Katarzyna Tabor joined Tikkurila in 2008, and since then she’s been working especially with wood-related products. Currently she runs a team responsible for reforming the products.
“My role is to keep everything working and coordinate the products we’re developing. I work closely with products designed for wood, both on interior and exterior surfaces. I wish I could spend more time in the laboratory and work hands-on, and from time to time I still visit the lab, for example to check the colours and product applications.
As we’re working with wood, experience is important. We need to know the differences of wood species, as the stain or oil never looks the same on different surfaces. That is something wonderful when working with natural materials. We need to rely on our eyes and heart.
My team works together with the product portfolio team to be able to serve the public with the right products. Our job is to design the actual formulations for the products. The world is focusing more and more on bio-based, sustainable products, and we are learning to be better everyday. "
Freedom to develop modern products
"I think our team – dedicated to research, development and innovation – has a big impact on the world. We have the possibility to create and reform non-traditional products, something we’ve never seen before. It’s really liberating.
For a long time, people were really stuck with solvent-based products, as they were considered the best in the market. That is not a point where we want to be, and there is still a lot of work to do adding value to water-based products. Our role is to assure people that we are able to give them the best water-based product.
There are many big steps we’ve been taking in reforming our products. We have, for example, released a product with an air-cleaning formula, and we’re constantly adding bio-based components into our products."
Colours tell a story
"Colour means everything to me, and gives me the power and energy to do my work. With colour, you can influence your mood and change the reality you live in, for example, in your home. The colours we choose tell a story about us.
Even if I’m in a bad mood, a walk in nature helps me unwind. I charge my batteries with the colours of nature. In the mornings, I drive to work and keep up my energy with the colours in the sky. I like to think that I’m living a colourful life.”
