Competence development is one of the key focus areas of sustainability work at St1. In 2020, a five-module training program focusing on the most vital aspects of sustainability started in Finland. B2B Sales Manager Tuomas Tenkanen was among the program’s participants.
The importance of sustainability has grown among B2B customers in recent years, according to Tenkanen. Many B2B customers have their own sustainability programs, and some of them even have ambitious sustainability programs that aim for carbon neutrality by 2025. Tenkanen noted that the demand for low-carbon fuels in particular has grown rapidly as customers seek to fulfil the expectations of their own end customers.
“It goes without saying that in 2020, sustainability competence had to be developed in our sales organization. Skills needed to be enhanced not only in terms of our knowledge of products and services, but also in emphasizing the big picture. Climate change and sustainability are complex issues. When we discuss sustainability with our customers, we’re often only addressing product-specific solutions. At this point, we should be able to look at sustainable development from a broader perspective across the whole value chain”, explained Tenkanen.
Competence leap
“I’m very proud to say that sustainability competence took a huge leap in our sales organization last year. We’re now in a better position to discuss sustainability issues with our customers. A key lesson I learned from the training was that sustainably should not have to be achieved at all costs– instead it’s about balancing three important pillars: economical, societal, and environmental. I strongly believe that by increasing skills in responsibility, we will create a path for mutual success together with our customers”, Tenkanen continued.
Tenkanen said that the St1 Sustainability and Future Business Unit has been a great help for the B2B Sales team along the way. The training also affected everyday work, as thanks to it, the company's value chain and vision have become even more important in our work.
“The best thing about the training was that it enabled me to realize how valuable our St1 vision is. At St1, we truly help our customers build carbon-negative paths. We have an inspiring and challenging future ahead of us. I’m quite sure that customers who adopt sustainability into their businesses will find success in the future”, summarized Tenkanen.