My name is Ann-Marie Hietala, and I work as a sales manager at a Cooperative Store KPO, representing Sokos Hotels in Finland, with a focus on the Vaasa locations and their restaurants. I have been in the hotel and restaurant industry my whole life and have worked for the S Group alone for over 25 years.

When I look back on my nearly 25-year career at Danfoss, one skill stands out above all others: self-management. It's not something that appears on my resume, but rather the engine that has driven me forward from my summer job to my current role as factory manager.

Throughout my career, I have worked extensively with entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship. I have seen the challenges related to business plans and financing, but also how, at times, difficult decisions must be made, and a company must be closed down. I know what it feels like to stand on the threshold with a dream in one hand and all kinds of fears in the other. I also know how much it means to have someone who believes in you, sometimes even more than you believe in yourself at that moment.