Advancing insurance technology and helping teams succeed
As Senior Product Owner working on Pohjola Insurance's platform renewal, Eero Koivisto combines interesting technological challenges, team leadership and extensive collaboration.
Having worked for tech giants in IT projects and product management, working for the financial sector was not initially part of his career plan. Over ten years of working with Pohjola Insurance's IT development, Eero has learned that the industry can still bring surpises.
"When I first joined the company, I thought of the insurance business as quite traditional. However, I was surprised by how much we get to work with new technologies and make a real difference to how we operate. People are given responsibility and the freedom to have a say in how they work, but also support whenever they need it," Eero says.
Over the years, Eero has been managing various teams and increasing his own expertise in many ways. The work has not become repetitive, and the new responsibilities have given new depth to his thinking and kept his work interesting.
"Based on all my experience I have learned to better understand the significance of my own role. It means a lot to know that the work you do can help make customers' everyday lives more secure when things don’t go according to plan," Eero says.
Helping teams succeed as a top priority
In his current role in the renewal of Pohjola Insurance's insurance platform, Eero acts as a Senior Product Owner, being responsible for the work of two expert teams.
"The work in my teams focuses on systems and services that ensure reliable operation of the core functions of the insurance business behind the scenes. When the information flows and payments run smoothly, customers receive their compensation on time and cooperation with the authorities works well," Eero says.
Eero's primary task is to make sure that the teams have the opportunity to succeed.
"I'm working with highly skilled professionals. When everyone is clear what we are doing and people have the space to use their expertise, things work well," Eero says.
In large development projects, making daily operations run smoothly requires continuous discussions within the team and in collaboration with others.
"Sometimes we need to adjust course. The most important thing is that we talk things through and clearly agree who takes what forward," Eero says.
Team spirit helps through tough situations
International collaboration is strongly present in Eero's work. The platform renewal is advanced together by experts working in different countries. In Eero's own teams, his colleagues work all across Finland and in six cities in India.
"We do a lot on Teams, but meeting face to face really makes a difference to how we work together. When we know each other better, it is easier to speak openly and solve problems together even when we are working remotely. This means that the meetings with our Indian colleagues are important to us," Eero says.
Things do not always move forward in a straightforward way: you need to look for solutions, bring different perspectives together and build collaboration in an international environment. In these situations, team spirit has helped us move forward.
"A good day at work is when we come up with a solution to a difficult problem together. Getting to work with all these great people is what makes the job so rewarding," Eero concludes.
