Reputation and Trust Analytics’ new advisory partner Stefan Wallin: “As a politician, I was completely dependent on both reputation and trust, and so is every single company”

Stefan Wallin started as an advisory partner at Reputation and Trust Analytics in October. In this article he introduces himself and shares his thoughts on reputation and trust.

Hi Stefan! Who are you and where do you come from?

I’m Stefan Wallin, son of a bookseller and museum guide from Vaasa, a recovering former politician.

Today I utilize the expertise and networks accumulated during my 20-year political career in various roles as an entrepreneur: as an advisor, speaker, and investigator. I also serve on boards.

In my current roles, I also benefit from my journalism background. Before entering politics, I was a summer journalist at a newspaper for a few summers, and during a roughly five-year break from politics, I worked as a full-time journalist, for some time also as editor-in-chief, at Finland’s oldest newspaper Åbo Underrättelser.

As a journalist, I learned to pick out key points from large amounts of data and focus on what’s essential. This was undoubtedly useful in politics as well.

Could you tell us a bit more about your political career?

I spent 20 years in politics in various positions: as a special advisor, state secretary, and finally as a minister in four different governments. I served as Minister of the Environment, Minister for Nordic Cooperation, Minister of Culture and Sport, Minister of Equality, and finally as Minister of Defence.

I was a Member of Parliament elected from the Southwest Finland constituency for a total of 12 years, and I served in parliament as Chair of the Committee for the Future and as Chair of the Swedish People’s Party’s parliamentary group. Additionally, I was the party leader of the Swedish People’s Party for six years.

Politics is quite an exhausting field, but you only realize this in hindsight. When you’re continuously in the government for six years, you get used to a rhythm where you work from morning to evening every day. It’s not sensible, but you only understand that afterwards.

I still wouldn’t trade away a single day. It was a unique experience to be involved in national politics and in so many different areas at that.

However, I believe that ministerial-level positions are not earned privileges, but positions on loan from the people, from the voters. The portfolios are not meant to be permanent homes, and they can’t become a way of life. Work in politics is done well, and then someone else continues.

Nowadays I make sure my calendar is appropriately full and try to avoid getting caught in the hamster wheel. Been there, done that.

How did you end up collaborating with Reputation and Trust Analytics?

I’ve seen the strengths of the Trust&Reputation model as a management tool while serving on Yle’s board; the method is used there, and reputation results and trust-building development directions are regularly reviewed.

When Harri Leinikka happened to ask last spring whether I would participate in a panel on NATO’s trust in the Nordic countries at Almedalen, I agreed immediately. Building and growing trust interests me at the Nordic level as well. Additionally, I felt there might be new interesting challenges in the air.

And so I participated in the panel on Reputation and Trust Analytics’ beautiful ship. There it naturally came up in conversation that it would be nice to continue this budding collaboration.

As autumn arrived, I continued discussions with Harri and concluded that collaboration with Reputation and Trust Analytics fits quite well with my current role as an entrepreneur. Working as an advisor, I can utilize my networks, and I also bring to Reputation and Trust Analytics my perspective based on everything I’ve picked up along the way.

What attracted you to bring your expertise to Reputation and Trust Analytics?

After meeting the team, I immediately got a good feeling: the company has a very ambitious spirit but a relaxed atmosphere. And above all, the Trust&Reputation product developed by Reputation and Trust is extremely clever.

Reputation and trust are abstract things, but vital for every organization, and they can be measured very concretely, credibly, and scientifically accurately with the Trust&Reputation research model. This is an extremely big and positive thing: the Trust&Reputation research aims to help clients succeed in the best possible way and find their own areas for development.

It’s been a pleasure to learn about this research model. I learn something new every day when I talk with Reputation and Trust Analytics’ experts.

What do you personally think about the importance of reputation and trust?

As a politician, I was of course completely dependent on both reputation and trust, but so is every single company. Every field is essentially a trust-based field.

It’s definitely not irrelevant how companies offering products and services and their management appear to potential customers and partners. In politics, reputation is realized as measured trust every four years; in companies and organizations, every day. People vote with their feet and wallets if there’s no trust in the company.

I’m also interested in building trust in society. Finland and the other Nordic countries are trust-based societies where every organization depends on its reputation – and is responsible for its own part in maintaining trust.

Trust is a multidimensional and comprehensive capital that trolls and hybrid influencers try to undermine. In such a situation, it’s important that authorities’ reputation is in order and citizens can trust the integrity of their operations.

Thank you for your time and welcome to Reputation and Trust Analytics!

Thank you! I sincerely hope that my experience, thoughts, and networks will help Reputation and Trust Analytics achieve even greater success in this multidimensional societal ecosystem we live in.

Stefan was interviewed by Reputation and Trust Analytics’ communications specialist Anu Räsänen.

Photo: Vesa Koivunen