Jonna Toivanen took on a new challenge in August 2025: she became the first Sustainability Director in Sallila Energia Oy's history. Soon after starting in her new role, she enrolled in the Kestävän liiketoiminnan johtaminen program.

“I wanted a comprehensive overall picture of the sustainability field. I figured that taking part in Aalto EE’s program would be the surest way to get it,” she says.

Toivanen laughs that she could probably be called a regular customer of Aalto EE by now.

“Years ago, I completed a qualification in project management at Aalto, and I have also been there to strengthen my Lean expertise. Those earlier programs were of such high quality that this time, too, I specifically wanted to learn at Aalto EE.”

The biggest takeaway from the program was the overall picture it provided. At the same time, it confirmed many of my ideas about how sustainability should be managed in practice.”

Toivanen has a wide-ranging role at Sallila Energia. In addition to developing, reporting on, and leading sustainability, she is responsible for HR and quality functions. She also serves as the most senior manager for customer service and payroll, and as secretary to the company’s Board of Directors and Supervisory Board.

“I have solid experience in quality management, environmental management, and business development, but my new role also involves a lot of new learning.”

“My job is to identify what we can do better. Now that I have completed the Kestävän liiketoiminnan johtaminen program, my employer can trust that our sustainability work is built on the best knowledge in the field.”

 Also change to Jonna if you agree - and it appears 14 times in this document so search and replace all - or send back to me, and I will do for you.

A Holistic View of Sustainability

The Kestävän liiketoiminnan johtaminen program gave Toivanen a comprehensive understanding of the strategic importance of sustainability for business.

We had both academic experts and experienced professionals with a proven track record in sustainability and business leadership roles.”

“The biggest takeaway from the program was the overall picture it provided. At the same time, it confirmed many of my ideas about how sustainability should be managed in practice.”

Toivanen says she gained useful tools for measuring and communicating sustainability targets, as well as a new understanding of the upstream and downstream value chains.

“Downstream thinking that extends all the way to the consumer use phase and, in particular, a broader systems-level perspective gave me a lot to think about. I had come across these things before, of course, but it was only at Aalto EE that I realized the totality of the broad whole they form.”

She says that she found it especially rewarding to explore how quality certifications support sustainability work.

“I have a Master of Science in Engineering and have spent a large part of my career in quality and environmental management. In my view, international ISO standards lay the foundation for impactful sustainability work. It was great to hear from the expert faculty that they also consider this the right approach.”

Strategic Tools Put to the Test in Group Work

According to Toivanen, the faculty's expertise reflected the trusted Aalto quality.

“The faculty complement each other well. We had both academic experts and experienced professionals with a proven track record in sustainability and business leadership roles.”

“The teaching was inspiring and engaging: a good combination of theory and solid practical experience, which gave me many ideas for my own day-to-day work.”

All the learning and understanding I gained at Aalto EE has great value: it ensures that we won’t do unnecessary work.

The program included several group assignments. Toivanen found them so good that she decided to use some of them at Sallila Energia’s management team strategy days. For example, she gave the management team an exercise that helps map the current state of sustainability management.

“At Aalto EE, we had tested several strategic tools together as a group. The group assignments were so well designed and structured that they were easy to adopt and replicate at work.”

Toivanen emphasizes that working and generating ideas together is the best way to learn – both in training and in the workplace.

“I value getting excited and having insights together. At least for me, things stick better that way than by listening to lectures.”

“I believe that the group assignments I picked up from the program were of concrete benefit to our management team. We were in the middle of a strategy renewal, and every member of the management team eagerly took part in testing the strategic tools.”

A Wise Investment in the Future

Sallila Energia is a local energy company with long traditions, headquartered in Alastaro, Loimaa. The company was founded as early as 1914, and its first full year of operation as an energy producer was 1921.

Although Toivanen’s role as Sustainability Director is new, she did not have to build the company’s sustainability work from scratch. Sallila recognized years ago that it wanted to invest in sustainable development.

“Responsibility, community, respect, and locality have long been Sallila’s values, guiding everyone’s choices in their daily work. So, the foundation was in place, and the will was there. That was a good starting point for advancing our sustainability in a determined way,” Toivanen says.

When I think about the current state of the world, it seems self-evident to me that every Finnish company should do its part and reflect on its own role: how can we operate responsibly in a way that protects the environment?”

“The first thing I did was get our reporting in order,” she shared. Sallila Energia’s first sustainability report was published in spring 2026. The report provides a comprehensive description of Sallila’s sustainability across different areas, its long-term targets, and the actions it is taking to achieve them.

“The first report is always the most laborious to produce. Now it is done, and I am proud of it. It captures our responsible business conduct well. And now that the report is complete, we have a good understanding of the current state of our sustainability and a clear view of what we want to develop.”

Toivanen points out that investing in training is a wise move for a company's future.

“All the learning and understanding I gained at Aalto EE has great value: it ensures that we won’t do unnecessary work. We know how to spend our working time on the right things and advance Sallila Energia’s sustainability consistently.”

Sustainability Belongs to Everyone

In Toivanen’s opinion, the Kestävän liiketoiminnan johtaminen program is suitable for all leaders.

“Every leader should understand the strategic importance of sustainability for business. Aalto EE is a training provider you can trust. The program was high-quality, holistic, and inspiring. On top of that, I now have a great network of all the other participants, whom I can contact later if I want to bounce ideas off.”

“Then there is everything else that shapes the learning experience: at Aalto EE, the practical arrangements always work exactly as they should. There are just the right number of breaks, the food is good, and you can have as much coffee as you like. The Töölö campus is also an inspiring learning environment – the old building and all that art. I am always happy when I go there,” Toivanen smiles.

She recommends that companies of all sizes invest in sustainability work.

“When I think about the current state of the world, it seems self-evident to me that every Finnish company should do its part and reflect on its own role: how can we operate responsibly in a way that protects the environment?”

Read more about the Kestävän liiketoiminnan johtaminen program