Super networker Charlotte Therman works in her dream field

Charlotte Therman received a lot of responsibility already at a young age and began to grow an impressive network. Over the years, she accumulated language skills and confidence, which Charlotte can finally use in the field of her dreams in marketing. At WaveCrest she is responsible for the Nordic retail clients and their solutions including for example Tropicana, Santa Maria, Paulig, Pernod Ricard and Fazer. 

While Charlotte Therman's peers were still living a wild student life, 19-year-old Charlotte, who went straight from high school to working life, was already carrying a great deal of business responsibility. She was responsible for the operative side of the night clubs of a large restaurant group in the Helsinki capital region. Already in this first full-time job, achieving goals and a high work ethic became important values ​​for Charlotte. At work, she learned how to withstand pressure and gained confidence that one can learn anything if one wants to.

"It wasn't an option to say I don't know how to do this, because the whole bar could have gone bust."

Everyone wanted to know the person who was responsible for the hottest nightclubs in Helsinki. Charlotte began to gather a large network around her. 

"That network is an incredible asset, which has been useful all these years. The most important thing is always to keep your face. If someone needs something, I do it as well as I can and stick to what I promise. I never burn bridges personally or in a business context. I can act with a good conscience, because I know that things have always been handled well. If I can't do something, for example due to scheduling reasons, I'm always honest about it. I've also noticed that people are always ready to help me too."

Over the years, the network has grown, and Charlotte has maintained it, for example, by actively attending events. Before there were more evening parties, now brunch events are in fashion.

"We should organise a proper party!"

Courage and language skills are finally being used in the marketing field

Charlotte has always learned things best concretely by doing. However, the Estrada art and entertainment education program completed at Laajasalo college has also been clearly beneficial.

"Studying acting gave me courage and flexibility. I dare to be myself and do many things, even if I make mistakes. For example, phone calls are never difficult for me. Acting studies have been very useful in sales work, when I have to speak or present something. I still occasionally do advertising shoots."

Charlotte has also worked in Greece and Thailand, where she ran the European Bartenders School as Finland's country manager in 2010-11. Fluent English language skills have been useful in the international WaveCrest, and being Swedish-speaking is a strength in a company hailing from the Nordics.

Charlotte has been dealing with brands and marketing since she started working in promotions at the age of 16. Marketing has always interested her, but life has taken her elsewhere.

"WaveCrest's announcement about this position was like an invitation. It felt like all the pieces fell into place when my life situation finally made it possible to enter this field full-time. It doesn't even feel like I'm working, I'm just doing something that I really like very much. Not once in the morning have I felt bad about going to work. I also like that it's an international company. It gives room for personal growth and keeps motivation up. The goals are high: I want to be a well-known person in the industry in some way, and to do cool things that will be remembered by others as well as myself. "

Encounters at work and in free time

As a business development manager at WaveCrest, Charlotte is responsible for new client acquisition and client relations on the retail business side and the biggest current Nordic clients. The work includes presenting, making offers, contract negotiations, ideation, maintaining customer relations and networking with the partners and contractors. In recent years, marketing has been in a big transition due to both covid and artificial intelligence.

"Before, it was thought that digital marketing supports in-person activities, such as meetings. Now meetings are used more to support the digital side. Digital marketing is often very similar for all brands, even more so if artificial intelligence is used. Meetings can make you stand out from the crowd. Marketing is about bringing out emotions, and meetings evoke feelings. It's quite a different thing, for example, to go to a concert than to watch music on video!"

Charlotte lives in Töölö with her 7- and 8-year-old sons. Everyday life includes playing football and having a good time together. In addition to family, friends are important to her, and they have dinners and make trips together. Charlotte keeps in shape with long walks and the gym. The former national level show jumper also aims to make a return to the stables.

"If I could go riding even a couple of times a month. My older son also likes horses a lot and would certainly like to go with me. I used to work on weekends too, but now at WaveCrest the weekends are free!"