Mikael Nivala
Title: Sales Manager
Education: Master of Material Science and Engineering
At Betker: Since 2015
Leisure time: Gym, football in the summer and futsal in the winter
Mikael Nivala is a name that Betker’s customers easily associate with a reliable expert. He knows refractory materials like the back of his hand.
“I first heard about Betker from my father, who knew the company’s previous CEO, Juhani Hautamäki. They had met in connection with house sales. I applied for a summer job at Betker’s laboratory after my first year at university, and that’s when my journey with refractories really began,” Mikael recalls.
He joined the company full-time in 2015, initially as an Export Manager, and now leads the entire Sales and Marketing team.
“I did my master’s thesis for SSAB, but the topic was strongly related to Betker’s refractory materials, so in a way, I was already half a foot inside the company at that time,” Mikael explains.
Nowadays, Mikael’s working days are spent developing customers’ processes and weighing solution options, sparring with his own team, as well as working in the management team. He enjoys situations where he gets to develop improvements to the customer’s processes together with the customer.
“The best kicks come from getting a solution that really works for the customer process. One that lasts, saves money and makes it easier to use.”
A job where no one is just an employee
According to Mikael, Betker’s strengths are a motivated and competent work community and team spirit. “The moderate size of the organisation enables flexible and agile operations. Here, everyone can really do things and make a difference. We have a good team, and there is plenty of humour,” he laughs.
Speaking of humour – the work community also remembers Mikael for one special merit.
“Yes… I’ve appeared in Levi-Äijä’s music video. We were celebrating my thirties with friends in Levi, and by chance the photoshoot happened on the same weekend. An acquaintance persuaded us to join. People here haven’t let me forget it,” Mikael grins.
Continuous learning and joint development
Over the years, Mikael has grown not only with technical expertise but also as a pillar of the customer interface. He believes that the best solutions are created when the supplier is also challenged.
“Competition is good. It is important that the customer dares to try something new – it takes the entire industry forward.”
If you ask Mikael what he values most about his job, the answer will come quickly:
“Challenges solved together with our team and customers. And the fact that you can learn something new every day about people, materials and processes.”
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