Sales and Business Development Specialist Riki Markkanen: You can see the results of your own work
“What makes the job especially interesting is the variety of tasks and the freedom to develop both existing and new functions.”
Riki Markkanen has worked in the logistics industry for nearly eight years, with the past two at Nurminen Logistics. He began his career as a terminal worker before moving on to study for a degree in business administration.
After returning from his studies, Riki was welcomed back to Nurminen with exciting new challenges. In 2022, he started working as a terminal supervisor before getting the opportunity to transition into a new role as part of Nurminen’s skilled sales team. Today, Riki works as a Sales and Business Development Specialist.
“I want to bring the insights I’ve gained from my previous roles into logistics sales and the development of new projects,” Riki says about his transition into sales.
Valuable experience from terminal operations
As a terminal supervisor, Riki gained in-depth experience in terminal operations within the logistics sector. He was responsible for managing the throughput and quality control functions at Nurminen’s Vuosaari terminal.
“In terminal supervision, I learned a lot about the logistics sector’s terminal operations and about leading people,” Riki reflects on his earlier roles.
A large part of supervisory work involves problem-solving, developing the right operating procedures, and implementing them. The role offered valuable lessons and unique perspectives into logistics that are hard to find elsewhere.
“Especially on the terminal side, you really understand how operations go from paper to practice and what their execution requires. That insight definitely helps in visualizing the full picture we later offer to customers from a sales perspective,” Riki summarizes his experience in terminal operations.
Diverse projects keep the work engaging
Riki brings a new kind of expertise to logistics sales, thanks to his strong background in field-level operations.
As a Sales and Business Development Specialist, Riki is currently focused on terminal-related sales and projects. In the future, his responsibilities will also include sales projects related to rail transport and freight forwarding. A typical workday might involve developing and managing various projects, such as quality inspection initiatives.
Great team spirit enhances job satisfaction
A key factor in job satisfaction is the work community, and Riki praises his colleagues at Nurminen: “The best thing at Nurminen is the amazing coworkers and the strong sense of purpose we share as a team every day.”
For Riki, the variety of the work and the freedom to improve existing operations and develop new ones is also meaningful.
“Facing new challenges allows me to grow professionally and build the confidence I need to advance in my career. At Nurminen, you’re truly able to challenge and develop yourself!” Riki concludes.
