Ulla Luhtasela

Ulla Luhtasela is a seasoned sustainability leader with an academic background in environmental sciences and over 20 years of experience in regulatory and scientific affairs and sustainability: as a researcher, as a public authority, and in leadership roles in the private sector. 

Before joining Lindström, Ulla was working at Nestlé as the Nordic Sustainability Manager and had crossed paths with Lindströmers at a conference. This connection led to her giving a presentation to Lindström’s management group on regenerative agriculture. And when a sustainability position opened up at Lindström, Ulla decided to apply. 

Reflecting on her move, Ulla shares, “I didn’t actively think of leaving the food industry, but I noticed many similarities between food and textiles from a sustainability perspective, like with sourcing raw materials, transportation, manufacturing, and running operations.”  

As a strong advocate for the green transformation, Ulla is happy to work at a company with a circular economy business model. “It’s nice to work in a field where you can feel proud.” 

Big-picture thinking 

Ulla’s strategic leadership role at Lindström revolves around a few key pillars: developing the company’s sustainability strategy and reporting, driving reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, ensuring high recycling rates and the sustainability of our textiles, and building organisational competencies.

My role is to make sure that the organisation is moving in the right direction and that our strategic goals and commitments will materialise according to our set timelines.

Being a leader at Lindström isn’t about having authority over people. Rather, Ulla’s role involves connecting people from different teams to work cross-functionally. She spends most of her time working with others to build the understanding of our company’s strategy and priorities. 

“I don’t have hierarchical authority and I don’t think I should. My role is more about encouraging people, coaching people, and challenging people. I trust that we have specialised people who are able to do their work well and manage the details” says Ulla. 

Focusing on the big picture, Ulla ensures we create ambitious yet realistic sustainability targets. For example, we’ve made significant strides in garment recycling, achieving an impressive 74% rate. Additionally, our partnership with Infinity to recycle end-of-life mats from the Finnish market helps us progress towards our goal to recycle all end-of-life mats by the end of 2025.

Looking beyond our own core operations

To advance our sustainability goals, Ulla urges companies to look beyond their business and consider all stakeholders in the value chain. By recognizing how we’re all connected, we can trigger a positive ripple effect towards a more sustainable world.

Engage with your stakeholders and supply chain to learn from each other. How can we collaborate? Where are the win-win opportunities? How can their expertise enhance your environmental impact?

Looking beyond our own operations will become increasingly vital with the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). Under this directive, all companies will need to conduct double materiality assessments for sustainability reporting. This involves evaluating not only our impact on the world but also how global factors affect us.

“You cannot reach your goals alone: you need to understand your business beyond your core operations and consider the whole value chain from the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) point of view.

“Reporting might sound boring, but being transparent is a crucial part of sustainability. Knowing where we need to improve and where to put our resources helps us set the direction for our next strategy,” says Ulla. 

Sustainability is everyone’s responsibility 

While not everyone holds a formal “sustainability” title like Ulla Luhtasela, each Lindströmer plays a role in advancing our sustainability objectives.

What’s special at Lindström is that everyone is committed to sustainability—from our frontline workers to our top leadership. It’s important to get leaders behind this transition since they’re the ones who set strategy and final targets. It’s fantastic that sustainability goes from top to bottom at Lindström and we’re really walking the talk. 

“I’d be surprised if we found a person in the company who wasn’t somehow connected to our sustainability journey.”

Maintaining a positive outlook is also essential in Ulla’s role. “You have to genuinely want a better world. Rather than focusing on obstacles, I see opportunities. I truly believe that together, we can achieve our goals.”

Paving the way towards a sustainable future 

Setting a 2050 target for zero emissions is a big step for us at Lindström. While it may seem distant and challenging now, Ulla believes the world will be nearly fossil-free by 2050, and we need to move in this direction whether we want to or not. 

“The future is shaped by our history, and Lindström’s 175-year commitment to the circular economy model makes us credible in this area. I believe rental business is the future—not just for workwear but as a broader model. You don’t have to own everything; that’s where the world is headed. It’s better to start making changes already now to be a frontrunner.”