My love affair with people topics and remote work started at Toggl. There, I designed the company culture and people processes for a transition from co-located to fully remote work in 30+ countries during a period of fast-paced growth from 2014 to 2020. With the team headcount increasing from 20 to 110, I established lean people processes for the employee life cycle, worked as a people partner to team leads and leadership, and was the coordinator of the recruitment process. All our work was digitalized, including implementing an HR information system and automated tools for team member onboarding. We pioneered remote work before the pandemic with great success, achieving a high satisfaction rate among team members who would recommend Toggl as a great place to work.

Later, I worked with an Estonian e-bike brand Ampler Bikes as the Head of People & Culture in a hybrid work environment. As part of the leadership team, I successfully designed and built the people function as the first HR personnel in the company. We scaled the company from approximately 60 people in Estonia and Germany to over 160 employees in four countries. I successfully drove the documentation of internal processes (team handbook, team lead guidebook, company wiki) and was responsible for guiding open internal communication. I am proud of also designing and implementing a project management framework for the company. Unfortunately, I also had to work to navigate restructuring and layoffs during times of financial crisis - a difficult yet educational experience.

Consequently, I have 9 years of practical experience with most aspects of HR and leadership in both remote and hybrid environments. I have coached leads and managed teams of my own, so I know the joys and pains of being a leader. My unique expertise lies in leading distributed teams, but I firmly believe that remote work is just work, and remote leadership is just leadership. The key to achieving strong performance is to be intentional and strategic in how you approach your work and leadership.

On a fundamental level, it’s important for me that workplace happiness is not only a catchphrase. I dream that every team would strive towards it through meaningful work, accountability, and constant learning. I believe much of this comes down to having a strong leadership culture and skills. This belief has turned me into a leadership enthusiast happy to advise any leader, who shares these values and wants to make a change for themselves and their teams.

Outside of work, you can often find me hiking or riding a bike in the beautiful nature of Estonia or at the gym. Healthy body, healthy mind.