Get to know the Berner employees and their career paths better. Below you will find the career stories of Emilie Raittinen, Santtu Linnavirta, Olli-Pekka Taivalmaa, Sirkku Airola and Teemu Pitkänen!
Emilie Raittinen, Brand Manager, Consumer Goods
What is your role at Berner?
I work as a Brand Manager in the Consumer Goods business unit. I am responsible for our own-manufactured skincare brands Murumuru, Atopik and Pure=Beauty, which we develop and produce at our Sahaajankatu factory in Herttoniemi, Helsinki.
When did you start at Berner?
I came to Berner through the Naviter acquisition in 2022. I’m happy that I have been able to work with the same brands for almost the entire time since, and I was involved, among other things, in launching the Murumuru brand in 2018.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
The best thing about my job is its diversity! I think creativity is one of our greatest strengths, and it is needed in everything we do: building brand strategy, standing out and strengthening competitiveness, but equally in product ideation, packaging design, writing product descriptions and planning launches. The best results are achieved when creativity and data are utilised side by side. I work closely with various internal and external stakeholders, and especially close to my heart is growing the brands and launching new, innovative products together with our product development team.
The most rewarding thing of all, however, is the feedback we receive from consumers. When our product has brought help, for example, to the challenges of sensitive skin, I feel a strong sense of meaningfulness. As someone with atopic skin myself, I see skincare as an important part of overall wellbeing, and I know how many people struggle with various skin challenges.
What do you think is the best thing about working at Berner?
Our work community encourages bold experimentation! A good example of this is the launch of Murumuru’s make-up products in autumn 2025: we were the first to bring domestic, certified natural cosmetics make-up to wide department store distribution. The idea originated from a wish to bring to the market make-up products of unprecedented quality that speak to a broad target group. It was a wonderful feeling to celebrate the launch together with the whole work community, as the result of years of development work. We have a close-knit community where every person’s contribution is irreplaceably important.
How does sustainability show in your own work?
For us, sustainability is part of our everyday life and every choice, not a separate add-on. In product development, it shows in raw material choices, considered packaging design, and in the fact that we launch new products by carefully considering genuine need. Whenever possible, we favour locally produced raw materials and produce some of the plant and berry extracts ourselves at our factory, which allows us to utilise domestic raw materials, support domestic companies and shorten transport distances.
In everyday work, we also consider small things, such as whether a product needs a carton or whether we can manage without one. Cooperation with the product development and packaging teams is continuous: we anticipate upcoming legislative changes and search for new packaging options and interesting raw materials. Sustainability work is a process that has no endpoint, and that is what makes it particularly interesting too.
What does our purpose, “Protecting Tomorrow”, mean to you, or how does it show in your work?
Protecting tomorrow has always lived within me, and that is why it is easy to identify with Berner’s operating philosophy. In my own role, I want to be involved in building a better tomorrow, and I see Berner’s success as part of a larger whole: when we succeed together with our customers, domestic vitality is strengthened at the same time. I particularly value domestic work, expertise and manufacturing.
I see marketing and brand communications as an important part of my work, because it is precisely through these that a brand is built in the consumer’s mind. I think that cosmetics brands also have a responsibility for the kind of image of beauty they convey. In my own work, I strive to ensure that our communications support a healthy self-image, especially among younger consumers.
How do you spend your free time?
In my free time, I get tremendous joy and energy from versatile exercise. In addition to gym training and running, I do Hyrox, in which I also participate in competitions with my colleague, in the spirit of amateurs. I am curious to follow beauty, wellbeing and consumer trends, and I listen to a lot of podcasts on the topic. A perfect day off includes brunch, exercise and quality time with loved ones.
Santtu Linnavirta, Factory Director
What is your role at Berner?
I work as Factory Director at our Herttoniemi factory in Helsinki, which focuses on the manufacturing of natural cosmetics and contract manufacturing products. I am responsible for the overall operation of the factory. Among other things, I am in charge of budgeting and investments, and I make sure that we have enough skilled personnel and that our production runs as planned and with high quality. My work combines long-term planning with day-to-day operational leadership.
When did you start at Berner?
I joined Berner through the Naviter acquisition at the turn of 2022. Previously, I worked in a similar position.
What do you like most about your work?
The workdays are very varied. It’s nice to spend some time on the production floor, going through manufacturing as well as various development and problem-solving situations, and then balance that out with meetings, production planning, and customer visits. What I find particularly interesting in my work is discovering new things and developing our operations together with the team. It is great to plan longer-term development projects and bring them into our everyday work.
What is the best thing about working at Berner?
Berner is a responsible and employee-oriented workplace. Employees are well taken care of, and their opinions are taken into account. My tasks are meaningful to me, and in my work I get to influence our operations more broadly. It is great to work with others who are genuinely interested in doing things together and moving things forward. It is important to me that employees feel well, and I feel that at Berner this is genuinely possible.
How does sustainability show in your own work?
Sustainability is part of our everyday work at the factory. It is important for us to deliver high-quality and well-functioning production. We always aim to get everything right the first time, while at the same time minimizing waste and loss. Sustainability also shows in the selection of our partners and suppliers.
What does our purpose “Protecting Tomorrow” mean to you, or how does it show in your work?
Protecting Tomorrow influences our everyday work in how we make choices and decisions. Berner has a strong and long history as an employer in Finland. In my opinion, an important part of Protecting Tomorrow is taking care of our employees and partners. As a significant employer, Berner has a strong social responsibility in society, and this is an important matter for me, one that is easy to be part of carrying forward
How do you spend your free time?
In my free time, exercise is a part of my life. I have played golf for over 20 years, and in addition I play badminton, darts, and go to the gym. Following sports is also part of my free time, along with watching films and series, and occasionally playing games.
Most important of all, however, is the time spent with family and friends. I enjoy travelling with the family, but the summer holiday is dedicated to spending time at the summer cottage.
Olli-Pekka Taivalmaa, Director of Sales Support, Berner Industries
What is your role at Berner?
I work as Director of Sales Support, meaning I am in charge of the sales support team in the Berner Industries business unit. The team currently consists of myself, two managers, and seven supply chain specialists. I also lead our subsidiary Berner Industries Tank Ltd in Tahkoluoto, Pori.
When did you start at Berner?
I first started in 2010, doing a summer internship in the former TOP department for two summers. I have been permanently employed at Berner Industries since 2012.
What do you like most about your work?
What I like most is the variety and challenging nature of the work, and the fact that our team and the entire business unit work uncompromisingly towards a shared goal, making use of every individual’s specialist expertise and capabilities.
What is the best thing about working at Berner?
It is precisely the diversity of the company and the fact that the different business areas are also different from one another. This brings security to both the personnel and the company in a changing world.
How does sustainability show in your own work?
Sustainability-related inquiries are part of our everyday work, and we operate with industries, for example the Nordic feed industry, for which certified sustainability is extremely important. In addition to our ISO 9001 and 14001 certifications, we hold MSC certification for some of our feed products and GMP+ certification for our operations. Sustainability is also reflected in our day-to-day activities, where we aim to optimize logistics as efficiently as possible and use, for example, renewable energy in our own warehouses.
What does our purpose “Protecting Tomorrow” mean to you, or how does it show in your work?
In my view, Berner Industries reflects the “Protecting Tomorrow” idea very well. We operate in many value chains as a commercialiser of side streams, turning what used to be “waste” into useful production inputs. The biggest example of this is our ammonium sulphate operations, where we are responsible for the export sales of Terrafame’s ammonium sulphate, which previously ended up as waste, to fertiliser customers.
How do you spend your free time?
My wife and I moved into my childhood home a year ago, so my free time is largely spent maintaining and renovating the detached house, as well as gardening in the summer. I also get to play video games with friends every now and then.
Sirkku Airola, Head of Business Control
What is your role at Berner?
I work as Head of Business Control and, together with my team, I am responsible for developing our group’s management accounting practices. Our core objective is to support our businesses in driving profitable growth.
When did you start at Berner?
I joined Berner in 2019 as Business Controller for one of our business units, Consumer Goods. I moved into my current role at the beginning of 2025.
What do you like most about your work?
My workdays are very varied. The diversity of our group and the different development projects bring a lot of variation to the work. My work spans individual tasks and broad strategic initiatives. We need to think flexibly when designing practices that work for the whole group, individual business units and different countries alike. I get to work with colleagues in many different roles, also across borders, and at the same time I continuously learn new things about our different businesses.
What is the best thing about working at Berner?
Berner invests strongly in developing our operations, and it is done with the necessary agility. When the investment required for a development project is clearly justified, its approval does not require multiple rounds of bureaucracy. I am involved in many interesting development projects, and I can see the impact of my own work in the results. The work is genuinely meaningful.
Special mention also goes to my skilled Business Controlling team and my colleagues, who are genuinely nice to work with. We all share the same goal, developing our operations, and that makes collaboration smooth and effective. Alongside our target-oriented mindset, we have a genuinely relaxed atmosphere, and we share plenty of laughs along the way.
How does sustainability show in your own work?
At Berner, sustainability is an integral part of our strategy. In my area of responsibility, the key ethical questions are the accuracy and transparency of financial reporting, and the reliability and confidentiality of information. We ensure the availability, accuracy, and understandability of data so that we can make well-founded, sustainable decisions. I am also involved in assessing how much of our budget is allocated to advancing sustainable development. Through family ownership, our time horizon is long, which supports making responsible investments and decisions.
What does our purpose “Protecting Tomorrow” mean to you, or how does it show in your work?
At the heart of my work is ensuring that we have a strong future ahead, by supporting the profitable development of our commercial activities in the long term. Financial decisions are not optimised only for the next quarter. We balance long-term value creation with short-term performance. This also gives my own work a sense of purpose that extends far into the future.
Looking ahead also requires forecasting and scenario capabilities, which we develop together with my team. However, Protecting Tomorrow is not just about numbers, but about the responsibility to ensure that Berner remains a thriving family business for the coming generations as well, for the owners, the employees, our customers, and the surrounding society. I have come to truly understand the scope of this responsibility as I have been able to see what a significant player we are in many different industries.
How do you spend your free time?
In my free time, you will often find me on the tennis court or doing some other kind of exercise. If the sofa starts to call, my children make sure I don’t stay there for long. I also enjoy the company of my friends, and there is always at least a trip or two with them on the calendar.
Teemu Pitkänen, Sales Manager, MedLab Nordic
What is your role at Berner?
I work in our Healthcare and Laboratories business area as Sales Manager and team lead for the Surgery and Respiratory Care team in Finland. My team consists of 4 product specialists, 2 field product managers, and 1 sales coordinator. I also work closely together with the team leads and product managers of our Nordic specialist healthcare team to develop our operations.
When did you start at Berner?
I joined Berner three years ago, in March 2023.
What do you like most about your work?
In addition to the interesting product area, I particularly enjoy the encounters with customers, colleagues, and principals. Selling surgery and respiratory care solutions require an active presence in the field, and a Sales Manager is also allowed to “roll up their sleeves” and take part in customer events, product trials, and user trainings at hospitals and operating rooms.
Hands-on work and constructive conversations with customers help me sense market conditions and industry trends, and my work never lets me get disconnected from everyday reality. It also helps me make better choices regarding our product portfolio and public tenders.
What is the best thing about working at Berner?
I appreciate that at Berner it is possible to develop the product portfolio, strategy, and company culture, and that the company listens to new ideas. In Berner’s values and culture, people are at the center, and this is reflected not only in words but also in actions. Berner also offers opportunities for personal development and growth.
How does sustainability show in your own work?
Sustainability shows above all in public tenders and in the scouting of new principals and product areas. We proudly carry forward the message of Berner’s Platinum level achievement in the EcoVadis sustainability assessment, as well as our environmental certification.
Recently we have noticed a trend that price drives the wellbeing services counties’ public tenders more effectively than sustainability, but we still believe that sustainability, communicating about it, and also Berner’s long-term work on sustainability will influence public tenders favorably in the long run. Going forward, we will continue to maintain high standards in selecting new principals in line with our responsibility programme, and we have not ended up choosing principals and products on price alone.
What does our purpose “Protecting Tomorrow” mean to you, or how does it show in your work?
Berner’s stability and continuity amid the accelerating turbulence in the world is valuable for our customers and strengthens their trust in us. This has been demonstrated, among other things, in the transfer of supply agreements to Berner. Personally, I believe that long-term work and strategy serve us better than chasing quick wins through erratic moves.
How do you spend your free time?
I spend my free time with my family and with a wide range of sports. Our family consists of my wife and me, our 15- and 19-year-old daughters, and our 1.5-year-old miniature schnauzer Hugo. My most important sports are padel, climbing, and golf.