Kimmo Kakko took over as CEO of Efetta on April 1, 2021, in a very challenging situation. The company had a loss of over two hundred thousand euros from the previous year, and the first 3 months of 2021 predicted that the loss for the coming financial year would be at least as large. And staff satisfaction did not seem to be at a very good level either, NPS -37. One option seriously considered by the owners was to shut down the company if the direction did not change.

The board of directors of Efetta Oy gave the new CEO a clear and very simple-sounding task, “The company’s profitability must be turned positive, and subito!” What the board left unsaid, however, was clear: if a positive turn was not seen soon, the CEO’s and the company’s Via Dolorosa would be complete and the journey through the valley of death would begin. As a spiritually educated man, Kimmo knew that Albert Einstein had stated the following: “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.”, so it was clear that the turnaround desired by the owners required a change in operating culture, organizational structure and performance. The situation was further complicated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Europe that began in early 2022, which had a broad impact on both the operating environment and people’s mood. In the midst of all this, Kimmo himself was also preparing for the last years of his working career before retirement.

After a very busy summer of 2021 and the following autumn, the company's board of directors was convinced after Kimmo's acute measures, especially when the loss estimated in April, over €200 thousand, turned into a loss of “only” around €100 thousand, that even small actions can achieve positive things. In addition, the board of directors approved Kimmo's proposal for a change in operating methods, which in retrospect also turned out to be a successful solution for customers. Thus, at least the immediate Via Dolorosa had been avoided.

But there was a lot of work to be done to achieve the final result set by the board, as well as challenges. One dark morning – after a poorly slept night – when making a turnaround felt far too heavy and outright despair crept into my mind after introspection and “self-talk” (Kimmo’s regular self-flagellation), Kimmo understood and accepted that he could not get through this alone as CEO. External help was needed. Although he already had good peer support from a group of financial management and management professionals, as well as his own wife, Kimmo realized that he also needed someone with a broad view of the holistic and very lonely management of a business. Someone who had the ability to take into account all the necessary pieces of the puzzle at the same time: personnel, customers, board, company continuity and especially its development.

Kimmo didn't have to think long when More Than Training Company came to mind. Joshua, to whom I sent a text message and did the same. Joshua called Kimmo back a few minutes after receiving the message and what was intended to be a two-minute call turned into over an hour-long sparring session, during which the sun began to shine again both outside and in Kimmo's soul. This call sowed the seeds for a joint journey of turning things around and walking together that would last for over 3 years.

CEO's co-traveler

CEO is one of the loneliest professions in the world, constantly under pressure from the board, customers and staff. There are also things you can't really talk to anyone about. In this cosmic triangle of loneliness, Joshua offered the CEO invaluable ears, as well as a conversation partner with whom to spar regularly every month on the most difficult topics, so that things that were fuzzy before the sparring were completely clear after a moment together and an action plan was ready to go.

Perhaps the most valuable thing about these coaching moments, however, was that they always raised personal performance to a new level, if the hustle and bustle of everyday life had allowed it to become too much. In CEO coaching, Joshua's personal CEO background is certainly of decisive importance, because he understands the joys and sorrows of CEO leadership personally and is able to offer just the right kind of peer support to the CEO.

Vision as the basis for changing operating culture and organizational structure

A clear goal was needed to form the basis for the change in operating culture and organizational structure. At the same time, a clear vision was also needed of how Kimmo would survive the project with full strength of soul and body until retirement looming on the horizon, so that he could be satisfied in that moment and possibly also proud when looking back on his own life's career. A two-part vision was created, in which the vision of the organization was condensed into Kimmo's launch HaHiTi-form and Kimmo's personal vision for Joshua to launch Tahiti-format.

The HaHiTi vision meant Habed and Helloto scold Tueoffice, which in practice meant healthy and competent personnel who would remain in Efetta's service, providing high-quality services to customers so that Efetta's business was profitable and productive. The Tahiti vision, in turn, meant that after a successful turnaround, Kimmo could remain satisfied and vibrant, enjoying his retirement days on the shores of Lake Saimaa, i.e. in his personal Tahiti paradise.

The change in operating culture and organizational structure in line with the vision was reinforced through participatory coaching of the entire organization, where a clear plan was jointly defined on how to streamline operations, increase the invoicing rate, and how to organize work and customer relationships in a new, more team-driven way. During the coaching, each employee committed to a common plan, which was crystallized into a one-page “scorecard”.

Monitoring the progress of the scorecard and providing personal support to the CEO continued with regular 1-2-1 quarterly sparring sessions. These sparring sessions were more valuable than gold, because during the transformation journey, new challenges, “bombs” and storms were constantly encountered, caused by external parties, in the midst of which even the visions seemed to remain behind a curtain of smoke or fog, while the CEO’s own resilience was strained by all the trials.

Turnaround, acquisition and retirement

The journey from the forecast situation in April 2021, from a loss of over €200,000 to an actual loss of only €100,000, and then halving the previous year's loss every year until the beginning of 2024, was difficult. But finally in 2024, the changes in operating culture and organization were also reflected in the income statement and balance sheet as the desired end result, i.e. the result turned positive. Employee satisfaction (NPS) had also skyrocketed from -37 when Kimmo started, to the best result in measurement history (E)NPS +45 (10/2023).

As a result, Efetta's vision of HaHiTI, a desirable and coveted accounting firm, was realized when the company's business was sold to a new owner at an excellent valuation in early 2025. This also marked the end of Kimmo's term as CEO and he retired, well-deserved and satisfied with the outcome of his career, to enjoy his own personal Tahiti paradise. It was especially valuable that Joshua and I not only sparred about our time as CEO, but also about the issues surrounding retirement and being retired.