STEVEN JACKSON

My early employment experience was mainly in a Petro-chemical environment (Exxon, Fawley, UK) working in maintenance, repair and metal fabrication.

In 1997 when I arrived in Finland, I have to admit my expectations were not high; however, my ability to focus on the job in hand helped me to look at the big picture and develop a plan to find a new career in Finland.

Over the next few years, I gained a BTEC (Higher National Diploma) and a Bachelor Degree education as well as my already held vocational education (City & Guilds of London). In addition, I studied Finnish to an acceptable level to gain a position in a vocational school for autistics.

For the next three years, I was involved in social work finally holding a position in a care home for people with developmental issues.

In 2007, I was asked to attend a interview for the position of Works Manager for Monipalvelukeskus Duuni (later to be know as Metallipaja Duuni). The job entailed running a metal workshop; however, I became apparent that years of neglects and mismanagement had left a highly dysfunctional work environment. Experience has told me that I needed to create a safe working environment, a motivated workforce and develop new work practices.

At present, even in the economic downturn, we have managed to gain orders from old client as well as new. I feel that I have be able to achieve this by focusing on the job in hand, being open to pragmatic ideas, listening to new ideas and never thinking that failure is an option.

This year a new project has landed in my lap, which I'm happy is going well. It is Talk Fusion, which is a business opportunity as well as a business building toolbox. Their cornerstone product is video email. Video email has become a valuable tool in today’s technology driven marketing world.

My only rule I have stood by since living in Finland is to allow my career to travel and develop without the fear of failure, because we only live once.