SEK strengthens its Finnair team with two key hires – welcome Melle and Heini
9.5.2025
Can you tell us about your roles?
Melle: As a Client Director, I’m responsible for the account as a whole and the overall client relationship. I see myself as the bridge between the client and our creative team at SEK, ensuring that we deliver work that’s on brand, on time, and on budget. A key part of my role is building and nurturing a strong, trusting relationship with the client. That starts with truly understanding their business – their goals, concerns, and aspirations. This way I can guide our team to serve them in the best possible way. This is something we continuously strive for together with our Creative Director Heini.
Heini: Whether it’s towards clients or colleagues, my role as a Creative Director is essentially about being a sparring partner. Together with the client we dive deep into defining the right questions to address, exploring how communication and creativity can have a positive impact on the business objectives and challenges at hand. The aim is to pave the way for ideas that resonate and align with strategy. At SEK I help teams succeed by sharpening our focus and asking the questions that lead to strong ideas. I work on refining briefs and shaping how we package concepts to make our work sharp, compelling, and true to the brand.
With your solid experience working in this industry, what do you think has changed and what has stayed the same?
Melle: When I first entered the industry before Covid, hybrid work wasn’t the norm. Over the past five years, so much has changed. I remember starting out with a dialling system to join phone meetings. Now, working through screens has become a part of everyday life. That said, some things have remained the same. The need for close collaboration and a strong, cooperative relationship between us and our clients is just as important as ever.
Heini: Some things are unlikely to ever change. Like the fact that clear, bright ideas go a long way. But in many ways, the landscape looks different from how it did back in 2010, and creativity has become more strategic. People are more drawn to brands that share their values and, on the other hand, easily walk away if a brand is caught acting against those standards. Another big shift is the need for brands to allow the ever-evolving cultural context to influence and reflect through the brand – while still honouring the brand DNA.
You both have an international background. What can we learn from how brands are developed outside of Finland?
Heini: If Swedish branding has a secret sauce, it’s probably crystallising a single brand defining idea and letting that thinking guide everything. There’s also a great deal of resilience that goes into building the most successful brands. Even when you’re doing something new that goes against the grain of the category, there’s this courage to think and act long-term. Thirdly, I believe the Scandinavian, human-centric design philosophy plays a vital role. With its thoughtful clarity and honesty, it appeals to many.
SEK is turning 90 years and Finnair has been a part of this journey – what’s the secret behind this long client relationship?
Melle: First I have to say that I’m very new to this equation. But if I had to name one secret behind that longevity, I’d say it’s trust. Creative work can be a tricky field, because we talk about creative ideas on a quite hypothetical level before going into production. That means our clients need to trust the vision we present and our ability to bring it to life. Without that trust, there’s not much to build on. 90 years together is a testament to the mutual trust that’s been built over time. It’s something we’re incredibly proud of here at SEK.
Melle: As a Client Director, I’m responsible for the account as a whole and the overall client relationship. I see myself as the bridge between the client and our creative team at SEK, ensuring that we deliver work that’s on brand, on time, and on budget. A key part of my role is building and nurturing a strong, trusting relationship with the client. That starts with truly understanding their business – their goals, concerns, and aspirations. This way I can guide our team to serve them in the best possible way. This is something we continuously strive for together with our Creative Director Heini.
Heini: Whether it’s towards clients or colleagues, my role as a Creative Director is essentially about being a sparring partner. Together with the client we dive deep into defining the right questions to address, exploring how communication and creativity can have a positive impact on the business objectives and challenges at hand. The aim is to pave the way for ideas that resonate and align with strategy. At SEK I help teams succeed by sharpening our focus and asking the questions that lead to strong ideas. I work on refining briefs and shaping how we package concepts to make our work sharp, compelling, and true to the brand.
With your solid experience working in this industry, what do you think has changed and what has stayed the same?
Melle: When I first entered the industry before Covid, hybrid work wasn’t the norm. Over the past five years, so much has changed. I remember starting out with a dialling system to join phone meetings. Now, working through screens has become a part of everyday life. That said, some things have remained the same. The need for close collaboration and a strong, cooperative relationship between us and our clients is just as important as ever.
Heini: Some things are unlikely to ever change. Like the fact that clear, bright ideas go a long way. But in many ways, the landscape looks different from how it did back in 2010, and creativity has become more strategic. People are more drawn to brands that share their values and, on the other hand, easily walk away if a brand is caught acting against those standards. Another big shift is the need for brands to allow the ever-evolving cultural context to influence and reflect through the brand – while still honouring the brand DNA.
You both have an international background. What can we learn from how brands are developed outside of Finland?
Heini: If Swedish branding has a secret sauce, it’s probably crystallising a single brand defining idea and letting that thinking guide everything. There’s also a great deal of resilience that goes into building the most successful brands. Even when you’re doing something new that goes against the grain of the category, there’s this courage to think and act long-term. Thirdly, I believe the Scandinavian, human-centric design philosophy plays a vital role. With its thoughtful clarity and honesty, it appeals to many.
SEK is turning 90 years and Finnair has been a part of this journey – what’s the secret behind this long client relationship?
Melle: First I have to say that I’m very new to this equation. But if I had to name one secret behind that longevity, I’d say it’s trust. Creative work can be a tricky field, because we talk about creative ideas on a quite hypothetical level before going into production. That means our clients need to trust the vision we present and our ability to bring it to life. Without that trust, there’s not much to build on. 90 years together is a testament to the mutual trust that’s been built over time. It’s something we’re incredibly proud of here at SEK.
Jaa
