Johanna Horsma:

"The Nokian Tyres team is made for demanding conditions"

Johanna Horsma:

"The Nokian Tyres team is made for demanding conditions"

The tire industry is in a state of flux, and the need for renewal is here to stay. Nokian Tyres develops
products and customer-oriented operating methods while increasing capacity and building a more
balanced production network. Chief Transformation Officer Johanna Horsma views change as positive
and our niche position as an asset. By working together, the Nokian Tyres team can do wonders.


Johanna Horsma thrives amid change. She has worked at Nokian Tyres for about five years, during a
period of organizational changes, a global pandemic, and geopolitical instability. Johanna has been
working in her current position as Chief Transformation Officer a bit more than a year. The role is new in
the company, and includes, for example, implementing and supporting many changes in the company.
In addition, Johanna has strategy work and M&A projects on her desk, as well as the tax and structure
team. The thrill of the work is variety – there is not a single long-winded day. "It's a great opportunity
for me and all of us that we don't necessarily have to fit into predetermined boxes," Johanna praises.


Nokian Tyres' products are made for demanding conditions. In recent years, the conditions have also
been demanding for the company and the team. According to Johanna, the most important thing in a
new kind of operating environment is to realize that growth and success still stem from the things
Nokian Tyres is already strong or the best at.


“We have solid expertise in the company, and the skills to work together and help each other. We have
witnessed how one valuable part of the whole can be lost overnight, but with our expertise and the
abilities of enthusiastic people, we can build it back even better together.”


With the lost part, Johanna refers to Russia and the withdrawal from there. The process was a big
change that required a lot. There was no ready-made model for withdrawal and the means had to be
developed along the way. The whole team did a tremendous job. In the present, however, the most
important thing is to focus on the future: How do we build better than ever Nokian Tyres?


According to Johanna, we are in a good position because we quickly had clear plans in place and had
already focused our product development to meet our new strategic goals.
Change covers the whole company and is here to stay. To keep up with the competition, we also need to
change, like our operating environment constantly does. In Johanna's role, change is always present, but
most of us work in roles where change is not necessarily a daily occurrence. However, we can all work
together to improve our methods, processes and tools to meet the new operating environment.


“The need for renewal has become permanent – not only for us, but for all companies operating in the
industrial sector. Companies have to think about the possible relocation, capabilities, and processes of
their factories to operate as efficiently as possible in the current environment.”


According to Johanna, Nokian Tyres' strengths also include the company's size and low hierarchy.
"Cross-cutting change is always challenging. Our advantage is that we are a small, international company
that focuses on niche segments and offers premium products, and we can operate quickly and agilely
also in demanding conditions. This advantage, combined with strong expertise, a good team and
seamless cooperation, ensures we can work many wonders compared to the competition.”

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