renewable natural raw material. Of course, continuous research and development is needed. And material efficiency is important, because wood must be used optimally in the most valuable way possible."  

In 2017, Hannula was given responsibility for the company's newsprint and book paper business. He currently leads the company's recycled fiber unit, which procures recycled fiber as raw material for the company's board and paper mills in Finland and Europe. In this role, he is also responsible for baling operations in various locations in Poland and the sale of recycled fiber to external customers.  

Hannula, who mainly works at Stora Enso's headquarters in Helsinki, has a close team of five people - in total, he reports to around 160 people, most of whom are in Poland.  

"This is a diverse field. For example, one of my closest colleagues has studied economic geography, another is a lawyer, and a third has studied marketing. And hardly any of them thought during their studies that recycled fiber was their thing."