Ilkka Kallinen, a chauffeur for the top management at Wärtsilä in Helsinki, Finland, has worked with the company for over 46 years and has witnessed its transformation from a dockyard to a technology company. He has worked with five CEOs and values the great colleagues he has had the pleasure to work with over the years.
As part of our 190-year anniversary celebrations, we want to highlight the exceptional careers of our employees, and Ilkka Kallinen, chauffeur for the top management is one of our icons. With over 46 years of experience at Wärtsilä, Ilkka has witnessed the company's transformation from a dockyard to a technology company. He has worked with five CEOs and has many stories to tell, from seasick naval officers on a sea trial to countless hours behind the wheel.
You have probably heard the story of President Kennedy visiting the NASA Space Centre in 1962 and noticing a janitor carrying a broom. He walked over to the man and said: “Hi, I'm Jack Kennedy, what are you doing?” The janitor responded: “I'm helping put a man on the moon, Mr. President.”
Ilkka Kallinen is more than a chauffeur for our top management in Helsinki, Finland. Ilkka is not just driving around, he is actually shaping the decarbonisation of marine and energy together with his 17,800 colleagues. We are all making a difference the Wärtsilä way.
Ilkka has a tremendous 46+ year career at Wärtsilä filled with great stories of transformation. He started at the Wärtsilä vocational school machine installation on 6 June 1977 and remained at the docs for nine years first as a student and then as a machine replacer. He remembers those years as hard work in noisy environment and being exposed to the weather. It was cold during the winters (-30 degrees celsius) and hot during the summer months (+30 celsius degrees).
Ilkka has witnessed the transformation of Wärtsilä first-hand. The main change has been that there used to be a lot of companies and subsidiaries, dockyard etc., but today, Wärtsilä is a technology company with a portfolio. Everyone at the Wärtsilä Helsinki Campus knows Ilkka and his stories sprinkled with a witty sense of humour.
Ilkka values the great colleagues he has had the pleasure to work with over the years and encourages newcomers to listen to others to learn and emphasizes the importance of induction in any position, whether you are a chauffeur or a CEO.
Ilkka Kallinen retired this year in April.
