Category Type: Careers

We are pleased to announce that Akseli Sutinen has been promoted to Associate, Sonja Korhonen to Senior Associate, Tuomas Suomi to Manager and Klaus Klemetti to Vice President, IB. They all bring an incredible wealth of experience and knowledge to our team.

Congratulations for the promotions!

We are excited to announce two additions to our team!

Nelli joined VALOR as an Office and Communications Coordinator in June 2022. She came to VALOR from Sitra, the Finnish Innovation Fund. At Sitra, Nelli worked as a Project Coordinator in both the Updating Democracy and Democracy and Participation teams. Nelli makes sure the office runs smoothly and coordinates VALOR’s communications.

In the spring of 2020, Nelli graduated as a Bachelor of Science in Economics and Business Administration from Aalto University’s English BScBA program.

Valeriya joined VALOR in June 2022. Previously, she worked as a sales assistant trainee at Neste and a quality engineer trainee at Konecranes. Valeriya will continue her Industrial Engineering and Management master’s studies at Aalto University in the fall.

Valeriya has experience in coordinating customer management activities, data analysis and the development of quality management processes. Valeriya has a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering and Management from Aalto University, with a minor in systems sciences.

What was your first impression of VALOR?

Nelli: My first impression was the people. I immediately got the impression that even though everyone was proud in their work and took it seriously, people at VALOR were kind to each other and down to earth. I’ve had a warm welcome here, which has been a great start to my VALOR journey.

Valeriya: At the company’s weekly meeting, which I attended on the first day of my internship, I was impressed with VALOR’s flat organizational structure. My first impression deepened once I had an opportunity to have one on one meetings with all VALOR employees, including other trainees and the founders of the company.

What do you hope to gain from your new position?

Valeriya: I wish to explore various industries, put my theoretical knowledge into practice, improve my skills and obtain new ones while working on challenging tasks. I’m also looking forward to getting to know new people and learning from experienced colleagues.

Nelli: Obviously, I’m looking forward to gaining more independent coordinating experience, but I’m also excited to bring some more lightness and joy to the office through fun activities and events, which are a part of my role at VALOR.

Summer is finally here. What is your favorite summer activity?

Valeriya: Summer is the time when I get active in the field of sports! In addition to my year-round daily hobby of walking, I start cycling, swimming, playing tennis and trying out at least one new activity. Luckily this summer, I don’t have to come up with one myself, as VALOR will take care of this for me in the form of hunger games (i.e., archery tag).

Nelli: For me, summer is the best time of the year! I’m excited about many summer activities, but maybe my favorite thing to do is to pick a place on the Finnish map and go there for a spontaneous summer trip. Trips are best unplanned, and Finnish summer is gorgeous—no matter where you go in Finland.  

We are excited to announce three additions to our team.

Akseli joined VALOR Partners in May as an associate. Previously, he worked as a management consultant at Capgemini Invent and as an expert in financial crime prevention at Nordea Bank. As a consultant, Akseli is inspired to work with strategic business problems that have a real impact on clients’ competitive market position.

Our new analyst trainees Pekka and Ilari joined VALOR in May. Pekka has experience in digital assets, credit evaluation, due diligence, start-ups, and politics. Pekka likes to see financial and analytical matters in a larger societal and historical context, utilizing two of his major interests. He holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from Aalto University and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in finance. Ilari has experience of strategy work, business intelligence, and financial modeling. He is eager to combine his analytical skills with his human-centered attitude to bring value to clients. Ilari’s expertise lies in finding new perspectives and cooperation with various stakeholders.  In the fall, Ilari will continue his Industrial Engineering and Management master’s studies at Aalto University.

What do you hope to gain from your new position?

A: Developing my expertise in business and corporate strategy and becoming a better consultant day by day. In addition, connecting with the VALOR team and becoming a part of it myself is something I’m going to greatly enjoy in the coming weeks.

P: I hope to learn lots about various industries and to make practical use of the theoretical frameworks learnt at school. I’m also looking forward to getting to know the smart people of the VALOR team and many of our stakeholders.

I: I hope to provide value for VALOR’s clients. Meanwhile, I wish to learn as much as possible from the projects I will be working on and the colleagues I’m working with.

What has been the most rewarding part of your new job so far?

A: Very smart people! I’ve already learnt a lot, thanks to colleagues sharing their expertise with me in various topics and providing feedback.

P: Definitely taking a proper deep dive into a surprisingly fascinating industry I knew nothing about before but can call myself basically an expert on now. I guess that’s what makes the art of consulting such a great option for an eternally curious mind like mine.

I: I felt really welcome when I started. I was quickly onboarded to the team and felt like I could contribute from day one.

We are excited to announce three additions to our team.

Joni joined VALOR in March 2022. Joni has over a decade of experience in the banking and insurance industries. Most recently, he worked as an advisor to the Bank of Finland, where he led the work in understanding the impact of digitalization on the financial services landscape, such as changes in business models, value chains and the rise of financial technology companies.

Oskar joined VALOR in February 2022 as analyst trainee. He has previous experience from internships at MB Funds and CapMan, as well as the Faculty of Economics at Aalto. Next fall, Oskar will continue his studies at Aalto by starting his master’s degree.

Pyry joined VALOR in March 2022 as an analyst trainee after spending a university exchange semester in Vienna. Previously, he has worked as network development trainee for Neste. Pyry will continue his Industrial Engineering and Management master studies at Aalto University in autumn.

We asked our new team members to characterize VALOR and to tell us the most valuable advice they have received so far from their new colleagues.

How would you describe VALOR in three words?

Joni: Dynamic, driven and professional

Pyry: Inspirational, collaborative and efficient

Oskar: Agile, customer-oriented and motivated

What are your expectations for the spring of 2022?

Joni: I’m looking forward to getting to know our customers and all the people at VALOR, as well as getting involved in interesting projects.

Pyry: Helping our customers by making valuable contribution to our projects. In addition, I’m surrounded by clever minds so I’m really looking forward to learning by working with them.

Oskar: Definitely looking forward to learning a lot from my brilliant and experienced colleagues. I’m also hoping to develop my professional skills by working on a wide variety of challenging projects.

What has been the best advice or tip you have received from one of your new colleagues so far?

Joni: Take care of the customer relationship and the quality of work, the rest will follow.

Pyry: At VALOR, we are a united team solving business problems. Be active, communicate a lot and don’t hesitate to ask.

Oskar: Be curious and ask questions. Everyone at VALOR is happy to help you out and support your professional growth.

We are excited to announce three additions to our team.

Heikki joined VALOR in the beginning of January as a senior associate. Before this, Heikki was an authorized auditor (KHT) and worked as an audit manager at BDO. Through the years in audit, Heikki has gained an understanding of a large spectrum of different businesses, both domestic and international.

Our new analyst trainees Arttu and Frida both joined VALOR in January. Arttu is studying Finance and Systems Science at Aalto University. He has worked as an entrepreneur and as a business simulation developer intern at Cesim.  Frida is currently studying for a master’s degree at Hanken School of Economics with finance as her major. She has previous experience from working as an analyst intern at Alexander Corporate Finance.

We asked our new team members about their expectations and on their thoughts about what makes VALOR special to them.

What do you hope to gain from your new position?

Heikki: I hope to build expertise in consulting strategy and operational improvement. I really like working with customers and I’m looking forward to focusing on customers’ business and creating value to them through our engagements.

Arttu: I hope that I can put my studies into practice, and, on top of that, I hope to gain knowledge and new skills from real life. I also hope to build many new friendships during the spring.

Frida: I hope to challenge myself and get an insight into different industries. I’m also looking forward to getting to know the team and hearing about their experiences during my internship.

What makes VALOR special?

Heikki: The agility of the company and the hands-on approach of the experienced staff as well. What got me interested in VALOR is the possibility to work on different projects with different people and segments.

Arttu: Motivated teams and a result-driven culture make VALOR special. Here the people get opportunities to build the skill set of their interest.

Frida: In my opinion, VALOR provides great opportunities for a very steep learning curve, as it’s a smaller company with very experienced people and a broad range of projects. The trainee program has also received great feedback which makes VALOR special for me as well.

We are happy to announce the appointments of Juha Viljakainen to Partner Finance and Kalle Ahlstedt to Partner Energy.

Both Juha and Kalle have demonstrated commitment to VALOR and played key roles in generating new business opportunities during their time at VALOR.

Kalle has strengthened VALOR’s leading position as an advisor in the energy sector. He has helped customers in tackling the challenges and utilizing the opportunities of the energy industry transformation. Kalle has overseen several business development initiatives, operational efficiency programs and M&A processes during his two years with VALOR.

Juha has built valuable and strong customer relationships in the finance industry during his three years with VALOR. He has already made the industry significant for VALOR. The aim is to grow the business and be one of the consultancy practices that comes first to mind in the Finnish market.

Sonja joined VALOR Partners in November 2021. Before joining VALOR, she worked as a consultant at Nordic Healthcare Group and has several years’ experience in healthcare and social care industry management consulting. Sonja has broad experience of the healthcare and social care industry from numerous projects for both private and public sector clients.

Outside office hours, Sonja keeps active by participating in several sports and yoga, and spending time outdoors. To relax, she also enjoys baking and spending time with friends and family.

We asked Sonja about her first impressions of VALOR and her expectations for the coming year.

What have your first impressions of VALOR been like?

The VALOR team seems highly motivated by their work, and multiple different areas of expertise lie within the company. There’s clearly a low-hierarchy culture, which I hope will contribute both to a positive work environment and the opportunity to grow professionally.

Everyone in the VALOR team has been welcoming. I’ve already had the chance to get to know many of my new colleagues while mountain biking, doing aerial yoga and on a company trip abroad.

What are your expectations for 2022?

Most of all, I’m looking forward to interesting and diverse client projects. Especially in the healthcare and social care industry, the ongoing reform in Finland has brought challenges and opportunities for both the public and private sectors. I’m excited to work alongside our clients in solving these timely and important issues. On the other hand, I’m also looking forward to getting to know the VALOR team and company culture better in the coming months.

Kalle joined VALOR in October 2021. He has previously worked as a product management intern at Unity Technologies and as a data analyst at Neste. He is studying Industrial Engineering and Management at Aalto University.

Kalle’s main activity outside the office is going to the gym. He is also into a wide variety of different sports like golf, jogging, and tennis, which he participates in less regularly. In addition to sports, Kalle loves travel and visiting new places.

We asked Kalle about the surprises he has found in the new job and his thoughts about the VALOR office.

Has anything surprised you about the job in the first weeks?

Even though I anticipated a great trainee period, I was quite struck by how much emphasis VALOR places on enabling a positive trainee experience. Getting to know nearly all the other employees in scheduled 1-on-1 meetings provided a great start and having an opportunity to contribute to many completely different projects will surely be beneficial for helping me discover my interests.

The work so far has been anything but monotonous, and I’ve received some high-quality feedback to help me improve my skills. The relaxed and low-hierarchy culture makes the work fun and removes any barriers to asking for guidance.

What are the best things about the VALOR office?

Having worked remotely for the last eighteen months, going to the VALOR office has shown me how a physical office can provide a positive boost to productivity while making the work more fun. The office itself is spectacular and provides an astonishing view, and its central location enables easy commuting and access to various lunch restaurants. I’ve also taken the full benefit of all the snacks and drinks at the office – the combination of coffee and a protein milkshake especially provides a great boost for the day.

Akseli joined VALOR in September 2021. Akseli has experience in supply chain management, and he previously worked as a supply chain analyst and a master’s thesis worker at RELEX Solutions. He is finalizing his studies in Industrial Engineering and Management at Aalto University. Outside the office, Akseli enjoys all kinds of sports and plays football in a lower division.

Why VALOR?

I became interested in the possibility of combining my interests in operational improvement and management consulting at VALOR. I also got a great impression of the company at a recruiting event. The people at the event had a similar background to mine, which increased my urge to apply for the internship. A small company with experienced people will provide an excellent environment for me to improve my professional skills and learn about management consulting. 

Expectations vs. reality?

Before the internship started, I had heard a lot about the company from friends who had worked at VALOR. So I was pretty sure of what to expect. However, I was worried about starting a new job now that working from home has become the new standard. Yet I was positively surprised to be able to work at the office and meet my colleagues in person now that the restrictions have loosened. And one-on-one meetings with everyone at the company made sure I got to know new people and meet those who don’t work at the office regularly.

I was already assigned to my first project during the first week and received great guidance from the team in getting started. I was also delighted that my personal interests in various projects were considered well, and I was happy with the project I was assigned to.

Do you have any advice for anyone interested in working at VALOR too?

Be brave and apply for the position. And if something concerns you about the company, don’t hesitate to send a message. I’m sure anyone at VALOR will be eager to answer the questions about the job. If you have further questions regarding my experiences with the internship, feel free to contact me via LinkedIn or other platforms.

Anna-Rosa joined VALOR in August 2021. Anna-Rosa’s main expertise lies in the healthcare and social care industry. She has worked in varied projects involving e.g. procurement, strategy, operational development, market analyses, benchmarking services, and cost and productivity analyses.

Her previous colleagues have described Anna-Rosa as a proactive team player who is particularly skilled in structuring complex problems, and facilitating client workshops and other collaboration.

Outside working hours, Anna-Rosa likes spending time outdoors, exploring nature with her dog or with friends and family.

What has been the most rewarding part of your new job so far?

I’m excited that I’ve been able to jump into interesting projects straightaway. I can already see the growth opportunities both the projects and the working environment at VALOR will bring, which I find rewarding. It’s also been great to meet all my talented new colleagues!

What does work-life balance mean to you?

Certain realities always apply in consulting, which to me means flexibility on both sides. When working with interesting cases and a great team, it’s motivating to challenge oneself, even though it sometimes means working longer hours. To balance it out, it’s of course important to have your own hobbies and routines, and to spend time with the team outside the office, for example.