Talent Acquisition
Leading on Two Fronts:
Otto Moilanen on Floorball Victory and Professional Growth
Meet Otto Moilanen, our Senior Project Manager and head coach of the 2023/2024 Swiss Floorball champions - who excels at balancing sport and business. In this interview, he shares the strategies behind his team’s success and how he manages the challenges of a dynamic career alongside coaching.
Otto offers insights for those looking to pursue both career growth and personal passions—particularly through executive education programmes like the HSG EMBAs.
Discover how he achieves balance and success in all aspects of life.
Q: Otto, congratulations on your remarkable win in the 2023/2024 Floorball season in Switzerland! Your journey with the team has been truly inspiring. To start, could you share a bit about what this victory means to you and the team?
Thank you so much. The two titles mean everything for the players, for the club, fans and obviously for the all of us in the staff. After all in elite sports, you measure the success eventually with results.
Q: Coaching a team to such a significant victory must have been a challenging yet fulfilling experience. What were some of the key strategies or philosophies you implemented that you believe contributed to this success?
One of the core strategies was encouraging players to take ownership of their roles and in the team. We believe that leadership isn’t just about giving instructions, it’s about creating an environment where each player feels autonomous and responsible for their own development and performance as part of the team. Everyone’s performance matters, even though the level of role varies.
Together with the entire coaching team, we emphasise self-management and decision-making inside the rink, encouraging the team to adapt in real-time without always needing instructions.
The feeling of responsibility creates trust and makes the team more dynamic. We have also invested a lot of time in defining roles clearly, so that everyone knows how their individual strengths contribute to team’s success.
Also building a collaborative environment is crucial: Floorball is a fast-paced sport, and without that unity, we wouldn’t have been able to play at such a high level in the most decisive moments.
Q: Balancing a coaching role with your position as a Senior Project Manager, Talent Acquisition at EMBA HSG is no small feat. How do these two roles complement and influence each other? Could you give an example?
In both coaching and my professional role, leadership and teamwork are at the core. At the Marketing Talent Acquisition at EMBA HSG, I’m privileged to work together with amazing professionals, whose strengths aligning perfectly with mine. Both Floorball and marketing and talent acquisition at the University of St.Gallen are team sports.
When managing a team of players, exactly like in talent acquisition, it’s essential to understand everyone’s strengths, motivations, and potential.
Q: Juggling coaching, a dynamic career at EMBA HSG, and personal life is to be commanded. How do these different aspects of your life intersect, and how do you manage to maintain equilibrium?
Effective time management is the key, even though I cannot say it’s always easy. Both coaching and my professional career demand clear communication, strategic thinking, and firm decision-making. Simultaneously I cannot stress enough that results require hard work.
In coaching, I’ve learned that balance is crucial. We are holistic creatures; when players feel supported and are able to manage their personal lives and commitments, they perform better inside the rink.
This principle applies to my own life as well.
Q: With such a full plate, how do you maintain your energy and focus across these different roles?
One of the main things to ensure the right level of energy is by prioritising and saying no to certain things. One need to keep the focus on things that really matter at the end for the result.
I am passionate about seeing people succeed, whether it’s in sports or within a business context. I also trust on routines that keep me balanced. I know these are cliches, but simultaneously they never get out of fashion: I do exercise myself a lot and try to sleep as much as I can.
Additionally, I do things like golf and play with my kids, which let me completely switch off from business and coaching and focus on something totally different. In both coaching and my career, I love surrounding myself with people who inspire me and who share responsibility, so it’s not just me driving things forward. That shared ownership allows me to focus on the areas where I can make the most impact.
Q: As someone who has successfully navigated both the professional world and your passion for coaching, what suggestions would you give to someone who’s passionate about their interests or on the fence about pursuing an executive programme, especially if they feel they might not have the time?
My advice is to admit that there’s never a perfect time.
Balancing commitments on both professional and private sector, will always be a challenge. The personal and professional growth you gain from pursuing both your passion and further education is anyhow going to be life-changing and something one doesn’t afterwards regret. Our Executive MBAs teach not just management but self-leadership, helping you prioritise and delegate more effectively. If you’re passionate about something, go for it! You’ll find that when you invest in yourself, whether through education or a personal passion, it improves every other area of your life. Surround yourself with a support system that helps you manage both, communicate openly with your dear and near ones and trust that you can handle more than you think.
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