WÄRTSILÄ: ELEVATING GLOBAL BRAND THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
A multi-year project to transition Wärtsilä’s content engine from corporate storytelling to high-impact brand thought leadership. By establishing a monthly editorial desk and producing the flagship Beyond Business with Wärtsilä podcast, I connected Wärtsilä’s decarbonisation expertise directly to major global megatrends—pairing their executives with world-leading external experts to build soft power, expand organic reach, and position leadership on global stages.
Thought Leadership Strategist | Editorial Lead | Podcast Producer
2020–2023
Delivered via Spoon Finland, the creative & strategic communications agency
BEYOND BUSINESS PODCAST SERIES
A flagship executive series pairing Wärtsilä leadership with global thought leaders.
WHERE WE STARTED
- Connecting technology to global megatrends
Wärtsilä needed a clear strategy to tie its engineering expertise directly to macro shifts like electrification, AI, decarbonisation, and green shipping.
- Moving beyond general storytelling
After years of building a steady global readership, the organisation needed to pivot towards focused thought leadership that could actively shape industry debate.
- Giving the C-suite a bigger stage
Executive leadership needed a dedicated platform to discuss complex industrial transitions alongside recognized peers and international authorities.
- Expanding reach organically
Wärtsilä wanted an editorial model that naturally leveraged external expert networks as force multipliers to amplify content distribution.
HOW I HELPED
- Running the monthly editorial desk
Co-designed the strategy and led a monthly editorial board alongside Wärtsilä’s Director of Communications, vetting and pitching stories tied to major societal trends.
- Pairing Wärtsilä leaders with world experts
Billed internal executives alongside global authorities from BCG, McKinsey, the World Bank, and the World Meteorological Organisation—creating a natural network effect as guests shared the content across their own channels.
- Producing the flagship podcast
Produced Beyond Business with Wärtsilä hosted by then-Director Atte Palomäki, managing everything from editorial strategy and guest booking to scripting and audio production.
- Commissioning journalism that opened doors
Directed an international network of journalists for Wärtsilä Insights, elevating executive authority so effectively that tier-1 outlets like the BBC began reaching out for C-suite commentary on macro trends.
SELECTED INSIGHTS ARTICLES
BY NIKHIL SIVADASWill the EU's new AI Act enable or stifle innovation?
The EU's new AI Act is the first of its kind in the world. That said, the act has its supporters and critics, with one side praising its attention to preserving human freedoms, while the other side accuses it of stifling innovation.
BY NIKHIL SIVADASThis new rating will help explore space sustainably.
Space could very well be humanity's final frontier, provided we can navigate a safe path through the veritable junkyard orbiting our planet. The world's first sustainability rating for space missions could help show the way.
BY NIKHIL SIVADAS & LORELEI YANGThe monumental challenge of delivering a vaccine globally
The number of COVID-19 vaccines being approved is rising, but the delivery and distribution of these vaccines promise to be logistically complex, straining both public and private sector resources.