Global R&D Director, Anssi Savelius, brings 25 years of valuable experience in product development and B2B product innovation. Before joining Fibox in August, he held key roles at Ensto and Landis+Gyr, where he developed methods and processes, and led strategic product development initiatives.
Why Fibox? Valuing competence and entrepreneurial spirit
Anssi joined Fibox to apply his extensive knowledge to new challenges, particularly in enclosure development. Fibox presented an exciting challenge where I could leverage my skills and experience in a completely new way. This role has broadened my understanding of product development, as I had not previously been involved in enclosure and molding development at such a deep level, says Anssi.
Anssi’s decision to join Fibox was driven by the company’s culture, which he values for its competence, entrepreneurial spirit, and quick decision-making. He explains, I appreciate the level of competence here. There’s a certain courage in how we approach things; we’re not afraid to dive in and get excited about projects. We don’t hesitate to take action.
He has come to value the minimal hierarchy at Fibox, which enables faster, more effective actions. There’s no unnecessary hierarchy here, and that’s something I truly value. Decisions are made quickly and directly. This culture, alongside Fibox's commitment to quality, has allowed him to thrive and contribute meaningfully.
A focus on process improvement and global collaboration
Anssi is leading efforts to enhance product development processes, focusing on efficiency and quality. His work includes ongoing projects in large-scale energy applications and customer-specific solutions for industrial control systems, with international collaboration involving teams in Finland, China, Korea and the USA. Anssi values his talented team in Finland and collaboration with global colleagues.
We are continuously developing our product development processes to align with modern industry standards. While we have strong work practices in place, there is an opportunity to further enhance our methods and structured processes to ensure even more efficient and high-quality product development, says Anssi.
While there have been no major challenges, Anssi recognizes that limited resources require careful prioritization. We have to be strategic about which tasks to focus on first. It’s important to tackle tactical actions and start small. He stresses the importance of persistence in achieving small wins.
The team have applied modern methodologies to ensure that they keep moving forward. For example, we’ve adopted task management system to make our co-operation smoother. The team has been enthusiastic about this change, and it’s been rewarding to see the team members taking the initiative.
Milestones and future direction
Anssi has made significant contributions to product development, with his technical expertise and leadership being central. At Fibox R&D, we develop standard and customer-specific tailored products, and we need to remain competitive in that space, he notes. He emphasizes that new product creation should be driven by customer needs: Innovation should always start with understanding customer, not just from a desire to innovate for the sake of it.
Anssi believes strongly in empowering his team, stating, I believe in empowering others and helping them to succeed. His hands-on approach has fostered an independent team that can solve problems creatively. I bring my expertise through methods, focusing on how product development can run efficiently in collaboration with product management. I want to step out of the day-to-day and think about how Fibox differentiates itself and stays competitive.
Aligned with Fibox’s sustainability goals, Anssi’s team is exploring ecological materials and lifecycle assessments for pilot products. He shares, Environmental concerns are at the forefront, and we are exploring new material options to meet customer demand. They are working on business cases for initiatives like recycled materials for enclosures.
By the end of the year, Anssi aims to establish effective management system that reflect how Fibox operates and ensure consistent quality across the board. In terms of his future role, Anssi envisions continuing to drive the strategic direction of the enclosure business: I’ll always be involved in improving product development and contributing to the company’s growth.
