The prestigious Growth Collective Kultainen Kuokka 2025 award to Matti Pohjola from Hakonen
The Kultainen Kuokka 2025 award of the Growth Collective was given to Matti Pohjola, CEO of Hakonen, for his visionary leadership and the renewal of the century-old family business. Under Pohjola's leadership, Hakonen is now aiming to double its size and open up to international business.
The Growth Collective awarded the Kultainen Kuokka membership award on Wednesday, June 4 2025, to Matti Pohjola, CEO of Hakonen. Pohjola took over the management of the family company in 2019, and has since significantly renewed the business operations of the company, founded already in 1918. The revamp has required, among other things, abandoning the loss-making moving services, which used to be the core business of the company for a long time.
“Matti Pohjola is an exemplary and courageous growth leader. He believes in radical thinking and the importance of investments, even if he doesn't know what's coming. He also understands the power and importance of culture. In addition, Matti Pohjola brings a huge amount of experience and positive drive to the Growth Collective and actively shares his expertise with others," Growth Collective CEO Heli Hytönen explains the choice.
150 procent growth
Hakonen's strong focusing of services has paid off. This is evident in the fact that one business area has grown by up to 150 percent in a year. For Pohjola, the support and involvement of personnel in implementing the changes, including the company's board, has been important in the renewal process.
Matti Pohjola reminds us that radical thinking does not happen by itself, and time must be reserved in your schedule to plan for something new. You also need to give yourself permission to think radically.
“In radical renewal, it is important to recognise the things that make you tremble. There will always be resistance to change, so you need to be able to follow your own direction and ideas,” says Matti Pohjola.
Enquiries:
Heli Hytönen
Growth Collective CEO
heli.hytonen@kasvuryhma.fi
040 826 6857
The Growth Collective Kultainen Kuokka is awarded to a distinguished growth leader, for embodying sustainable growth and the values of the Growth Collective, as well as for implementing worthy and ambitious growth or renewal.
Hakonen
Hakonen is a domestic service concept company with over 100 years of experience, and is the market leader in the transportation and installation of furniture, household and laundry appliances, as well as the largest household and laundry appliance maintenance company in Finland. Hakonen offers life-cycle services from procurement to recycling, ensuring the longevity and reliable operation of the equipment.
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