In 2018, when Sirpa joined the company as an Executive Assistant, Grundium was still a young startup, and she’s been involved in building and developing its operations from the early years.
I’m Sirpa Immonen, 43, originally from Rovaniemi, and I’ve been living in Pirkanmaa for 13 years. For the past seven years, I’ve been part of the Grundium team. When I joined as an Executive Assistant, Grundium was still a young startup, less than three years old. It’s been exciting to be involved in building and shaping the company from early on.
My responsibilities include facility maintenance, ordering office and kitchen supplies, managing employee benefits, handling internal communication, ordering furniture and work equipment, overseeing cleaning and security services, managing access control, organizing staff events, assisting with logistics, and ensuring workplace safety. In short, I make sure everything runs smoothly — whether it’s the facilities, processes, or services that support employees' daily work.
I joined Grundium in February 2018 as an Executive Assistant. I have a background in business administration, so my initial tasks were mainly administrative and marketing-related. Over time, I’ve had the opportunity to take on many responsibilities that were new to me. For example, I learned logistics management through hands-on experience. As the company grew, we were able to hire professionals for HR, finance, marketing, and logistics, which allowed me to focus more on operational and office management tasks.
My work has always been quite independent. One major task was creating user manuals for our products, which was a long but rewarding process. A standout experience was overseeing the construction of our new facility, completed in 2022. It was a leap into the unknown for me, but I embraced the challenge with enthusiasm. I consider my ability to take on new challenges and responsibilities without hesitation as one of my key strengths, which has allowed me to gain experience in many different areas.
One of the biggest impacts I can make is on employees’ daily work experience and well-being. A well-supported and healthy workforce is the backbone of any successful company, and I’m happy to be part of ensuring that continues to improve.
The people—without a doubt! Of course, good working conditions and the right tools make a difference, but it's my colleagues who make coming to the office so enjoyable. Each person adds their own unique touch to our work community, making it a vibrant and supportive environment. On the flip side, it’s always a bit sad when someone leaves — but thankfully, our employee turnover has been very low. One thing I truly appreciate in my role is getting to know every new employee during their onboarding, which means I know everyone by name. Hopefully, I can keep that up as the company continues to grow!
I’ve learned to handle a wide variety of tasks and have deepened my expertise through solving unexpected challenges — especially in logistics, where those come up frequently. I’ve been given a lot of responsibility and autonomy in my work, and I believe that’s why I’ve grown more professionally in my seven years at Grundium than in any of my previous jobs.
From my experience, Grundium values initiative and process improvement. Employees are not only given the opportunity but are also encouraged to take ownership of their work. The company also invests in employee well-being in many ways: we have excellent tools and ergonomic workstations, comprehensive occupational healthcare, and perks like free coffee, tea, and snacks. Additionally, we have a €500 annual ePassi benefit, which covers culture, sports, wellness, commuting, and meal expenses. Employees also have the option to join a profit-sharing fund, where any potential performance bonuses can be transferred either partially or in full.
There are so many! A few that stand out include the moment I received the printed version of a product manual I had designed, the excitement of seeing a GIF animation I created appear in our product’s UI, countless great conversations and laughs with colleagues, friendships that have formed over time, and the day we moved into our new facility and I saw all the furniture I had selected perfectly in place.
