In 2019, Jenni Manninen had one thought in mind: how can one find deeper meaning in work life? She had built a career in the retail and fashion industry but started to feel a mismatch. With a strong inner drive to make good to the world, Jenni found out that she needed to make a change. Destined to find a company that matched her values and offered growth possibilities, led her to fight against food waste in Fiksuruoka–Foodello’s team! What kind of an impact is she making in her double role as Customer Service Specialist and Product Data Manager?
Since being a child, Jenni Manninen dreamt of working in fashion. As a person who deeply follows her heart, she spent the early years of her career in the retail industry. Her roles were challenging and exciting, yet as she advanced, Jenni couldn't shake off the concern she felt with the industry's substantial waste.
“Working in fashion and retail was a childhood dream and I was happy I got to do it. At some point two things started to bother me: I didn't see career growth opportunities in the retail sector that interested me, and the industry values didn’t anymore fit my personal values”, she explains.
Jenni craved a workplace that aligned with her values and offered growth opportunities in a thing she believed in – sustainability.
As Jenni is not one to only stand still, she decided it was time for something new and got herself a degree in business administration quite fast – in two years! After graduating in 2019, it was time to adjust and find a new job, when she discovered Fiksuruoka–Foodello.
“I was impressed by the mission and thought that wow, this company is tackling the excessive waste the food industry generates. I want to be a part of that”, she remembers.
Fast forward, Jenni joined our team as the first member of the customer service team as a Customer Service Specialist. Joining an early-stage startup, which we were back in 2020, and being able to make an impact was motivating and inspiring to her.
“Back then we were only a team of 11 people so it was a really different company than now when we are operating in an international environment with nearly 60 colleagues”, Jenni says.
Her early days at Fiksuruoka were filled with challenges typical of a startup environment – long hours, varied responsibilities, and the need to adapt rapidly to change. However, working for a meaningful mission to fight against food waste kept her going. She recalled her initial days at Fiksuruoka as eye-opening.
“I felt that here, every role was not defined by set duties but by the drive to make our mission to fight against food waste come true. What we are doing is so cool and all of us are committed to making it happen”, she says with excitement.
With Jenni’s go-getter attitude, she has for sure left a lasting mark on our customer experience and ways of working.
“I got to build the customer service team and the function in Finland from scratch. Before I joined the team, everyone was doing part-time customer service. As I took over the whole customer service area, we started to develop processes and clear principles that we wanted to serve our customers. That was really motivating and fun for me”, she explains.
💚Listen and make sure that everyone feels heard.
💚Take every matter – big or small – equally seriously.
💚Be efficient and communicate clearly.
💚Admit when you’ve made a mistake – no one is perfect! And then, fix the situation fairly.
💚Always aim to leave a positive mark on the customer’s mind.
Fast forward to 2023, Jenni's career took a turn in a new direction. With the company's growth, she found herself taking on new challenges after nailing the customer service area of expertise.
“Usually you might think about changing a company when you want to grow professionally. I didn’t want to, because I love our mission, culture, and our team members. But I felt I needed something new to learn and get excited again”, Jenni says.
She also mentioned that our company was almost like a completely new organization compared to the startup environment back in 2020. “Now we were international, had more than tripled our headcount, and had even more ambitious plans. There were definitely new growth opportunities”, she says.
A colleague's maternity leave created an opportunity for Jenni to expand her horizons further. She was offered to try a completely new combo:
📦 50% Product Data Manager as a part of the Procurement Team where her tasks involve gathering and refining product data, setting up the products in fiksuruoka.fi store, overseeing product categories and availability, as well as communicating with our warehouse partner.
🤗 50% Customer Service Specialist to communicate with customers through various channels, coordinating with warehouse and logistics partners, and contributing to the development of the customer service process.
“I got a completely new boost to my work life. Also, the procurement team said that my excitement was contagious as I was so curious and impressed with how cool things they are working on and what an impact they are making”, she laughs.
As important as working for a meaningful mission is, nothing beats working daily with a like-minded team of funny, curious, and skilled team members.
"One of the things I absolutely adore is our culture and incredible team. It feels like everyone is here because they truly want to be part of something special. I'm also constantly amazed by the diverse expertise across our teams, which keeps me motivated and eager to learn more every day”, she says.
Looking ahead, what’s your hope for the future, Jenni?
“I hope to continue growing with the company. The idea of changing roles every few years doesn't appeal to me unless it means engaging in new, meaningful projects within this setting. I feel so supported and integral to our mission here; the thought of leaving seems daunting”, Jenni sums with a smile.