An interest in global supply chains took our alum Maija Lehner abroad
Original interest in HR shifted to supply chains and sustainability
At the beginning of her studies, Lehner was particularly interested in HR and management. After the first year, however, she realised that HR did not feel like the right field and began to familiarise herself with global supply chains. This led her to study Business Technology. ‘Aalto offered a wide range of different majors and courses, which you could combine to create interesting study modules for yourself,’ says Lehner.
In her master’s studies, Lehner’s interest in working with supply chains continued, and alongside this she learned about the environmental problems related to supply chains. This also led her to the first summer job and internship in the field. ‘The first summer jobs in logistics during my bachelor’s degree gave me a good understanding of how companies’ supply chain management works, and I was then able to deepen this knowledge in my master’s studies,’ Lehner recalls.
'I also went on exchange twice during my university studies, first in Hong Kong and then in Rotterdam. Rotterdam has a really good master’s program related to sustainability; I took courses from it, and it also helped clarify my thinking about my career and the direction I wanted to pursue. In addition, I had always thought that after my second exchange period I would like to stay abroad to work for at least a few years.'
Being active in student life taught me a lot
'I had an active student life outside lectures as well. I worked at KY and was active in the committees and clubs – playing football, for example – and outside of School I was also involved in the Scouts,' Lehner recalls. She says these experiences developed her project management, scheduling, and collaboration skills.
The master’s studies in strategy were completed together with engineering students, and Lehner says she learned how people from different academic backgrounds can have very different approaches and ways of thinking. ‘The technology students’ approach to problem solving was very often more quantitative, whereas I myself was used to think about things more theoretically through different frameworks.’
Although Lehner’s own direction in her studies became clear fairly quickly, she also remembers stressing about finding her first job in the field. ‘There is no point stressing, especially at the beginning, even if you do not immediately find your own path – even the “wrong kind” of internship teaches you what you do and do not like. I myself worked at R-kioski throughout upper secondary school and my first year at university, and at the time I was very stressed about the fact that surely everyone else already had jobs in their own field. Looking back now, working at R-kioski was just right for that stage in my life and taught me how to operate in different, even stressful, customer service situations.’
Rapid growth accelerated learning
During her studies, Lehner explored consulting through an internship at Demos. She pursued positions with a societal dimension, and working at Demos on a variety of projects was highly motivating. The double degree she completed in the CEMS master’s program includes a mandatory internship, and she ended up doing it in Germany at Henkel, one of the world’s leading companies in industrial adhesive and coating solutions.
Lehner’s traineeship was related to the responsibility of supply chains and she was able to see how a large company operates.
‘Towards the end of my traineeship, Henkel started to build a new sustainability team on the chemicals side and the team leader was looking for the first, somewhat younger member to join team. After a short process I was selected, and it was really motivating to be able to build something new within the framework of a large company. I was given a lot of responsibility because the team was very small, and I was also able to develop very quickly.’
Lehner worked in the same team for about three years, after which she was selected as Head of Sustainability for one business unit to develop the sustainability strategy of its product portfolio. ‘I started in the role alone, and in the last three years I have been able to build a small team to develop the strategy and lead its implementation. Over these years I have learned a lot about companies’ strategy and innovation processes and how to influence them, and this still motivates me enormously,’ Lehner describes.
Relaxed attitude towards career was found through meaningful and diverse work
Lehner says that the growing sustainability challenges bring interesting and multifaceted aspects to her work: ‘When developing the product portfolio and listening to the needs of customer industries, you get to think broadly about issues ranging from low emissions of the product to chemical safety. We also work a lot on how our products affect the repairability or recyclability of our customers’ products.’
‘I have moved on to nice and even demanding tasks quickly, which has brought a certain peace of mind, considering how much of my working life is still ahead. I have a nice position with enough responsibility and intellectual challenges, and one in which I can develop. I learn a lot from my colleagues and work is genuinely fun. I have also gained a kind of confidence that you know what you are doing and that you are capable,’ Lehner sums up.
As a counterbalance to work and to recharge, Lehner says she practices yoga, running, and reading. Family and friends also play an important role. 'My family and I go hiking on weekends and during holidays. The Alps are close to our home, and I enjoy being outdoors – whether it’s a multi-day mountain trek or camping to enjoy Finland’s nature.'
'In the mountains, you can see the effects of climate change very tangibly as glaciers melt. That, in turn, increases my motivation at work: I want to help drive change within organizations so that the planet remains livable for future generations, and so that my own son can also enjoy our nature in the future.'
Get to know Maija Lehner's career path more on LinkedIn!
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