MEKO’s operations in Finland take an important step forward – and Sanna Reunanen is the one leading the way. The goal: To improve profitability, strengthen the business, and make the most important target group even more satisfied.
“This is an industry that has evolved slowly for decades but is now rapidly accelerating, which is fascinating. Coming from a fast-moving consumer business background, I can clearly see where we are heading, and I’m thrilled to be part of that transformation,” says Sanna Reunanen.
The transformation that Sanna Reunanen refers to involves how the independent automotive aftermarket is evolving in several ways simultaneously. It is shifting from being entirely manual to becoming digital – with new consumption patterns, sales channels, customer expectations, and business opportunities.
As the market leader in Northern Europe, MEKO is committed to strengthening its position in this transformation. Significant investments are being made to be the best partner for anyone who drives, repairs, or maintains vehicles – regardless of whether they are powered by gasoline or electricity.
In Finland, several initiatives are underway to strengthen MEKO’s position. One key project is the automation of the central warehouse in Helsinki – the hub of MEKO’s extensive wholesale operation for spare parts in the country. The new facility aims to improve productivity and sustainability while expanding the assortment and enhancing customer service.
But MEKO’s plans for Finland go beyond the modernized central warehouse. The goal also involves advancing business development, driving innovation and digitalization, utilizing data in creative ways, and completing an important internal integration of MEKO’s Finnish operations. Koivunen Oy, which MEKO acquired in 2022, is now being partly integrated with Mekonomen, which MEKO has operated in the country for many years. This gives MEKO strength – and simultaneously a need for renewal, according to Sanna Reunanen:
”Our organization is packed with exceptional market, customer and product knowledge. For instance, our category and purchasing team has such deep expertise in spare parts that it’s enough to make any company envious”, Sanna Reunanen says, and adds:
“At the same time, we’ve identified areas where we need to strengthen to align with our future-focused strategy – like IT, customer experience, quality, project management, and digital development”.
Driving change in traditional industries is nothing new for Sanna Reunanen. She has an extensive leadership background in the media sector, including at the major company Telia. After serving as interim head of MEKO’s Finnish operations, she assumed the permanent role at the end of 2024.
There’s no doubt that the overarching goal for the Finnish team in the coming year is to increase profitability in line with MEKO’s initiative “Building a stronger MEKO.”
More specifically, this also involves strengthening MEKO’s leading brands and concepts in Finland.
“We work with strong market brands like Fixus, Mekonomen, ToolPack, and Meca Truck, operating both company-owned and franchise-driven networks. Our focus is on refining these concepts and ensuring operational excellence in our own branches, in line with MEKO’s strategic priorities”, says Sanna Reunanen.
How is success in this work measured? A traditional answer is, of course, that it shows in the financial results and that the financial goals are achieved. But there’s more to it than that, reflects Sanna Reunanen, and it has to do with customer perception.
“Beyond financial metrics, I would also define success as building an organization and maintaining a loyal clientele that, in a few years’ time, is happier with us than now, values our work, and feels we bring significant value to them”, she says.
But what is the best thing about being the head of MEKO in Finland?
“The people”, says Sanna Reunanen without hesitation.
“Everyone I’ve met has been incredibly down-to-earth, welcoming, and genuinely kind. That’s what makes this journey so rewarding!”
During 12 months will 12 employees from Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Poland, Finland and the Baltics get the chance to be part of shaping the mobility of the future at MEKO, the leading independent aftermarket company in northern Europe. This talent development initiative is designed to cultivate the next generation of leaders and empower participants to drive innovation and excellence across our operations.
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