Janne Kuivalainen

Danfoss Drives’ Senior Vice President of Product Management & Development, Janne Kuivalainen, is passionate about two things: delivering value-adding solutions to the electrical manufacturing industry and good quality lighting for his video calls.

“I spent so long in my home office during the height of COVID that I actually purchased these LED panels, so that I had a good set-up,” explains Janne Kuivalainen. “It's dark in Finland in the winter.”

Kuivalainen leads global product management and development at Danfoss Drives. “In my career, I have worked in two types of jobs: product roles and system integrator roles. In the past, I have been in the marine and ports system integrator business and in the power plant system integrator business.”

Manufacturing company Danfoss Drives is part of the Danfoss Group, a family-owned business based in Denmark, with €5.8bn annual revenue in 2020. The Danfoss Drives business unit boasts over 4,000 employees, ten factories in seven countries across the world and €1.4bn annual sales. 

“Danfoss Drives is a global leader in AC-to-DC and DC-to-DC power conversion, as well as variable speed control of electric motors,” said Kuivalainen. “Our products, known as AC drives, are key to controlling the speed of electric motors. These products enhance process control, reduce energy usage, decrease mechanical stress on the motor control applications, and much more.”

People are crucial in a technology journey

“People are our foundation,” says Kuivalainen. 

Sustainable solutions require multiple engineering domains to come together, using diverse teams to work with problems and create a better user experience.

“Typically, there are people from all kinds of backgrounds, who work together to solve a customer’s problem. They approach it jointly with their different engineering disciplines, and they really need to look at it through the customer’s eyes. This is truly crucial in our journey,” said Kuivalainen. “We leaders are coaches to them. The real doers are our people, those engineers who are working to deliver the solutions.”

When asked about where he sees Danfoss Drives’ place in the world, Kuivalainen quotes the CEO, Kim Fausing.

“He has said that ‘Sustainability is not an add-on to our business, our business is sustainability’. I think that in Danfoss Drives, we see that really, we address the key megatrends in the world,” says Kuivalainen. “Our products and solutions are an elementary part of creating a better future. Like now in the green transition, our purpose is more relevant than ever, and this makes us a good partner for our customers, stakeholders, and a good workplace to be a part of.”

Sustainable transformation at Danfoss Drives

In 2020, Danfoss Drives announced its sustainability ambitions:

• To reach carbon-neutrality in all global operations by 2030
• To have an electric car fleet by 2030
• To switch to 100% renewable electricity
• To double energy productivity, compared to the 2007 levels

Like many - hopefully most - businesses, the green transition is a central focus at Danfoss Drives. 

“I think the green transformation will make the world a better place. Companies cannot afford to take any actions without taking ESG into account. So, whatever actions you take, you need to think about what that means environmentally, socially and also from a governance point of view,” says Kuivalainen. “I think that this will really penetrate industry now, and this is part of any transformation plan. For example, at Danfoss Drives when we develop new products, we look at the product’s sustainability, product compliance and the impact on the circular economy. These are embedded into the product development initiatives.”

From water systems via various industries, to manufacturing, Danfoss Drives is lighting the way for a more efficient, sustainable, and resilient world.

Read the full story HERE.