Auli Jylhä

Account Manager

Auli Jylhä joined Rani Plast as an Account Manager in 2015 following more than 30 years in the packaging industry, most recently with polypropylene specialists Schur Flexibles.

Language skills and international business experience

Brought up locally and now living in Kokkola just a 30-minute drive from Rani Plast’s HQ in Terjärv, Auli completed commercial studies during which time she became proficient in English, Russian and German in addition to Finnish and Swedish.

This stood her in good stead for her career with the company which eventually became Schur Flexibles with business conducted in a number of countries including Russia and the Baltic markets.

“There were many interesting experiences,” recalled Auli. “In Russia you had to drink vodka as a traditional part of doing business, which wasn’t always very nice, and one business trip to Northampton in the UK coincided with a visit by Prince Charles who stopped a chatted to me – I even appeared on tv!”

Rani Plast’s family-owned status and reliable reputation as an inspiration

During her long career Auli, now 60, built up a large network of contacts some of whom were existing Rani Plast customers, so her move to the company has meant she has kept in touch with many business acquaintances.

One of the reasons Auli was keen to join Rani Plast was the company’s family-owned status, and its reliable reputation.

“My previous company was great to work for, but it changed when the family who owned it sold to a group of investors,” she said. “There’s not only the opportunity to work independently at Rani Plast, but as a producer of polyethylene film there is much more variation in the business with different types of products and different types of customers.”

“Rani Plast gives you the opportunity to work independently.”

A diverse customer base is a delight

Auli works as an Account Manager with her colleague Ann Britt Kattilakoski and between the two of them they look after nearly 100 clients in Finland alone. “It’s important to meet people face to face and I am enjoying starting to see people again across Finland,” said Auli.

Her customers are varied and include plastics film converting specialists, building industry suppliers, rigid insulation businesses and many customers in the chemical and medical sectors.

“I really enjoy the variation and different businesses,” said Auli, who also appreciates the fact that Rani Plast sells a wide range of products and has the best expertise to solve customer’s packaging challenges. “There’s a really good portfolio to sell – it’s almost a one-stop shop for packaging solutions and there’s always an opportunity to learn something new,” she said.

“I like having customers from different business fields.”

Customer loyalty is built on honesty

Auli appreciates Rani Plast’s commitment to investment and her customers recognise the value of its leading-edge manufacturing technology.

Known for her outgoing and positive personality, Auli said: “I think it’s very important to be yourself with customers and to build loyalty and trust through being honest and humble.”

Living an active lifestyle

When she and her husband have time off, they enjoy cross-country skiing in Lapland with their two daughters and her lovely granddaughter and they also spend time at their summer house. “I go to the gym three or four times a week and we also do a lot of walking.”

She is currently planning a sales tour of Finland and is looking forward, once again, to meeting customers face to face to learn first-hand about their requirements and how Rani Plast can help them.