The Central Finland Leadership Achievement of the Year award has been presented to Sleipner Finland Oy and its CEO Jukka Koponen. The award, which is given annually, was presented for the second time at the Innovative Leadership Seminar at the main campus of JAMK University of Applied Sciences in Jyväskylä on 30 January 2025.
“Jukka is an inspiring and inclusive leader who has successfully taken Sleipner Finland into international markets. His culture of a low hierarchy and high trust has created a strong foundation for innovations, and his people-oriented leadership style has helped the company double its turnover and recruit new talents,” stated the jury.
Founded in 2011, Sleipner Finland Oy is a Jyväskylä-based company that provides machine transport solutions for excavators and mining machinery, and its customers include some of the world’s largest open-pit mines and quarries. Heavy-duty dollies – or roller skates, as customers call them – enable the efficient movement of the world’s largest machinery, freeing up time for truly productive work.
In addition, the company’s lowbed trailers can be used to move machines not only at mines but also in a wide range of terrain and the most challenging conditions. A year ago, the company launched a new generation of electric and automated lowbed trailers that respond to the rapid electrification of the mining industry.
“Success is never the result of just one person or executive but the result of the work of the entire organisation of the company. In addition, success requires a strong network of partners, both at home and abroad,” commented Koponen, who was reached on a business trip and was pleasantly surprised by the award.
The return to the office in the post-Covid era has taken place at Sleipner with a functional hybrid working model, according to which everyone is in the office at least three days a week. Still, many come to the office every day, as the spontaneous encounters that occur at the workplace are the most important thing for a small and agile organisation. The line between work and free time is also becoming clearer, and Koponen emphasises the importance of maintaining a balance in everyday life.
A sense of community has also been systematically fostered at Sleipner through joint remote work weeks, most recently in Malaga last autumn, where instead of everyday operational challenges, it was possible to focus on the distant future. “Our organisation has good future-oriented capabilities, and a different environment can help stimulate even the wildest ideas!” says Koponen.
“In terms of economic sustainability, providing jobs and income is extremely significant at this moment, not only for our own organisation, but also for a vibrant Jyväskylä and society as a whole,” reflects Outi Piisilä, the company’s human resources manager, who accepted the award on Koponen’s behalf.
The Central Finland Leadership Achievement of the Year award was presented for the second time. The recipient of the award could be nominated freely in an open online survey during December-January. The winner was selected from several high-quality candidates by the Steering Group for Innovative Leadership. Sleipner Finland CEO Jukka Koponen was awarded based on his promotion of profitable growth and international exports in a cyclical industry, the significance and market potential of Central Finnish innovations, and especially his innovative and people-oriented leadership style, which was highlighted several times by the jury.