Anna-Riikka – Nordic Compliance Manager
An energy engineer cycling against the wind
Anna-Riikka Happonen, who is passionate about internationality, stepped into the newly established role of Nordic Compliance Manager in October 2023. In the future, Anna-Riikka’s new area of responsibility will rapidly gain significance in the eyes of both Lapp Automation’s customer companies and regulatory authorities.
The 27-year-old recently graduated engineer was convinced by LAPP’s welcoming atmosphere already during her first job interview in 2022.
"The job interview for the Technical Sales position was held at the Vantaa office, and after the interview we toured the facilities and explored the work environment. When meeting future colleagues, several employees came to greet me and ask more about my background. That left an especially pleasant and open impression," Anna-Riikka recalls.
Originally from Kuopio, Anna-Riikka graduated as an engineer in Energy and Environmental Technology from Oulu University of Applied Sciences in 2022. She now works at Lapp Automation’s Oulu office.
Compliance in the Spotlight
As one of the younger members of the company’s team, Anna-Riikka worked for about a year in technical sales before stepping into her new role.
From now on, she will handle customers’ so-called compliance-related inquiries. In general, the term “compliance” refers to ensuring that a company operates in full accordance with laws and regulations in all situations. In Finnish, this is often called “vaatimustenmukaisuus.” The theme covers areas such as health, safety, environmental, legal, and quality standards, as well as the company’s ethical principles.
"Customer inquiries may relate to legislative changes or documentation concerning product standards and quality criteria. The products supplied by LAPP must meet the required standards and criteria, for example in environmental and safety matters," Anna-Riikka explains.
The importance of this topic will continue to grow in the future. For instance, the EU is introducing new requirements for products and their use. For LAPP, staying up to date with these criteria is essential.
"Although the role is new in our company, my experienced colleagues have dealt with these matters before, and I can rely on their support when needed. Establishing this new position shows just how crucial compliance is now—and will be even more so in the future."
LAPP Collaboration in Oulu and Across the Nordics
In her new role, Anna-Riikka is particularly interested in developing international networks together with operations in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and the Baltic countries.
"I make sure, for example, that Finland’s practices and guidelines align with those of our German headquarters. In addition, my job is to bring together all compliance-related activities across the Nordics and Baltics, and the plan is to launch monthly meetings at LAPP with the responsible persons from each Nordic country," Anna-Riikka explains.
At the Oulu office, communication within the team is much closer. During hybrid work, employees flexibly spend their days working both from home and at the office. "We actively chat with colleagues in a shared Teams channel," Anna-Riikka says.
An Oulu Specialty Becomes Familiar
For Anna-Riikka, exercise is a way to manage stress and maintain a healthy balance between work and leisure. Her versatile stress-relief routine includes gym workouts, badminton, and jogging.
She also spends free time relaxing with her partner, watching TV series and movies.
"Lately, the shows and movies we’ve watched have leaned toward the action genre, but when it comes to films and series, I’m really open to anything."
Having lived in Oulu for several years, Anna-Riikka has also become familiar with a traditional local activity: cycling against the wind.
"Oulu is known for its convenient cycling routes everywhere. A local specialty is riding against the wind—after all, in a seaside city, cyclists can’t really avoid the breeze," Anna-Riikka laughs.
If you have any questions, Anna-Riikka will be happy to answer at anna-riikka.happonen@lapp.com