Laura Seitovirta is the Marketing Director at Saint-Gobain Ecophon AB and a Board Member at Träullit AB. In this interview, she tells us about her unique experience working in the highly specialised industry of acoustic solutions and shares how she has navigated the complexities of a multicultural business world.

Interviewed by My-Han Trinh 

You are a Marketing Director at Saint-Gobain Ecophon AB, a leading global supplier of sound absorbing systems. What first drew you to this highly technical and specialised sector? What makes marketing in the acoustic solutions industry different from other building materials sectors?

Ecophon is a rare gem in the construction world. We are on a mission to make the world sound better. At its core we have a simple but quite powerful belief, which is informed by our science-based research and data, that people feel, work, learn and heal best in sound environments that resemble nature, where sound reflections are minimal. For example, one would perform most optimally in conditions similar to when they are walking in the forest. Ecophon is able to recreate those environments indoors by using the right materials in ceilings and walls, whether it is for offices, healthcare facilities, educational spaces or other end user segments.

What really drew me to Ecophon was the science behind it. There is a measurable impact that acoustics have on stress levels, heart rate, concentration, and even human connection. Hearing and understanding words and speech lies at the heart of our daily communications. Therefore, we are not just producing systems for ceiling and walls; we are shaping how people experience and live in these spaces. We make sound matter and that’s a powerful business to be in.

Marketing in this industry is different because it carries responsibility. Once you understand the physiological impact of sound, you cannot “unsee” it. Our role is not only to sell materials, but to elevate industry awareness and help the market understand why sound matters. I believe marketing plays a key role there.

Acoustic design is the unsung hero for various types of environments, from non-residential estate, food & beverages to corporate offices and even medicine and healthcare. How do you translate technical data into compelling messages for clients and formulate different strategies that align with your company’s broader vision?

When it comes to compelling messages, the key is to start with the people, not the products. No matter if it’s a restaurant owner, a hospital director, or a school architect, they all care about outcomes: whether that is comfort for guests, employees’ performance or students’ results and well-being, especially for neurodivergent students whose acoustic needs might be special in some cases. We translate the science and research behind what we make into simple language and link it to lived experiences.

In mature markets, this science-based approach and the long-term efforts we have put in market development and awareness has contributed to building standards and guidelines. For example, in France there is a new norm in noise regulations in bars and restaurants that came into effect since November 2025. This means that these spaces need to be treated for sounds to ensure safe working conditions for staff members and an enjoyable experience for the customers. On a project level, we also use a lot of digital tools such as simulations and visualisations to show clients the before-and-after effect on their spaces. When clients can experience the difference, the choice becomes self-evident.

Ultimately, strong marketing connects science to emotions. This is how Ecophon has built its credibility and industry leadership.

When it comes to compelling messages, the key is to start with the people, not the products.  

Saint-Gobain Ecophon operates globally across various international markets. How do you maintain consistency when it comes to brand identity and positioning while still allowing space for local adaptation?

Consistency comes from clarity of purpose. Our brand, Ecophon, stands for having a sound effect on people. That purpose does not change. What changes is the needs of the market where we operate.

In markets such as France or Europe where awareness is high, we engage directly and position Ecophon as the reference brand. In markets where customers don’t know us, we often collaborate across Saint-Gobain’s portfolio to leverage existing customer relationships with other business brands in the country. Thus, we anchor into the strengths of the Ecophon heritage and our global brand assets and leverage local intelligence across Saint-Gobain’s customer network – that balance is essential in a heterogeneous landscape.

Coming from Finland, you have had an impressive international career in the construction business spanning across Europe and Southeast Asia. How does this multicultural experience inform how you engage and collaborate with clients and teams around the world on business development?

Working across cultures has been one of the greatest privileges and motivators of my career. Coming from Finland and working in Southeast Asia, France and now Sweden, it has taught me a lot of humility. I had to learn that impact is not about you taking up space and having the best idea or the last word. Often, it is about listening. That means genuinely wanting to understand all parties involved and getting them truly onboard around a shared project. That’s how you can drive things forward.

I think different cultures have different ways of valuing hierarchy, how we reach consensus, speed, and manage confrontation or conflict. Understanding those nuances in how people interact and operate in different contexts has helped me build trust faster and lead more effectively in global business development. It has also made me recognise the importance of matching our products, offers and positioning according to local needs and demands, and find a way to connect with each market.

Impact is not about you taking up space and having the best idea or the last word. Often, it is about listening. 

Alongside your managerial role, you also serve as a Board Member of Träullit AB, Sweden’s only wood wool manufacturer. How has this experience influenced your perspectives on the balance between long-term strategic governance and short-term performance?

Good governance is about mastering two horizons at once. On the one hand, short-term performance requires clarity: defined roles, strong alignment, proximity to customers, and empowered teams. The last element is particularly important so that they can move forward in the day-to-day, make decisions, capitalise on opportunities and deliver results. On the other hand, long-term strategy requires curiosity and discipline. It means taking time to truly understand market potential, real customer needs, and resisting the temptation to push an internal agenda out.

For me, the art lies in building organisations that can deliver today while designing and shaping how the future looks like. This means fostering a strong team that can keep their heads above water with the day-to-day operations enough to also allocate time to look ahead. It’s truly a journey that requires you to have a lot of peers in the whole management team to get there.

The art lies in building organisations that can deliver today while designing and shaping how the future looks like.  

You are a member of France’s Mechanical Arts Committee (Comité des Arts Mécaniques) which promotes national industry. What is the importance of industrial advocacy in today’s competitive landscape? What do you find as key opportunities in the evolving regulatory environment to strengthen the competitiveness of French industries? 

France has extraordinary scientific and industrial heritage. The talent across the board is world-class. However, the difficulty lies in keeping these talents and making them want to stay with us. What I see from the Committee perspective is that competitiveness in the French market today is shaped by regulatory agility on the one hand and a high cost of doing business in general. This constraint hinders our technical capabilities and limits our room to develop. In turn, long-term innovation suffers. For example, for the same cost of three high-quality engineers in France, I can have five in Germany. This is not a sustainable equilibrium for us to move ahead, despite having the talent.

This is a pressing topic to be addressed and there have been a lot of propositions to support decision-making in that direction. I believe there is an opportunity to modernise the regulatory landscape, not by lowering ambitions but by de-limiting the machine. We need to enable industrial companies of all sizes to hire, innovate, invest and find funds to compete globally with greater fluidity.

You first joined WIL Europe as a WTP Talent and have now become a Member. What do you see as the role of the network in building a strong and sustainable community of prominent female leaders across various sectors and create tangible strategic opportunities?

WIL Europe has introduced me to something powerful: sponsorship in action. I became a member thanks to the recommendation of Nathalie Wright who opened the door to this network for me.

What makes WIL Europe is the caliber and ambition of its members. We have C-suite level women across industry, tech, services and even the public sector. This organisation goes beyond mentorship. It is about creating a trusted environment where we can share strategic ideas, solve situations together, and form grounds for partnerships where real business opportunities can emerge.

Women often speak about the “cigar room” - the place where decisions are made without them. I prefer to flip the script and reframe the conversation. What if we build a network strong enough that meaningful decisions and opportunities are shaped within it? I believe WIL Europe and its community of brilliant women have what it takes to not only create tangle business opportunities but also lead them together.

For me, WIL Europe is not only about career progression - it is about collective influence and creating concrete business opportunities through a strong agenda of events.