Hans-Peter Siefen – TALKS WITH PETRI
Hans-Peter “Hape” Siefen talks about building an international brand with a loyal customer base, the role of marketing and sales in organic growth and how Jim Collins has shaped their company. He also reveals some amazing moments with Jack Welch and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Bio
Hape is a sales boy who turned into an entrepreneur. He is a family guy who enjoys spending time in nature and on the lakes of Finland. Hape founded Nordic Business Group 11 years ago with his business partner, whom he met at a university lecture. His professional passion is in inspiring and educating people about business and leadership – and also in building a thrilling business himself.
Episode notes
– how to build an exceptional company
– role of passion and purpose
– Customer expectations early on vs. now
– A simple organic growth formula
– Growth via mergers and acquisition
– Sales and marketing in the early years
– First recruitment roles
– Building a brand with a loyal customer base
– International expansion
– Building your business purely with marketing
– Cash-flow friendly business model
– Company culture that delights customers
– Passion through meaning and purpose
– Where the customer experience begins
– Quality of the customer service
– Innovation and the rising customer expectations
– What contributes to customers learning
– Volunteer projects, art and inspirational stories
– Drama and moving people with stories
– Sir Ken Robertson and the Landfill orchestra
– Jim Collins, Jack Welch and Arnold Schwarzenegger
– Amazing moments with Jack Welch
– Arnold Schwarzenegger’s presence
– Live-events during COVID-19
– Slush and The Nordic Business Forum experiences
– Top business events
– Business conferences after COVID
– Diversification and the group structure
– Bootstrapping and the plans for the future
– Internationalisation and deciding the first steps abroad
– Entering the Russian market and its surprises
– Scandinavian expansion (Sweden, Norway, Denmark)
– Opportunistic market entry and its outcome
– Learning and exchanging best practices
– Long-term preparations for the future expansion
– Bootstrapping all the way
Episode links
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-p3KkYgt1c (Leaders Who Change the World – Behind the Scenes of Nordic Business Forum – Full Documentary)
www.slush.org (Slush)
https://www.foundersalliance.com/about-founders-alliance/ (Founders’ Alliance)
https://www.c2montreal.com/ (C2 Montréal)
https://www.ted.com/talks (TED Talks)
https://www.wobi.com/ (WOBI)
https://landfillharmonicmovie.com/ (Landfill Orchestra)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIOlnscWCrQ (Tedx 2013)
https://nordicinsights.net/2020/09/02/episode-14/
