Now is time for bold actions, says Thomas Luther, new Chairman of the Board of the Growth Collective

Thomas Luther has started as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Growth Collective. Karin Godenhielm, Eeva Kovanen, Kirsi Paakkari and Tuomas Syrjänen will continue as members of the Board. New members of the Board are Jenni Kiikka and Eerik Paasikivi.

In Luther's opinion, the new Board of Directors represents important aspects for the future of the Growth Collective.

“We have bold professional leadership, bold ownership and bold, international and modern thinking on the Board.”

Systematic growth

Luther has been with the Growth Collective for 10 years and has represented three different companies in the peer community. Since early 2022, he has worked as CEO of the energy infrastructure company Nevel and has led the company purposefully towards a green transition and sustainable growth. Nevel has undergone a major transformation, and now bold growth projects are progressing as expected.

During his ten years with the Growth Collective, Luther's thinking about growth has evolved - today he thinks that although growth must be thought about and done boldly, it should not be done recklessly. Bold and systematic leadership is needed.

"The Growth Collective has clearly been one of the best choices of my career. I have gained a lot from the peer support, the community and the entire spirit of the Growth Group: courage, daring, the will to grow, insights and an incredible network."

Luther has taken the mindset of Big Bets and Outrageous Promises from the Growth Collective to every company he represents.

“The ideas from our community are being taken to other Finnish business leaders through networks.”

Leverage from owners

In recent years, the Growth Group concept has been renewed and the top management of the companies involved have begun to be challenged more and more to build growth. Big Bets themselves require managers and the companies involved to commit to strategic choices and actions for growth.

One theme that has been discussed in Finland recently is Finnish ownership and its level of ambition. The general narrative is that large growth goals only come from foreign ownership, while domestic ones are content with less. The common will is to make Finnish companies flourish even under Finnish ownership.

In the future, the Growth Collective has a stronger focus on the theme of bold ownership. This supports the growth desires and goals of owners of medium-sized companies.

“I believe that if we get bold ownership to develop in Finland, leadership will naturally follow. If the owners of companies are bolder they are now, the CEOs and other leaders will follow.”

Another new development is related to future growth leaders and supporting them. Luther considers it important that the Growth Collective both facilitates peer-to-peer sparring of companies and also actively acts as part of growth ecosystems. As an example, the Growth Collective facilitates a food export peer community initiated by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry in Finland. In addition, the Growth Collective is executing OP Pohjola's Growth Platform program.

"We have an expanded, but still focused offering. We follow our line of work what we believe in - in Finland's vision of growth and an alternative future of growth, where small growth-enhancing choices are made naturally in companies every day."

Finland as part of Scandinavian leadership

Luther sees Finnish management as a part of Scandinavian management, which is bolder and more transparent than ever before. Finland has all the ingredients for growth, and Finland is seen in the world as a reliable, straightforward and innovative partner.

"As Finns, we must now be especially proud of what we have done during our history. Technological development and our national defense have created our backbone. Now we must proudly take our know-how to the world - there are better possibilities for this than ever."

The Growth Collective contributes to this mission in its own way: encouraging everyone, regardless of background or political views, to think about Finland's growth and the bold and systematic growth, internationalisation, and modern management of companies.