Seventeen employees from across NRC Group gathered in Helsinki to kick off this year’s Navigator Program, the company’s cross Nordic leadership development initiative. The eight-month programme aims to strengthen leadership capability and build a strong Nordic leadership community across the organisation.
Navigator brings together talented and ambitious employees who share a common ambition: to grow, take responsibility and develop as future leaders within NRC Group.
- We continuously adjust the program content to ensure it aligns with the skills we will need going forward and with our strategic ambitions. This year, we have an even stronger focus on problem solving and creative thinking as key capabilities for the future, says Vilde Haugnæss, Head of People Development & Talent Acquisition at NRC Group.
The programme is designed to strengthen leadership capability across the organisation and is anchored in NRC Group’s leadership principles:
- Live our values
- Share knowledge to improve
- Motivate, develop and inspire
- Cultivate a commercial mindset
- Respect and include
These principles guide how leadership is practised across NRC Group.
Kick off in Helsinki: The Journey Begins
This year’s group met in Helsinki for two intensive days marking the start of the eight-month programme. The focus was clear: before you can lead others, you must be able to lead yourself.
The sessions centred on self-leadership, helping participants reflect on their strengths, identify development areas and set goals for their leadership journey. Through dialogue and reflection, they explored how habits, assumptions and patterns influence everyday leadership decisions, from communication and priorities to collaboration and team dynamics.
During the kick off, the Navigators also met with NRC Group CEO Anders Gustafsson and Harri Lukkarinen, EVP and MD of NRC Group Finland. Both shared reflections from their leadership journeys and spoke about the importance of continuous development as leaders.
The participants also asked what they see as their key strengths as leaders and how they have worked on developing them over time.
- There is no copy paste approach to leadership. Everyone must find their own way of leading, said Anders Gustafsson.
CEO Anders Gustafsson spoke to the Navigators in Helsinki
Participants also discussed NRC Group’s values and leadership principles and what these expectations mean in practice for leaders across the organisation.
The kick off created a shared foundation for the work ahead and allowed participants from across the Nordics to build relationships that will continue throughout the programme.
A Strategic Investment in Future Leaders
Navigator is a strategic investment in NRC Group’s future leadership pipeline and an important initiative in strengthening the company’s Nordic culture.
Closely linked to NRC Group’s Formula One direction, the programme contributes to building a strong internal leadership community and developing cultural role models across the organisation.
As the programme continues, participants deepen their learning through peer group sessions, individual coaching and practical application in their daily roles.
- The Navigators’ courage and openness have been truly inspiring. They have shared experiences across borders, challenged each other’s perspectives and shown a strong desire to grow as leaders, says Vilde Haugnæss.
The programme runs over eight months and includes peer group sessions, individual coaching and three additional physical gatherings before the group completes the programme in October.
Vilde Haugnæss, Head of People Development & Talent Acquisition at NRC Group.
Building a Nordic Leadership Network
When participants complete the programme, they become part of the Navigator alumni network, connecting leaders across NRC Group’s Nordic organisation.
- The Navigator program has strengthened my leadership by encouraging deeper reflection, offering practical tools and broadening my perspective. The most valuable part was the inspiring group of participants from across the Nordics, sharing experiences and learning from each other, says Jere Lappalainen, Project Manager and participant in last year’s program.
With each new group, the Navigator program continues to strengthen NRC Group’s future leadership community.