KAJ HIRVASKARI
Järvenpää
Summary
Experienced with strategic sales planning and execution. Utilizes team leadership and client relationship management to drive revenue growth. Track record of developing and implementing successful sales strategies that align with business objectives.
Sales professional skilled in strategic planning and team leadership, committed to achieving outstanding results. Known for fostering collaborative environments and adapting to market changes. Proficient in building client relationships and executing sales strategies that drive business growth.
Overview
22
22
years of professional experience
Work History
Head of Sales
Tradotim Oy
04.2025
- Responsible for the company’s total sales, including tires and wheel solutions as well as medical and professional kitchen accessories. The aim is to grow the tire and rim business and expand into larger tire and rim segments. The long-term plan is to separate these two business areas into two distinct companies, with me taking over as CEO of the tire and rim company, Tradotim Oy.
Head of Sales and COO Finland
Gripen Wheels Finland Oy
12.2022 - 03.2025
- Responsible for the company’s daily operations, including sales, warehousing, and staff management.
- - Increased sales with the goal of reaching a long-term turnover of €30 million
- - Forecasted and ordered tires and rims globally, at peak handling daily container shipments to our warehouse
- - Managed all OEM accounts in close collaboration with the Site Manager
- - Lead a sales force of seven, covering everything from forklift tires to large mining tires
- - Conducted successful annual negotiations and secured agreements with various tire purchasing chains
Regional Sales Manager/ OHT Specialist Nordics
Apollo Tyres Nordic AB
04.2019 - 12.2022
- Responsible for sales and marketing across the Nordic region (Sweden, Finland, and Norway), covering the business units: Vredestein Agricultural, Apollo Industrial, and Apollo TBR tires.
- - Achieved budget targets in each country, including: net sales, €/kg (UNS), gross margin, product mix, and market share
- - Managed all OEM accounts across the three countries
- - Implemented the OE pull strategy for tractor OEM accounts (JD, Claas, New Holland)
Sales Manager Finland
Pirelli Tyre Nordic AB
10.2012 - 03.2019
- Responsible for sales and marketing for Pirelli passenger and TBR tires in Finland. Negotiation with importers, distributors and individual tire dealers around the country.
KAM for Car Dealer Channel
Bridgestone Finland Oy
10.2006 - 09.2012
- Responsible for the car dealer channel and its total sales, including negotiations with all major car importers and biggest car dealerships.
- Sales responsible for all Bridgestone product groups: Passenger, TBR and Agricultural tires in south Finland area.
- Responsible for budgeting, forecasting, warehousing and pricing all Bridgestone group product lines: Bridgestone, Firestone and Dayton. Monitoring the price levels and gathering business intelligence from competitors. Mainly reporting directly to EU HQ in Brussels
- Analyzed customer feedback to improve service delivery and enhance client satisfaction levels.
- Monitored market trends to identify potential sales opportunities and enhance offerings.
Product Manager
Bridgestone Finland Oy
09.2003 - 09.2006
- Responsible for the passenger and Van tire segment
- Responsible for the pricing, forecasting and stock levels
- Taking part in yearly budgeting
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams to define product requirements and deliverables.
- Developed and prioritized product backlog based on market analysis and stakeholder feedback.
- Conducted user research to gather insights, enhancing product features and user experience.
- Analyzed competitor products to identify gaps and opportunities for innovation.
Education
Secondary Degree - Tourism & Hospitality Management
Lärcentrum Vux
01.2000
3 Year Degree - Finance & Social Science
High School
01.1997
Skills
- Experienced COO and Sales Manager with a demonstrated history of working in the tire and automotive industry Skilled in negotiation, business planning, sales, P&L analysis, customer satisfaction, and sales operations A strong, charismatic, and trustworthy presenter A leader who motivates and leads by example
- I have an entrepreneurial working style, and with the right tools, I have consistently achieved and exceeded set goals
- MS Office with strength in Excel and Pivot
- Experience working with SAP
- Sales operations
- Key account growth
- Sales coaching
- Negotiation expertise
- CRM proficiency
LANGUAGE
Finnish - Native
Swedish - Native
English - Fluently
Timeline
Head of Sales
Tradotim Oy
04.2025
Head of Sales and COO Finland
Gripen Wheels Finland Oy
12.2022 - 03.2025
Regional Sales Manager/ OHT Specialist Nordics
Apollo Tyres Nordic AB
04.2019 - 12.2022
Sales Manager Finland
Pirelli Tyre Nordic AB
10.2012 - 03.2019
KAM for Car Dealer Channel
Bridgestone Finland Oy
10.2006 - 09.2012
Product Manager
Bridgestone Finland Oy
09.2003 - 09.2006
Secondary Degree - Tourism & Hospitality Management
Lärcentrum Vux
3 Year Degree - Finance & Social Science
High School
References
- Anders, Holm, COO, anders.holm@dackia.se, +46 (0)70 685 5222, Däckia AB Sweden
- Jens, Norrgård, Sales Manager, +358 (0)50 5185985, Euromaster Oy
- Heikki, Sola, Chairman of the Board and Partner, heikki.sola@tume-agri.fi, +358 (0)40 511 1545, Tume-Agri Oy
PERSONAL INTEREST
I’m passionate about sports and the outdoors. I enjoy hiking, cycling, and both cross-country and downhill skiing. I'm also a big fan of ice hockey and track and field, and I go to the gym regularly., Above all, my greatest passion is my family. I spend as much time as possible with them on weekends. My wife and I became grandparents three years ago, and we cherish every moment we get to help and spend time with our granddaughter.
MILITARY SERVICE
- FRDF = FINNISH RAPID DEPLOYMENT FORCES 1997 – 1998
- International elite military service. Training is a blend of UN and NATO standards. my profession is English radio communications and artillery command expert.