A Masterclass in Corporate Self-Preservation
Pros
There are some very nice and competent people that you can rely on. These few people keep the company running.
Cons
A textbook corporate environment where internal politics have reached genuinely toxic levels. Every project must survive countless decision layers, often staffed by people whose competence doesn't match their authority, or whose decisions are driven by personal agendas rather than the company's interests. Expect VPs to weigh in on areas outside their expertise and derail months of work on a whim. Reorgs have become increasingly frequent and drastic, almost always paired with layoffs. The result: everyone, from individual contributors to managers, operates with a short-term mindset. Projects that do survive become a grind for those actually doing the work, while others specialize in attending meetings and redistributing accountability. Fortum effectively has a talent monopoly in Finland's energy sector. Leaving the company often means leaving the country and the company exploits it. HR periodically announces career development initiatives and improved incentives, but these amount to little more than internal PR. Don't buy into the narrative of a mission-driven, purpose-led company. This is an organization where the executives tried to collect a fat bonus after a year the company lost approximately six billions on a catastrophic bet on German fossil energy firm Uniper. The bonus package was only cancelled after a public backlash. The leadership's first instinct was to reward itself regardless. That tells you everything about whose interests actually come first. The organization is bloated with meetings, managers, and PowerPoints. The sheer volume of time poured into presentations and status updates would rival a consulting firm. Yet, almost nothing concrete gets done. This feeds perfectly into a bureaucratic culture where persuasion and visibility matter more than output. Real decision-making power sits with a small handful of individuals who have shaped their teams into sycophantic echo chambers. Dissent isn't managed, but rather eliminated. It happens either through the next layoff round or a quiet move to an irrelevant role in the next restructuring. Growing professionally here is an uphill battle. The environment is structured, whether intentionally or not, to waste your time rather than develop your skills.
