Erik Gillberg

Erik Paul Oskar Gillberg MSc (diplomi-insinööri) (9 October 1926 – 21 February 1999) was a Finnish engineer, businessman and vuorineuvos.

[2] After graduating from Helsinki University of Technology, Gillberg worked in machine import business and then for Fiskars in different manager positions.

[1][2] In 1971 Gillberg was selected the General Manager of the Sisu vehicle producer Suomen Autoteollisuus to replace the owner-manager Tor Nessling, who had led the company patriarchally for nearly four decades.

[1][2] He gave more responsibility and decision-making power to the department managers and with his own example Gillberg started to democratise the organisation, that had been constructed strictly hierarchical during Nessling's era.

The capacity extension, that our tripling production requires, will cost roughly 100 million marks and will create three hundred new jobs.A so-called tripartite agreement, that brought British Leyland and Saab-Scania partial owners of the company,[2] was signed in October 1976.

[2] In 1978 SAT presented the modulised Sisu SB "Moni-Sisu" ("Multi-Sisu") chassis on which could be built many different types of buses and special vehicles.

In the domestic market Sisu was the leading make among the heaviest vehicles, such as earthmoving, road maintenance and logging trucks.

[10] The state, which was the main owner of Sisu-Auto, was not satisfied with Gillberg's work because the renewal of the model range consumed quickly the savings which were reached before.

Gillberg was removed from the office at the end of 1983 and replaced by Jorma S. Jerkku, who immediately started a heavy reorganisation programme.

He believed that Gillberg had potential to do much better but his leadership was too much affected by politicians and therefore his possibilities to develop the company on commercial basis were limited.

[11] After Sisu-Auto Gillberg worked as board member for Nescor Partners which was a company that offered the knowhow of senior managers for the younger generation.