After more than five years fighting against food waste, Aino Heino is closing an important chapter in her career. She joined our team in early 2021 as a Procurement Manager while still finishing her studies. Over the years, she has grown into the role of Head of Procurement (FI), been part of our international expansion to the Netherlands, and stepped into a Team Lead role, helping to build and support the procurement team through several growth phases. Before moving on to her next chapter, here are Aino’s reflections on what these years have taught her, what she’s most proud of, and what she will carry with her going forward.
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When Aino Heino joined Fiksuruoka, she was still studying industrial engineering and management, and figuring out what working life would really look like. “I was quite early in my career and still studying at the time. I remember thinking that maybe this is the job where I’ll stay after graduating. That felt like a big thing back then,” she says.
In 2021, Fiksuruoka was quite a different company than today. We were smaller in terms of our team and business, and only operated in Finland. Aino joined when the team was around 20 people. What stood out to her already during the interview process was how natural everything felt.
“I felt I could be myself right from the start. I didn’t have to try to fit into some predefined ‘working life mould’. My own strengths were actually the things that were valued here. For a younger version of me, that was really meaningful”, she remembers.
From the beginning, the work was ambitious, but the environment felt human. “We did smart and demanding work, but at the same time, there was humour, empathy, and space to care about people. That combination mattered a lot to me”, she says.
Aino started in a hands-on procurement role as Procurement Manager, where theory quickly turned into practice.
“Suddenly, the things I had learned at university, like inventory calculations, became very concrete. And at the same time, I had to learn how to work with suppliers. At first, that was honestly quite nerve-wracking”, she says.
What surprised her was how quickly that fear faded. “You realise that you can still be professional and be yourself: it’s not about performing a pre-defined pitch but about being present, building mutual understanding, and finding the best solution together. That moment changes a lot.”
A major turning point came in 2022, when Aino got involved in building procurement operations for Foodello–Fiksuruoka’s expansion to the Netherlands.
“That phase gave me a completely new kind of confidence. You work in an environment where there isn’t enough information yet, so you have to test, try things out, and learn as you go. You learn how to navigate uncertainty”, she explains.
Aino also saw up close what it means to build something from scratch. “International expansion sounds huge, and it is. But at the same time, it’s not magic. You make a good plan, get the right people together, and then execute while learning.
Later, stepping into a Team Lead role added a new dimension to her work.
“I’ve always seen myself as analytical and data-driven. But becoming a team lead really showed me how important the people side is. Data matters, of course, but so many problems are actually solved through communication, trust, and understanding other people’s perspectives”, she says.
Most recently, all learnings came together in 2025, when we built and opened our first-ever physical Fiksuruoka store in Finland. “With my experience from our international expansion and building strong procurement processes early on, I learned to navigate change and uncertainty. This helped me guide my team to successfully navigate what opening the physical store meant in procurement”, Aino says.
Looking back, Aino highlights a few lessons that have shaped her both professionally and personally.
“One big thing I’ve learned is how much impact one person can have in a smaller, growing company. If you’re brave enough to suggest ideas and test them, things can really change.”
She recalls a moment when she suggested significantly lowering the minimum discount level in the store. “At first, it sounded quite radical. But I ran the numbers, we aligned and tested it cross-functionally, and the results were surprisingly positive. Now it’s just part of how we operate. That taught me how powerful experimentation can be.”
“When you’re early in your career, you worry a lot about making mistakes. Here I learned that making mistakes is not only allowed, it’s necessary for growth.”
Especially in procurement, being too cautious can mean missing opportunities.
“For example, in the procurement team, we review the best and worst performing products every week and discuss together what we can learn from them”, Aino explains. “If you never take risks, the positive outcomes can’t happen either. What really matters is creating an environment where mistakes don’t scare people, but help everyone learn.”
Over the years, Aino realised how central team dynamics are, both for results and personal wellbeing.
“Stepping into a team lead role really showed me that building a safe team environment, where communication is easy and people trust each other, makes a huge difference. Often, the real problems are not technical but related to communication.”
This has also raised her personal standards when it comes to her working life. “It’s made me very aware of the kind of environment I want to work in, and the kind of culture I want to help build.”
Working in procurement placed Aino at the centre of many business interfaces: suppliers, logistics, marketing, data, finance and many more. “You really understand how everything connects. You see how decisions show up in the numbers and how they affect the whole business.”
Over time, this strengthened her interest in the bigger picture. “I’ve realised how much I enjoy understanding the overall business, not just my own function. That perspective has grown naturally here.”
When asked what Aino is most proud of, she doesn’t hesitate. “I’m most proud of our procurement team and the team spirit we have.”
Despite growth, change, and turnover, something important has stayed intact. “We’ve managed to keep a strong sense of trust, ambition, and humour. We support each other, we aim high, and we do it together. I’m really proud of that”, she says.
And leaving a workplace and team like that is not easy. But sometimes it is necessary.
“These five years have been a really significant part of my professional life. Foodello–Fiksuruoka has been a kind of home for me. The people are the hardest part to let go of”, she shares.
At the same time, Aino feels ready for change.
“Next, I’m intentionally moving into a different kind of environment, a bigger company, with global operations, where I can take everything I’ve learned and take my expertise to the next level. I want to learn new things, widen my perspective, and challenge myself again, and I’m really excited about that”, she says.
What stays the same is the mindset she’s built over the years. “The ownership, the curiosity, the combination of data and people, those are now part of how I work. I’ll definitely take those with me.”
If Aino could give one piece of advice to her younger self, or to someone considering a similar path, it would be this:
“Be yourself, trust your ability to learn, and don’t lock yourself into one path. Planning and dreaming are great, but staying open to change is just as important. Some of the best opportunities come unexpectedly.”
Thank you, Aino, for everything, we’re excited to see where your journey continues! 💚