Marek Jürioja is the CEO of Pintaväri Eesti OÜ. He has grown up among the forests and lakes of Võrumaa, has now seen different colours of business and the world, and is ready for more.

After finishing primary school, Marek started studying at Tallinn Maritime School, with plans to become a ship's engineer. The four years he spent at the school were full of experiences, teaching the young man first and foremost independence and how to cope. He compares that while today it is quite easy to get the necessities of life or to take your mind off things, both on land and at sea, in those days you had to do a lot of handicrafts and think out of the box. The adventurous Marek recalls that although the shipping life was extremely interesting - among other things, he ended up on a traineeship on a ship carrying nuclear waste with his classmates - it turned out after school that getting a job on a ship was very difficult. He had to find a new outlet, at least for the time being. Little did Marek know then that one seemingly casual job would be the start of an adventure that has lasted to this day.

It was 1994, when a Finnish company, Pintaväri, which sold building materials from wallpaper to car paints, was looking for a salesman in Estonia. Marek believed it was worth a try, and so he became an employee of Pintaväri's shop. He remembers that it was an exciting time and he often had to experiment and find solutions to keep customers happy. One of the things he remembers is his first day at work, when he had to mix metallic paint - which didn't quite work out as it should have. However, he learned from his mistakes, Marek got smarter and Pintavär's business in Estonia grew rapidly. It became clear that there was a gap to be filled in car paints in Estonia, so he went on to sell only car paints. This involved a lot of self-training to know what materials to offer to customers and how to work with them. So Marek had to visit Finland frequently to improve his knowledge and then pass it on in Estonia.

As time went by, Marek became a man who knows the Estonian car paint market very well. The long working days and the accumulated knowledge paid off and in 1999, when the then CEO of the Estonian side of the Pintaväri company retired, Marek was asked to continue as CEO himself. The ambitious man's solution-oriented and compassionate approach was noticed and Marek was believed to know how Pintaväri could develop further. Marek admits that at the time the company was not in the best of shape and a lot of work had to be done over the years. In the nineties, business was done very differently from the 21st century, and while in the beginning, Marek took a bit of a beating from the Finns, later on Pintaväri developed so quickly in Estonia that it moved ahead of its Finnish counterparts. Marek says that for the first ten years he was looking for more support, but as he gained experience, his ability to solve and prevent problems grew. He believes in not standing still when obstacles appear. You have to spot opportunities that help you overcome obstacles, and that's how Marek grew up with Pintaväri. He went back to school to learn even more about management and marketing - in 2011 he graduated from Tallinn University of Technology with a degree in marketing and business management. Marek's contribution was much appreciated. In 2016, Marek bought out the Estonian part of Pintaväri and registered Pintaväri Eesti OÜ.

The hard-working Marek has really seen and done a lot in Pintaväri. He says there needs to be more flexibility in a small business like this, as there are often different tasks to be done. As a manager, he tries to pick up on the strengths and weaknesses of the staff so that everyone can do what suits them best. Marek says he is demanding, but he doesn't like to force and to explain the same thing several times. So it's good to know what someone is best at. Marek is understanding and helpful, and always happy to share his knowledge. He is guided by his gut instinct, honesty and ethics. What the CEO does not tolerate, however, is lying, abuse of trust and duplicity - qualities he does not want to see in his team because they hinder both work and communication.

One of the key principles Marek cites in business management and in his private life is the willingness to look at the bigger picture. For him, it's important that things work in the long term, despite the fact that sometimes quick fixes may be needed. "You have to look at the bigger picture. When we talk about selling to a customer, do we want a one-off sale, or do we want the customer to keep buying from us? Is it good to go back to that customer afterwards?" Marek reflects. "What I've been saying to everyone in my company is that if you see that someone still wants something but is going down the wrong path - never mind that they might be bringing in more money for us at the moment - then we have to actually at least show them that they can do it in a much easier way."

As for Marek, he's effective on all fronts. His life outside work is as busy as he is at work. Marek has a wide range of hobbies: motorcycling, hunting, fishing, scuba diving and travelling are just some of them. Among other things, Marek has done bungee jumping and would like to parachute out of an aeroplane in the future. He enjoys active holidays, which allow him to step back from his usual surroundings for a while and clear his head, only to return refreshed and with new ideas. Marek has visited many countries and is determined to see even more countries and cultures in the future. He is convinced that all of this - from hobbies to unknown lands - will broaden his horizons and benefit his business, as taking on challenges will not allow him to stay in his comfort zone and will allow him to see the connections between world affairs. Foolhardy experiments keep the mind alert and the spirit alert. This is important because, according to Marek, the worst thing that can happen to a person is to become overconfident and arrogant. That's what happens when you stop experiencing new things, new perspectives and new problems.Marek says that unravelling different situations is probably what motivates him most. Of course, it's great to make good deals and to win from them, but what Marek enjoys most is the enthusiasm and energy that comes from having a problem solved. "It shows that you are valuable to yourself and you create value for others." Marek likes to provide a service that is of high quality and that people are happy with. He mentions that it would make him happy if Pintaväri were in the top three in its field in the Estonian market. Better still, to be second or, if that happens, why not first. Above all, Pintaväri's quality of work must be worthy of the place.

On a personal level, Marek wants to see, learn and experience even more. He has a long list of dream destinations and would also like to find time for hobbies. Luckily, with a family by his side, who are always on board with ideas and supportive, there is no doubt that Marek will never miss out. "If you don't do something, nothing happens," says Marek, who is a living example of the truth behind the phrase. If he hadn't accidentally started selling car paints when he left school, his life would probably be different now, and who knows if it would be half as colourful.