Experience gives you the confidence to embrace change – and lead it

Minea Pyykönen took up her position as Executive Director of Loimu on 10 August. She hit the ground running, familiarising herself with Loimu’s activities while already beginning to plan for 2027 and Loimu’s 10th anniversary year.

“When I heard about the opening for Executive Director at Loimu, I was immediately interested. I thought that if I still wanted to make a new move in my career, now was the time. Loimu seemed like an organisation of just the right size, with an interesting membership. I also immediately noticed that Loimu’s values aligned with my own,” Pyykönen says.

Her interest in the position grew stronger as the recruitment process progressed.

“I learned that Loimu has sound and stable finances, a motivated and committed staff, and active elected representatives. That convinced me.”

Before joining Loimu, Pyykönen spent nine years as Director of Advocacy at Trade Union Pro. Now, at 59 and embarking on a new stage in her career, she sees her own situation as an example of how experience and renewal are not opposites.

The ability to detect weak signals is key to future success.

“Having long and varied work experience doesn’t mean that things should be done the way they have always been done. Quite the opposite. Experience should give you the confidence to look at things afresh and, when necessary, do them differently.”

Her first weeks at Loimu have reinforced her feeling that she made the right decision. Pyykönen is particularly looking forward to meeting Loimu members and learning more about the sectors they work in. There will be plenty of opportunities for this in 2027, when Loimu celebrates its 10th anniversary.

Building the future on a strong foundation of values

One thing about Loimu is already clear to Pyykönen: its values are more than words on paper.

“I have seen that Loimu genuinely acts in accordance with its values. Particular attention is paid to diversity and the equal treatment of members. Responsibility is also reflected both in everyday choices and in investment activities.”

At the same time, she wants to challenge the Loimu community to make the union more visible.

“We need to be bold in putting Loimu on the map through greater visibility, public commentary and active member recruitment. Recommendations from existing members are invaluable. The more of us there are, the greater our influence and visibility.”

Advocacy will remain at the heart of a trade union’s work, but Pyykönen also wants Loimu to look ahead to the future of working life.

“We need to help our members build their careers, strengthen their skills, develop their networks and navigate changes in working life. Loimu is a new-generation trade union and service organisation. Our services are based on an understanding of our members and their working lives that no other organisation can offer.”

A leader is never the finished article

As a leader, Pyykönen is positive, approachable and keen to embrace change. She points out that leaders, too, must always be willing to develop.

“I don’t think you are ever the finished article as a leader. There is always something you can improve. Some areas for development are connected to your personality, so they tend to follow you from year to year. For me, one of those is being systematic and organised.”

Pyykönen says she is particularly inspired by other people’s enthusiasm.

“When someone comes to me with their eyes lighting up as they tell me about a new idea, their enthusiasm quickly rubs off on me. It’s important to me to build a culture of experimentation where people have the courage to try new things. Ideas that work become part of what we do, while those that don’t work so well can be left behind without making too much of a fuss about it.”

Labour market practices need bold reform

As an experienced collective bargaining negotiator, Pyykönen is concerned about the decline in Finland’s tradition of labour market negotiations.

“The parties should be able to listen to one another and look for solutions even when their objectives differ. Labour market activities should first and foremost serve employees and employers – the people whose terms and conditions of employment are being negotiated.”

Pyykönen also believes that the structures and language of labour market activities need to be modernised. Over the years, collective agreements have accumulated provisions that can be difficult to interpret, while labour market organisations often use terminology that can be hard to understand, particularly for younger people.

Minea Pyykönen

Minea Pyykönen holds Master’s degrees in Administrative Sciences and Law. Before joining Loimu, she worked as Director of Public Sector Advocacy at Trade Union Pro from 2017. Prior to that, she served as Director of Administration and Human Resources at PlusTerveys Oy and held various positions within the Finnish Tax Administration.