Kaisa Lipponen

SVP, Communications & Sustainability
Paulig Group
Finland

@kailipp

 

Until her move this summer to Finnish food and drink company Paulig Group, Kaisa Lipponen had led energy company Neste’s communications for five years, and was responsible for the company’s external communications, supporting its transformation from a national oil company into a leading renewable fuel company and the world’s second most sustainable company.

This has been a challenge, from NGOs criticising the company for supply chain sustainability to the business being unprofitable, but under Lipponen’s leadership – and focus on social media and content marketing – Neste’s communication culture has become more transparent, more open and more interactive.

Before joining Neste, Lipponen worked as an account director and team leader at communications and PR agency Miltton. She is also the chair of ProCom, the Finnish Association of Communication Professionals.

What do you love about this industry?
It is always rewarding to see how communication enables change and growth by inspiring stakeholders, both inside and outside the organization.

What most frustrates you about this industry?
Good company reputation is often taken for granted until a crisis appears.

What are the communications industry's biggest challenges and opportunities?
Content marketing creates both challenges and opportunities. It might lead to content overload and wasting of resources If not considered strategically. Therefore, strategic thinking and clear targets and measurement are more important than ever. Strategic content marketing – which is driven from the organization’s strategy and based on data and analytics – continues to create a lot of opportunities for organizations when building their reputation and thought leadership.

How do you relax or change pace when you're not at work?
I spend time with my family, play sports and read.

Can you share a book/movie/TV show/podcast that teaches a valuable lesson about PR?
I often listen to Harvard Business Review and McKinsey podcasts because I think that as a CCO it is equally importance to learn about leadership and business strategy as about PR.

If I wasn't working in marketing/communications, I would be...
Working with people in one way or another.