Clewat´s managing director is clearly a team player, both literally and figuratively. His earlier life was filled with sports- and banking-focused days and the current job is totally different. But there is also something common – work is still like a team playing together.
“This area is totally new for me. During this year I have got lots of knowledge about environmental sector, but I understand that I don´t have it enough yet. I am also thinking, when all this information on environmental sector will be materialized into practice, on a large scale?” Keijo jumped a little bit more than a year ago into totally new career, without knowing so much about Clewat. Janne and Markus Hautala had of course told him some background information, but only when he met Johannes and Hannu, the company started to attract him seriously. “When I had talked with them, I knew immediately that here I want to, to this story and team. It was very clear. I am privileged that I can be involved here.”
But at that point environmental subjects felt distant and Keijo pondered, whether it is really possible to influence on them and how? “We have to be very brave and open-minded, we have to jump – but be also patient and tenacious”, Keijo is thinking the next steps. “ We have to find a way to make an impact.”
Earlier the relationship with nature has been self-evident, because it is always close in Finland. Keijo has enjoyed nature, swimming, walking in a forest with a dog, fishing, boating or picking mushrooms. The archipelago of Inkoo is particularly familiar to him already for a long time. Work, however, changes the attitude towards nature and water systems. “ Now I am watching lakes and rivers more closely than earlier”.
Keijo has, of course, lots of company-related dreams. “Our markets are in the world. Of course it is also important to work in Finland and in the surrounding areas, but bigger problems are further. We have a solution, which others don´t have and that is a good starting point.” He still thinks like an ice hockey player, when he ponders, how “we will go further on our own way, one game at a time. It is important to keep the balance with growth. Right kind of resources must be available at the right time.”
As mentioned in the earlier stories, all employees at Clewat are united by a passion for the industry and a common cause.” We all have a big passion and focus, but we have to understand that the steps are right”, Keijo emphasizes.
This team is ready for the world, to affect on the welfare of the seas, concretely. But we are going forward, as Keijo says, a game by game.
Katja Vaulio
Photo: Riku Kärkkäinen Photography