Minna Kurri, who works as Competence Lead in the Common Capabilities unit of OP Financial Group's Development & Technologies organisation, is responsible for supporting the day-to-day work and professional coaching of a team of around 60 experts. The team consists of multi-talented IT specialists who work in various development and production roles. Minna describes her role as being above all about leading the team's culture and identity, with human touch at the centre.

Minna joined OP in 2012 and initially worked in project management. Before starting as Competence Lead, she served in various management positions, including as Head of ICT Development in asset management services. Minna says that she has not felt the need to look elsewhere for opportunities as OP has offered just the right amount of new challenges. Over the years, her focus has shifted from managing things to leading people as Minna discovered her calling as a coaching leader and an enabler of success. "I ended up in this role because I am interested in people, which is the most important thing about being a Competence Lead."

Sustainable employee experience through individual development paths

In 2019, OP Financial Group adopted the self-managed and low-hierarchy Enterprise Agile model. With the change, traditional top-down management structures were discarded and experts were given more freedom to decide on their day-to-day work.  

"At OP, experts are used to a model where they can decide on their own how and on what timetable to get things done," says Minna.

Meanwhile, as employees are responsible for organising their desk and planning their work, the Competence Lead makes sure that experts have everything they need to succeed and enjoy their work. Building a personal career path and goal-oriented professional development are an integral part of employee experience, and Minna sees herself as having an important responsibility in making this possible.

"My most important job is to provide guidance and support to help experts cope at work, rise to the next level and reach their full potential," says Minna.

OP offers a wide variety of career paths, and Minna listens to the wishes and thoughts of each team member carefully to support everyone in their professional development.

"Some want to have a command of as many different areas of expertise as possible, while others prefer to dive deeper and focus entirely on a specific theme. Then there are those who wish to step into a manager's shoes and assume positions of leadership. Whatever their goal, my job is to support each expert personally," says Minna.

Meaning from people and a desire for continuous improvement

To ensure that the Development & Technologies organisation has access to the best possible talent, Competence Leads also handle human resource planning and hiring in their area of responsibility. Even in the middle of a growing talent shortage, OP is seen by financial and technology experts as an attractive employer in which the results of work are visible in the daily lives of many people in Finland in one way or another. Minna feels that this is an important factor when choosing employers.

"In today's working life, people give a lot of thought to the impact that their work has. OP helps customers realise their dreams and live more securely, and many people appreciate our commitment to sustainability and active participation in society. As an employer, we are seen as an employee-oriented company where experts can genuinely make a difference in their work and career path," says Minna.

When asked about her work and where she finds meaning, Minna, a recently accredited solution-focused coach, returns to the reason she originally chose her current path – other people.

"As Competence Lead, I support people in all stages of their careers and often get to see the full spectrum of life. The best part of my job is being able to help someone discover their professional identity and pride and accompany them on that journey. It's a great feeling to be able to see our talents spread their wings and take flight."