CoE Group gained a strong professional to its team when Jouni Palojärvi started in November as the company’s new Site Operations Manager. With over 30 years of experience in industrial commissioning, site operations, and supervisory roles, he brings valuable expertise to CoE Group’s growing service offering.
Decades of experience in site commissioning
Jouni’s career began in the mid-90s, and since then he has worked extensively in various site and commissioning roles around the world. He has substantial experience in paper industry projects, where he has served as a commissioning engineer, site manager, and supervisor. In recent years, he has been responsible for supervising commissioning, design, and maintenance functions.
I’ve practically grown up on worksites. I’ve seen how the industry has changed and how important it is to combine hands-on experience with planning and leadership, Jouni says.
An old acquaintance in a new role
CoE Group is not entirely new to Jouni. He has collaborated with the company since 2018, back then still in the role of a customer.
CoE’s way of working has always been straightforward and solution-oriented. The company has always found a way to help in every situation I’ve faced as a customer, he says.
The first impression of the new workplace has been positive: an open, caring, and flexible culture fits well with Jouni’s own values.
Responsibility and vision for commissioning operations
As Site Operations Manager, Jouni is responsible for the overall leadership of CoE Group’s site services, developing customer relationships, and coordinating sales and resourcing. As a leader, he emphasizes openness, trust, and genuine presence. He believes everyone should be able to be themselves.
According to Jouni, safety is the most important thing in absolutely everything. Permit practices, inductions, and trainings form the everyday cornerstones.
I’ve spent decades out in the field myself, I know what the work is like and what situations arise there. A leader’s most important task is to support their team and ensure that communication works. The goal is that everyone returns home healthy after the workday, and whole. That is non-negotiable, he emphasizes.
One of Jouni’s development ideas is the “commissioning planner” concept, where commissioning engineers are involved in projects already during the design phase. This ensures better information flow and more efficient execution.
If the commissioning engineer knows the project from the design stage onward, the customer benefits. This is a big step toward a comprehensive operating model, Jouni says.
Nature brings balance to an intensive job
In his free time, Jouni recharges in nature through trail running, and he also serves as the chairman of the local trail running association.
Sometimes after work I just put on my running clothes and head into the forest. That’s where the mind calms down and thoughts become clearer, he smiles.
Jouni’s outlook on life is strongly reflected in his work as well: “Never assume, ask.” According to him, openness and asking questions prevent misunderstandings and help find the best solutions.
Assumption is the mother of all failure. When you’re honest and ask questions, trust is built and cooperation works, he concludes.
Moving toward growth together
In his new role, Jouni wants to build CoE Group’s site and commissioning services into a strong, unified, and people-centered whole. The goals for the first year are clear: to create the foundations for growth and develop the commissioning department into a key part of CoE’s service offering.
“CoE’s values align with my own. It’s great to be able to build commissioning operations in an efficient and flexible company where there are no silos, only a shared goal and an open culture of doing things together.”
-Jouni Palojärvi
