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December has brought a new addition to the Smartvatten team. Ville Backman is the company’s new Head of Marketing, and is looking forward to using the full potential of the world of marketing to help Smartvatten grow even further. “Do we actually know what the customer wants? That’s the most important thing.”

Backman originally has a master’s degree in Geology, studying groundwater and environmental sciences, but while taking some courses in economics during his studies he realized he was better suited to the world of marketing. While writing his master’s thesis, he landed his first marketing job and steadily worked his way up in the company. He’s since worked in multiple organizations, got experience in sales and account management along the way, and is convinced his varied background will be valuable in his new position.

“I come from the other side of the table, from the marketing agency side,” Backman says, “and being in that position serving multiple companies in multiple different fields has given me both extensive knowhow in marketing and a vast area of strategic knowledge beyond that.” Prior to Smartvatten, he worked for Avidly, an international all-round agency working at the cutting edge of marketing. “It really opened my eyes to what can be done with modern marketing technologies and how many aspects there are to consider,” he says. He’s excited to bring that breadth of knowledge to Smartvatten.

Diving Into the World of Water Efficiency

Water efficiency is a whole new subject to Backman, and he’s looking forward to diving into the material. While he really enjoyed his last job, he did find that he was missing a sustainable focus. “Now I get to use all that I’ve learned in my previous life and put it to work at a company that’s really doing something for the planet, and that makes it all the more meaningful.”

Together with Chief Revenue Officer Sami Toivonen, Backman’s ready to enhance what’s already working well for Smartvatten and find out what can be done better. He plans to use the full potential of marketing and related technologies to really understand and serve the customer. “I really want to get inside the customer’s head, and not just focus on what the company thinks the customer wants,” he says.

A few quick questions to Ville Backman

Favorite food – Pizza and burgers. I try to eat healthy most of the time, but if I had to choose, it’s a pepperoni pizza or burger every time.

How to recharge – I’ve practiced, competed, and coached for Brazilian jiu jitsu for over ten years. It’s a hard exercise, which I need to counter all of this sitting in a chair and thinking. If I drive a motorcycle to practice, the recharge factor is doubled.

Best thing in life ­– To enjoy yourself, preferably in nature, in the outdoors, with family and friends.

Secret talent – Choking people, I guess! I’ve been the national champion in jiu jitsu for about six, seven times, and medaled on an international level, so I know a thing or two about choking.

What you didn’t know about Ville – That’s probably my background in geology. I actually planned to go into archeology first, because of the Indiana Jones stuff, but while reading about it I found out about geology. It really appealed to me because it wasn’t just a dusty academic career, there was actual hands-on world experience.