Building one leadership culture across borders - How Mirka aligned leaders in a changing global organisation
At Mirka, leadership development wasn’t triggered by a single issue, but it emerged from a moment of transition.
A generational shift was underway, experienced leaders were retiring just as new ones stepped into key roles across the organisation. At the same time, the company was evolving its structure and navigating growing global complexity. With leaders spread across countries and markets, a shared understanding of leadership, culture, and strategy became essential, both for internal alignment and for how Mirka shows up to customers worldwide.
The solution: A shared view of leadership, tailored to Mirka
Mirka set out to create a leadership programme that would do more than develop individual skills. It needed to build a shared way of leading. At the core was a clear ambition: to define what Mirka leadership means in practice and to embed it across the organisation globally.
Together with Hanken & SSE, a programme was designed specifically for Mirka’s context: its strategy, culture, global footprint, and ongoing organisational changes.
“A standard management training you can pull off the shelf, but this was a big investment – we needed to make sure it was absolutely tailored. It had to reflect how we lead at Mirka, across different markets, and support the direction we’re taking as an organisation.”
Simon Bloxham, Mirka’s Vice President, Collision Repair
From global perspectives to shared ways of working
The programme brought together leaders from across markets, combining shared learning with discussions rooted in real business challenges. It created space not only for alignment, but also for dialogue on topics such as leadership expectations and new ways of working.
“Since all the participants came from all over the world, the international scope really mattered to us. We wanted a truly global programme – both in content and delivery – and why working with a partner like Hanken & SSE was important. Their international faculty brought the perspective required to match the reality our leaders operate in.”
Olav Hellman, Mirka’s Chief Financial Officer
In practice, this meant bringing together an international faculty with diverse perspectives on leadership, markets, and organisational change, ensuring that the programme reflected the realities of a global organisation rather than a single, local lens.
Hani Tarabichi, Programme Director at Hanken & SSE, played a key role in connecting these perspectives and anchoring the programme to Mirka’s leadership context.
“This Global Leadership Programme was co-created to build a shared understanding of leadership, culture, and strategy, both for internal alignment and for how Mirka shows up to customers worldwide. Leveraging Hanken & SSE's facilitation expertise and versatile faculty, the programme created an environment where participants don't just absorb, they engage, reflect, and experiment. The ambition is clear: to honour Mirka's strong foundation and boldly build on it.”
The result: Stronger alignment, connection, and confidence to challenge
The impact is already visible in how Mirka's leaders collaborate and lead.
One of the most immediate outcomes has been stronger internal connections and a shared sense of direction. This has translated into more collaboration across markets, as leaders now actively share challenges and solutions with each other.
Beyond collaboration, the programme has also strengthened leadership confidence and ownership.
“We don’t want people to come with a proposal and just expect a yes or no. We’ve encouraged them to challenge senior leadership – to challenge our way of thinking. Otherwise, we will never get development and change.”
Olav Hellman
At an individual level, participants have gained clearer ownership of their role, and a stronger sense of how they contribute and impact to the organisation.
“There was a strong sense that people matter, and that the company is investing in them. And you can see the effect of that: you can feel a collective energy building. People are more connected, more engaged, and stepping up in a different way.”
Simon Bloxham
Looking ahead: Leadership as a driver of long-term success
For Mirka, leadership development is not a one-off initiative – it’s a long-term investment in the company’s future. In a global organisation where leaders represent the brand in every market, leadership quality directly shapes customer experience and business success.
“We have people representing Mirka 24/7 around the world. Every day, in different markets, they are interacting with customers and making decisions on behalf of the company. The only way to ensure consistency is through a strong hierarchy of leadership.”
Simon Bloxham
At the same time, continuous renewal is essential. Future leaders at Mirka will face different challenges than before. New generations and rising expectations mean that leading today is increasingly about navigating change, influencing across boundaries, and creating alignment in complexity. One clear outcome of the programme is that participants are better prepared to meet these evolving demands and lead with confidence in a changing context.
“If we don’t develop and change, we will start to decline. We must be prepared to challenge ourselves and change the way we work.”
Olav Hellman
By building a shared leadership approach and strengthening collaboration across borders, Mirka is laying the foundation for long-term capability – and for leadership that evolves with the business.
About Mirka
Mirka is an international, family-owned company specializing in surface finishing solutions, known for its innovation, sustainability focus, and high-quality products for a wide range of industries. With a strong global presence and customers in over 100 countries, Mirka combines advanced technology with a customer-centric approach to deliver consistent performance across markets. At the core of the company is a commitment to continuous improvement—developing both its products and the people behind them.
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