Paulig surveyed its leadership potential by Interpersona

11/2006 The Management Audit program that Interpersona carried out for Paulig Group has been of immediate and tangible use for the group and its development, declares Chairman of the Board Bertel Paulig. With the program that was carried out last summer the leadership abilities and development potential of 34 key persons was examined in Finland, the Baltics, Russia, Sweden, Denmark and Norway. At Interpersona Mats Kockberg and Susanne Stenfors were in charge of the assignment. Paulig Group has grown and globalized strongly in recent years. Besides the traditional coffee division Gustav Paulig, the Santa Maria group of companies (seasonings and ethnic food) is joining the group. - At this kind of development point we acknowledged that we need to know which leadership potential is joining the group through Santa Maria. Simultaneously we decided to seize the opportunity and make and inventory of Paulig’s leadership resources as well, says Bertel Paulig. - This is even more important considering that the members of our current board are born in 1946–49. Thereby Management Audit has a central role also for the company’s succession planning.

Interpersona’s Management Audit will be of tangible use in a longer perspective as well, states Bertel Paulig, Chairman of the Board at Paulig Group.

Tangible information about the individuals and the organization

With Interpersona’s Management Audit program our aim is getting tangible information about key resources and their development potential – on an individual level as well as concerning the organizational structures, processes, know-how and attitudes.

We asked Bertel Paulig about the contribution of the project.

- The approach and reporting have been very clear and comprehensible. In fact we have immediately dealt with some things. For a couple of persons we’re planning a possible job rotation inside the group. We’ve also decided to reinforce our HR-function and more coordinately handle and develop matters within this function. This is very important as the group is growing and expanding geographically also.

- Based on Interpersona’s report we’ve also gained a solid base for career planning and managerial development on group level as well as individually.

- Altogether the results from the leadership assessment are going to be an important tool strategically as well as operationally, in a longer perspective as well, Bertel Paulig says.

Several different tools were used in the Management Audit that was carried out for the Paulig Group. Among other tools an in-depth interview of every individual was included. Everyone participating in the assessment was also given a personal feedback of assessment results and personal development points observed during the assessment.

- The feedback I’ve received from those who participated in the Management Audit has been positive all down the line. They have appreciated the contribution of the program and no cynicism has appeared in the group of 34 individuals. After the project many have also returned to issues that arose during the assessment, discussing them with me as well as with their nearest supervisor, Bertel Paulig says.