Get to know the Berner employees and their career paths better. Below you will find the career stories of Maarit Mäkynen-Heltimoinen, Kari Lindholm, Saila Innanen and Sam Tallberg!
Maarit Mäkynen-Heltimoinen, Head of Sourcing
What is your role at Berner?
I work as Head of Sourcing, responsible for the operational and commercial purchasing for our own production together with my team. Additionally, in collaboration with the purchasing teams, I am responsible for managing the capital tied up in inventory and for the operational purchasing of the principals we represent, in accordance with set targets and our service promise.
When did you start at Berner?
I started at Berner in 2011 in what was then the Sport department, working as an Import Coordinator. My current position is my fifth within the house, and all my roles have been related to purchasing, which is my core expertise. I’ve already built a Berner career of over 14 years.
What do you like most about your job?
Meeting different people. I am in constant interaction with our most important suppliers and meet them regularly. I find it great to build partnerships and do goal-oriented work to improve our cost-efficiency and competitive position every day.
It’s an amazing feeling when, at the end of a supplier meeting, you can state that the goals set for the meeting were met. Collaboration with my own teams and the business units is also rewarding and meaningful.
What do you think is best about working at Berner?
Working in a family business and the entrepreneurial spirit. Everyday work that respects and is committed to the company’s values. I feel that our values—work, integrity, and humanity—are realized in daily life. People are trusted and given the freedom and responsibility to make decisions and work boldly.
How does sustainability show in your work?
Sustainability is visible in the daily cooperation with suppliers for our own production. We require responsible operating methods from all our suppliers and increasingly transparent supply chains through our sustainable sourcing tools. We have ended cooperation with operators who do not sign our Supplier Code of Conduct or commit to its principles.
The recyclability of materials also plays an important role.
What does our purpose “Protecting Tomorrow” mean to you or how does it show in your work?
It shows in our cooperation with suppliers, emphasizing high-quality purchasing from our long-term and committed partners.
For us, quality purchasing means strategic, high-quality sourcing. We are committed to our partners and develop cooperation with them so that both parties benefit. We ensure an up-to-date purchase order base utilized by internal stakeholders. Quality purchasing follows the existing process.
Protecting tomorrow appears as ensuring a transparent supply chain together with stakeholders. Additionally, our values speak of protecting tomorrow: we appreciate all work done and our colleagues; we are brave and honest. Following these in everyday life is, in my opinion, protecting tomorrow.
How do you spend your free time?
We spend time during holidays at our second home in Spain, where I play golf, cycle, read, spend time outdoors with our dog, and enjoy the local way of life.
In Finland, walks with the dog are a daily treat. The gym and reading are also good ways to spend free time, and of course, shared time with family is precious.
Kari Lindholm, Shift Supervisor & Occupational Safety Manager
What is your role at Berner?
I work at the Viinikkala logistics center as a Shift Supervisor and Occupational Safety Manager.
When did you start at Berner?
I started at Berner in February 1995 and have worked in various positions within the house since then, with the last 17 years or so in supervisory roles. I originally came just to “visit” for a job, but here I am, over 30 years later.
What do you like most about your job?
Everyday life in logistics is fast-paced, and products arrive from principals all over the world. Above all, I like the variety of the work and the people. We have a great group of people working here, and cooperation flows smoothly.
What do you think is best about working at Berner?
Decisions are made in everyday life, and development is taken forward together on a practical level. Something new and interesting always comes up; this is not a boring house. My own team succeeds every day even in tight spots, and I am proud of that.
How does sustainability show in your work?
Naturally, quality and delivery reliability expectations have grown, and we are constantly developing our operations. Transport companies are also required to do more, and the goal is to be at the top in delivery reliability. Sustainability is concretely visible in everyday life through things like precise waste sorting, energy-smart solutions (such as motion-sensor LED lighting), and a good level of occupational safety. The deviation reporting system is in active use, and even “small” observations are recorded. Corrective actions are taken systematically.
What does our purpose “Protecting Tomorrow” mean to you or how does it show in your work?
Protecting tomorrow is visible to me in many things, for example in decision-making. We make solutions where we think things through into the future. Investments in machinery and equipment are considered and made with a long-term view, speaking for tomorrow. In my opinion, protecting tomorrow also means that people enjoy themselves, are satisfied with their work, and can do their jobs safely.
How do you spend your free time?
Outside of work, my time is taken up by my dogs Valtteri (9) and Vihtori (8), as well as following HIFK ice hockey in the winters. Time is also spent on chores at our detached house and cottage life near Savonlinna.
Saila Innanen, Business Manager, Berner Turf
What is your role at Berner?
I work as the Business Manager for the Berner Turf business. Berner Turf focuses on the maintenance of professional lawns, such as golf courses, sports fields, and green areas. I lead operations in six countries: Finland, Sweden, Norway, and the Baltic region. Key areas of my work include building an international team, developing the product portfolio, and creating a common operating model for different markets.
Additionally, I coordinate sourcing and sales support functions. Currently, team leadership and strategic planning are especially important, along with collaboration with principals, assortment decisions, marketing, and sourcing. At the core of my role is directing and clarifying the strategy for the team.
When did you start at Berner?
I started at Berner in February 2019 as a Sales Manager working with professional lawns, focusing especially on fieldwork and the customer interface. In 2022, I moved to the role of Product Group Manager, taking on responsibility for supplier cooperation and assortment development—without forgetting customer work. At the same time, my job description expanded to include supervisory duties. In 2025, I started in my current role as Business Manager following international integration.
What do you like most about your job?
I particularly like meeting customers and following the fields through different seasons—that’s where I get the most motivation. I get excited about problem-solving and explaining the cause-and-effect relationships of phenomena. I enjoy holding trainings and seminars and sharing knowledge with colleagues and customers.
Recent years, sustainability and the effects of regulation on products have become an important part of my work. Internationality brings more depth to the job and an opportunity to grow my own skills and knowledge—the operating methods and regulations of customers in different countries bring new dimensions to everyday life.
What do you think is best about working at Berner?
At Berner, I am especially inspired by skilled and passionate colleagues who want to develop themselves and the industry. We have an efficient team that has grown significantly recently, and I am delighted by how naturally new team members from different countries have integrated into the whole. Now that I’ve also been able to work with our subsidiaries, I see a great opportunity to build a common corporate culture across borders and company lines.
How does sustainability show in your work?
Promoting sustainability is strongly present in everyday life. We take sustainabilitys seriously—we work to ensure supply chain sustainability and give customers recommendations that respect the environment. We collaborate with, for example, the Golf Union and are involved in projects where sustainability is prioritized high. Additionally, we ensure that our products are suitable for their intended use and meet regulatory requirements. We are involved, for instance, in Pikkala Golf’s GEO-certified environmental project, where sustainability is at the center.
What does our purpose “Protecting Tomorrow” mean to you or how does it show in your work?
For me, it is strongly linked to sustainability. Our work with golf courses and other green areas is an important pillar in building a sustainable future. We want to ensure that there are high-quality, well-maintained recreational places for everyone in the future as well. Our work has a broad impact on people’s everyday lives: pleasant parks, high-quality sports fields, and golf courses are part of the common good.
How do you spend your free time?
I spend my free time with my two dogs—we do agility and other active outdoor activities. I love gardening and maintaining an old detached house. I come from a big family, so time spent with loved ones is important to me. The golf course is also familiar territory in my free time, and in winters, I head to the slopes if the opportunity arises.
Sam Tallberg, Director, Grain Trade Business
What is your role at Berner?
I work at Farmer’s Berner (Viljelijän Berner) as the Director of the Grain Trade business and as a member of the management team. In the grain trade business, we engage in high-volume grain and feed raw material trading in both domestic and international markets. Grain exports from Finland play a particularly large role for us.
When did you start at Berner?
I started in the summer of 2022 when Berner acquired the grain trade business from Apetit Plc, where I worked as the head of the international trading desk.
What do you like most about your job?
Since my student days, I have been fascinated by trading activities in international, volatile commodity markets, involving both physical and paper trading with large volumes, moving massive cargoes on large ships. In this environment, understanding the complex cause-and-effect relationships between different markets, commodities, macroeconomics, and politics is vital, and screens are flashing with curves, numbers, and the latest news.
What do you think is best about working at Berner?
The house is full of top-class professionals with truly diverse backgrounds. Personnel development and skill-building are genuinely encouraged. Berner has a very good reputation as an employer in the outside world, and you certainly don’t have to search for the reasons why when working here. When wanting to attract the best talent, the employer image plays a crucial role, especially for the younger generation.
How does sustainability show in your work?
In the agricultural product value chain, sustainability has played a more visible role recently, and requirements related to it, especially via industry, are constantly increasing in commodity trading as well.
What does our purpose “Protecting Tomorrow” mean to you or how does it show in your work?
I would like to see Berner’s grain trade and our entire business unit producing added value for Finnish agriculture and doing its part to help keep domestic food security at a high level in the future as well. In these times of instability, security of supply plays a particularly large role, and agriculture is undeniably at the center of that.
How do you spend your free time?
I have been going to the gym very actively my entire adult life, and for me, this is still a prerequisite for existence and a good way to clear my thoughts. Outdoor activities with the dog (and wife) complete the weekly exercise palette. Traveling, food culture, and reading (nowadays mostly audiobooks) keep the mental side sharp.
Below you will find the career stories of Eila Saari, Anssi Hautabacka, Katriina Lehtonen and Miikka Salli!
Eila Saari, Product Manager / Brand Manager
What is your role at Berner?
I serve as the Product Manager / Brand Manager for Ainu, our baby-care brand that will celebrate its 60th anniversary in 2025, and for our other baby-care brand, MAM. In practice I handle everything for the brands from A to Z, from curating the product range to marketing and driving brand growth.
When did you start at Berner?
I began at Bergenheim in January 1997 and moved to Berner through an acquisition in 1998. I have therefore worked at Berner for 28 years.
What do you enjoy most about your work?
Ainu users are, in my view, the best audience imaginable; working with baby products is genuinely fascinating. Marketing, for example, has to be planned differently when the products are aimed at new mothers. Another key factor is the variety of my work – no two days are the same, and that constant challenge is motivating. I also value the chance to collaborate with our own production site in Heinävesi, our principals and multiple stakeholders. Developing new, high-quality products with skilled colleagues – guided by consumer surveys and studies, is something I truly enjoy. Berner also makes it easy to grow professionally while keeping a positive spirit.
What is the best thing about working at Berner, in your opinion?
Definitely the amazing, enthusiastic, professional and highly motivated colleagues. Berner is refreshingly free of unnecessary bureaucracy; we have a great atmosphere and a shared goal. The many long careers here say a lot about Berner as an employer. There is a strong entrepreneurial spirit, and as a family-owned company we can stay agile when needed.
How does sustainability show in your work?
Product safety and overall responsibility are integral to this category, after all, our users represent everyone’s future, so I take sustainability very seriously. Ainu and MAM are committed to responsible operating principles. Our products must be genuinely useful and make everyday family life easier.
When we design Ainu skin-care products with our R&D team, raw materials, packaging materials and their recyclability, as well as manufacturing itself, are crucial focus areas. We highlight this commitment in Ainu marketing too, explaining openly how we operate and giving consumers practical tips, such as energy- and water-saving microwave sterilisation.
What does our purpose “Protecting tomorrow” mean to you, and how is it reflected in your work?
Advancing sustainability is, in itself, defending tomorrow. We have to act so that we leave future generations the best possible conditions to live and enjoy life. Decisions we make today can have far-reaching effects, and I want to help ensure those decisions are good ones. “Protecting tomorrow” is a value that obliges every one of us at Berner each day, and one we can all be proud of.
How do you spend your free time?
Interior decorating, renovating and wallpapering have always appealed to me, at home, at the cottage or for friends. I also enjoy gardening, walking, films, travel and spending time with family and friends.
Anssi Hautabacka, ICT Infrastructure and Information Security Manager
What is your role at Berner?
I work as the ICT Infrastructure and Information Security Manager at Berner.
When did you start at Berner?
I joined Berner in November 2018.
What do you enjoy most about your work?
We have the freedom to work the way we prefer, which means we can often shape our own schedules. The working environment and methods are familiar to me – even though I previously spent most of my career in large international companies such as IBM, HCL and Nokia in both Finland and Ireland. I have been fascinated by the ICT field since I was young.
What is the best thing about working at Berner, in your opinion?
The people are the best part. In large corporations you might never see the CEO except through a webcam, but at Berner the management is present and approachable. Because our people are so fantastic, coming to the office is always enjoyable. Our own team also shares its own brand of humour. Herttoniemi is a wonderful area, especially in spring and summer.
How does sustainability show in your work?
Practically speaking, we can influence the supply chain through the components and computers we buy. The fewer middlemen in the procurement chain, the less the goods travel and the lower the transport emissions. Old laptops and desktops are wiped, cleaned and serviced by our hardware-recycling partner and then resold for further use. We also actively consider shifting the capacity we use to the cloud.
What does our purpose “Protecting tomorrow” mean to you, and how is it reflected in your work?
In information systems and cybersecurity this purpose is crystal clear. We must defend against external threats such as hackers and state-sponsored actors. Safeguarding against these dangers is essential for business continuity, both now and in the future. Cybersecurity is a concern for society as a whole and for the EU. The EU’s NIS2 directive, for example, obliges everyone to act for the common good.
How do you spend your free time?
From spring to autumn there is always plenty to do at home. The garden must be coaxed out of its winter sleep and I use GreenCare fertilizers for that. Our outdoor and indoor terraces need a massive spring-cleaning after winter, and I love to barbecue whenever the weather allows. I also go for walks, especially in the Laajalahti Nature Reserve, and I spend free time with tablets and computers.
Katriina Lehtonen, Marketing Manager
What is your role at Berner?
I work as a Marketing Manager, responsible for marketing and communications for our home-gardening, automotive and footwear brands (GreenCare, Korrek, Lasol, Hai & Nokian Jalkineet). My team includes specialists in communications, digital marketing, events and consumer service, and together we build brands and consumer experiences.
When did you start at Berner?
I joined Berner in 2019. Time has flown by because the work has been so inspiring and varied.
What do you enjoy most about your work?
I especially enjoy the chance to work with a wide range of Finnish classic brands, talented people and fresh ideas. As cliché as it sounds, no two days are the same. In a small yet agile team I can influence many areas: on a typical day that might mean planning campaigns, creating new concepts or collaborating with advertising and media-agency partners. The role strikes a perfect balance between creativity and hands-on execution. Marketing also demands that you stay constantly up to date with new trends and shifts in consumer behaviour, so continual learning and self-development are part of everyday life – that’s what makes the job so exciting and rewarding.
What is the best thing about working at Berner, in your opinion?
Berner trusts its people and gives them responsibility. You are encouraged to experiment and innovate, knowing that skilled colleagues are there to support you. The other great thing is that our work has real meaning: I get to promote sustainable consumption and Finnish values.
How does sustainability show in your work?
Sustainability is reflected in both day-to-day practice and long-term planning. In marketing communication we highlight concrete sustainability attributes such as recyclability, durability or being pesticide-free, transparently and based on facts. That requires ongoing cooperation with product development and subject-matter experts. In this way we build trust and always act responsibly from a marketing perspective. Collaboration with schools and young people is also one of our ways to help build a responsible future.
What does our purpose “Protecting tomorrow” mean to you, and how is it reflected in your work?
“Protecting tomorrow” means working with a long-term perspective, building brands and consumption habits that stand the test of time. In my role this shows, for example, in encouraging consumers to choose natural gardening over artificial alternatives and in communicating sustainability-driven choices in an appealing, concrete way. Protecting tomorrow is also visible in our digital choices: we think about how to create content that is not merely consumed but is accessible, relevant and resource-efficient. Promoting digital responsibility is part of the whole, it is marketing with tomorrow in mind.
How do you spend your free time?
My free time revolves around family, the outdoors and culture. I love travelling, enjoying good food, planning surprises and celebrations for loved ones, and getting excited about new things. Everyday joy also comes from simple time together and nature, as well as walking the dog.
Miikka Salli
What is your role at Berner?
I am the Segment Director for the chemical, battery chemical, mining, and metal refining industry segments within Berner Industries. In addition, I’m a member of the Berner Industries management team and responsible for our operations in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Iceland.
When did you start at Berner?
Two years ago.
What do you enjoy most about your work?
I especially enjoy the versatility of my role. It includes everything from business responsibility and sales to strategic planning and even packing product samples. I particularly like meeting customers and principals – and brainstorming new business ideas with my colleagues.
What’s the best part of working at Berner?
The best things about Berner are the colleagues, personal and visible ownership, and the excellent coffee from the coffee machine at our office😊 At Berner, we’re encouraged to pursue new ideas with an open mind and trusted to carry out our work independently within our areas of responsibility.
How does sustainability show in your work?
Sustainability shows in many ways, such as helping our customers make more sustainable decisions by sharing the carbon footprint data of our chemicals and raw materials whenever available. Our customers are increasingly interested in industrial by-products, which are often both cost-effective and low in carbon footprint. We also actively support our customers in commercializing and distributing their by-products across the Nordics.
What does “Protecting tomorrow” mean to you, and how does it show in your work?
Protecting tomorrow is about working together with our customers to find the best solutions that help them reach their sustainability and business goals. It’s a meaningful concept to me, and I’m proud that it serves as Berner’s guiding principle. It’s my compass in day-to-day decisions and customer work.
How do you spend your free time?
I swim long distances, go to the dog forest with our Airedale terrier Koura, and enjoy watching history documentaries on the couch.