Category Type: Careers

The VALOR team has strengthened by the arrival of a new member—welcome Pekka Hard! 

Pekka is a strong expert in social care and healthcare—with over 10 years of broad experience in developing and managing social care and healthcare services, as well as working with the executive teams of large service providers. 

We asked Pekka about his views on the current state of the healthcare sector and his initial impressions of VALOR’s expertise in the industry: 

What are the key challenges currently facing social care and healthcare? 

The Finnish healthcare system is in a unique transitional phase: as the welfare regions begin their operations, future services are being created for decades to come. Demographic changes are increasing the demand for services, and the attractiveness of the working environment must be strengthened. Additionally, the development of technology, combined with digitization and AI, offers entirely new opportunities. 

How would you describe VALOR’s expertise and experience in social care and healthcare? 

The VALOR team has extensive experience in both public and private service development. We approach clients’ challenges in a practical, concrete, and solution-focused manner—the essential thing is to successfully implement development efforts in practice. 

We have three new additions to our team—welcome Jenna Nyländen, Susanna Alakotila and Jaro Mykkänen!

Jenna joined VALOR Partners this March. Previously, she worked as a management consultant and gained experience in the social and health care sector. Susanna joined VALOR also in March as an HR & Administrative Specialist. Previously, she held various positions in the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland. Jaro has made a comeback to VALOR now in April, after his internship in 2021. Jaro has experience from several companies in the social and health care industry.

We asked our new colleagues about their thoughts on joining VALOR.

Has anything about VALOR surprised you?

Jenna: I started with an open-minded attitude, and thus far, there have been only positive surprises!

Susanna: Since the first point of contact, I’ve had a positive experience with the company, and I’ve been pleasantly surprised how since the first day I’ve felt like being part of the amazing team we have. I’m also impressed that any development areas are discussed in a straightforward and professional manner at all levels.

Jaro: VALOR has mainly met my expectations very well. I was previously an intern in the summer of 2021, and I had a good impression of VALOR even back then. In addition to the relaxed culture, I was surprised by the entrepreneurial atmosphere compared to my previous jobs, which I think is great. 

What do you wish to learn at VALOR?

Jenna: One of the best parts of consulting is the unlimited learning opportunities, so it is difficult to mention anything specific. However, I already know there is much to learn from the new projects and colleagues here at VALOR.

Susanna: My aim is to develop myself as an HR and recruitment professional.

Jaro: I hope to learn a lot of new skills at VALOR, especially related to project management and client service. As I am going to focus on social and health care projects, I also wish to develop my industry knowledge.

Spring seems to have finally arrived! What are you most excited about the spring?

Jenna: The best thing about spring is the feeling of a fresh start after a long winter—this year especially!

Susanna: The increasing amount of light and the sound of birds.

Jaro: I find the best part of spring to be the rising temperatures and sunlight, which make me feel full of energy. Additionally, I enjoy the many outdoor activities that are available during the spring. 

Our team is growing!

Aapeli Kemppainen, Alvar Palmén, Helena Pukkala and Oula Virtanen joined VALOR as trainees in February.

Previously, Aapeli studied both medicine and business, and worked in various roles related specially to the medical field. Alvar, then again, gained experience as an entrepreneur and working with accounting and finance. Helena has experience in asset management, and Oula worked in the manufacturing industry, software development projects and construction.

We had an opportunity to chat a little with our new team members.

How would you describe VALOR in three words?

Aapeli: Ambitious, growing, employee-friendly

Alvar: Innovative, goal-directed, tailored

Helena: Professional, receptive, communal

Oula: Impactful, versatile, friendly

Has something surprised you at VALOR?

Aapeli: The consulting field was previously totally unknown for me, so everything is new and exciting.

Alvar: I was pleasantly surprised by the diversity of projects and tasks I’ve been involved in at VALOR right from the start.

Helena: I didn’t really have any pre-assumptions – I am eager to see what VALOR will bring!

Oula: Already during the first week, it was amazing to notice that making a genuine change is truly at the center. Even though the work is determined as expected, it takes place in a relaxed atmosphere.

We are thrilled to have Aapeli, Alvar, Helena and Oula in our team – welcome!

We are pleased to announce that Antti Ihalainen has been promoted to Associate, Akseli Sutinen to Senior Associate and Tuomas Nenonen and Johan Matinmikko to Directors.

They all bring an incredible wealth of experience and knowledge to our team. Congratulations on the promotions!

Our team is growing! Welcome, Kimmo Soini.

Kimmo has a strong change management profile with fifteen years’ experience on large companies’ executive boards (VR, Finnair), and is very interested in HRD and coaching. He has comprehensive experience of the aviation and rail business and especially from fleet lifecycle management and overhaul.

To get to know our new team member a bit more, we asked him a couple of questions.

What was it about VALOR that motivated you to join our team?

I’ve worked with VALOR before as a customer, and I liked how they worked. The innovations they introduced especially impressed me.

What kind of projects and challenges inspire you most right now?

I’m very interested in out-of-the-box thinking and implementing new ways of working. People and HRD also interest me deeply. I’m quite ambitious in target setting.

Happy to have you with us, Kimmo!

We have three new additions to our team – welcome Jaakko Ruth, Robert Kokkola & Tommi Salmi!

Jaakko joined VALOR in October 2022 as an analyst. He previously worked as an M&A consultant at PwC.

Robert and Tommi joined VALOR in October 2022 as trainees. Previously, Robert worked in retail supply chain optimization and robotic process automation consulting. Tommi, then again, worked at Visma Solutions as a software developer trainee. 

Even though the first days are always hectic, we got a chance to ask a couple of questions from our new team members.

What’s been your first impression of your new colleagues?

Jaakko: They’re really smart professionals who are at the same time very pleasant company. The one-on-one discussions arranged with every VALOR professional have been great for getting to know one person better at a time.

Robert: They’re pleasant people – it’s delightful being in a group that takes their work seriously but don’t take themselves too seriously.

Tommi: Already in my first work week, I’ve been impressed by how much competence there is at VALOR. Also, the one-on-one meetings I’ve had with my colleagues have been an excellent way to get to know them better – and learn something new from their areas of expertise.   

Why did you choose VALOR?

Jaakko: VALOR is an agile player that plays a significant role in projects that will have a great effect on major industries. I felt VALOR would provide me the purpose, development track and working environment I wanted. This view has even strengthened during my first days here.

Robert: Both the consulting and investment banking industries are very interesting, so it’s a great opportunity to get acquainted with a small company that does both.

Tommi: VALOR has strong competences in energy markets and urban development projects, which have both already been interests of mine for a long time. I’d also heard about positive experiences from VALOR employees. 

We are excited to welcome three new team members to VALOR!

Mikko Puumanen and Ville Vuola joined VALOR as trainees in September 2022. Previously, Mikko worked in the accounting consulting industry and in the in-house credit risk management team of a manufacturing company. Ville, then again, finished his master’s studies at the University of Amsterdam and gained valuable work experience in the field of finance.

Eric Hardy also joined VALOR in September 2022 as an analyst. Prior to VALOR, Eric completed internships in financial advisory, equipment financing and incubator firms.

To learn a little about our new team members, we asked them a couple of questions.

What are your expectations of your new position at VALOR?

Mikko: I’m very much looking forward to getting to know everyone in the team and beginning to work on different projects. I hope I will be able to work in as many projects as possible and to learn from my colleagues.

Ville: I’m excited to get to work with companies operating in different industries, and to learn from my colleagues. Furthermore, I am excited about getting to know my new colleagues better.

Eric: I’m eager to learn and add value to the clients and VALOR. I’m also looking forward to working on infrastructure projects at such an interesting time.

How do you like to relax after the workday?

Mikko: After a long workday, I usually work out at the gym or go for a long walk or jog to recover from the day’s workload. Meeting friends and family during the weekend is also a great way to relax.

Ville: The best way for me to relax after work is to take exercise and prepare a nice dinner.

Eric: As an Englishman, I do enjoy a good cup of tea while cooking something nice. I also enjoy watching stand-up comedy and having a few beers with friends after a good day at work.

An internship at VALOR gives you an excellent opportunity to kickstart your future career by working on projects in strategy, growth, and business development, operational improvement, and process design and M&A.

As we are currently looking for new interns to join our team, we wanted to ask our part-time analysts, who also started out as interns at VALOR, how they felt about their internship.

We are now looking for analyst trainees to join our teams in both management consulting and investment banking. An ideal candidate for an internship is a master’s level student with a strong academic background, good analytical and social skills, good knowledge of both Finnish and English, and most importantly, the motivation and drive for professional development.

An internship at VALOR gives you an excellent opportunity to kick-start your future career through working on projects in strategy, growth, and business development, operational improvement and process design and M&A.

What we offer

• The opportunity to quickly build on your core consulting skills, from data analysis and synthesis to client communication
• Full involvement in the entire life cycle of a project with a dedicated role
• Day-to-day work in an informal, inclusive, and fun environment
• Flexible working mode
• Competitive compensation and benefits
• Mentoring and coaching

The internship is a full-time position lasting 3-5 months. However, the timing and duration of the internship is planned so that it fulfills both your interests and ours. An internship is an excellent steppingstone to a full-time position at VALOR.

How to apply

Send your application to Hanna Raunio, hanna.raunio@valor.fi by Sept 18th, 2022. Please indicate your preference between management consulting and investment banking in the email subject line.

Please include and combine the following documents into one PDF-document:

• Cover letter
• Curriculum vitae
• University grade transcript
• Matriculation examination certificate

For more information about our firm, our people, and the internship contact Johan Matinmikko (+358 40 725 0506) or other VALOR employees.

We are happy to announce two additions to our team!

Martin Plukka joined VALOR as a trainee in August 2022. Previously he worked at Cesim Oy developing business simulations. In the fall, Martin will start studying in the master’s program in Finance at Aalto University. Martin has worked in analytical positions ranging from business management simulations to a research paper.

Marko Helistekangas joined VALOR as a management consultant in August 2022. Before this, he worked as a global consultant at McKinsey & Company and as a strategy analyst at RELEX Solutions. Marko is by nature a generalist, and he has wide experience of different assignments from a variety of industries in many markets around the world.

We had an opportunity to chat a little with our new team members.

What are you most excited about your new position at VALOR?

Marko: I’m most excited about getting to know my new colleagues and working with them. I’m also very much looking forward to completing my first VALOR project with the client’s management team. The project is about post-merger integration in a stock listed company. I’m also happy that VALOR values a sustainable balance between work and leisure.

Martin: I’m excited to start working with the team and learning from experienced colleagues. I hope I get to see multiple industries and the whole life cycle of the projects.

What was your favorite moment this summer?

Martin: My favorite moment this summer was graduating from Mercer University. It was a great feeling to finish one chapter and continue the journey in Finland and get back to my family and friends.

Marko: Visiting a summer cottage in Kuusamo with my cousins. During the day, we built the terrace, and during the evening we relaxed by fishing, picking cloudberries and using the sauna.