VALOR’s team welcomed two professionals with distinctive backgrounds in spring 2026, when Lotta Jämsä and Joel Vanhanen joined the company in May. Lotta joined VALOR’s management consulting team from the industrial and technology sectors, while Joel moved to VALOR from the Finnish Parliament, where he had worked on economic policy.
Their different backgrounds bring new perspectives to VALOR’s client work, spanning industrial transformation, the energy transition, economics, and public decision-making.
Technology expertise and insight into industrial transformation
Lotta Jämsä holds a Master of Science degree in Chemical and Process Engineering. Before joining VALOR, she worked in industrial expert roles and in startup and scale-up environments, most recently in the hydrogen industry in Shanghai.
Lotta has experience in business development, the commercialisation of new technologies, and product management. Her particular areas of expertise include clean energy value chains, the hydrogen economy, and industrial investments. She was drawn to consulting by the opportunity to work on broader strategic and business challenges.
“VALOR has a strong position as a trusted partner in the energy, infrastructure, and industrial sectors, as well as leading expertise particularly in energy. The team’s straightforward approach to work also resonated with me,” Lotta says.
She is particularly motivated by the opportunity to translate energy and technology transitions into tangible business value. At VALOR, she is looking forward to rolling up her sleeves and applying her experience to practical client projects.
Understanding of economics and public decision-making
Joel Vanhanen joined VALOR from the Finnish Parliament, where he most recently worked on economic policy. Earlier in his career, he advised two government ministers and the chair of a parliamentary group. His previous experience also extends to the financial sector.
Joel is currently completing his Master’s degree in Economics at Aalto University. In addition to economics, his studies have included finance and industrial engineering and management. Both consulting and politics appeal to him because they involve broad questions and opportunities to solve real-world problems.
Joel had formed a positive impression of VALOR as a highly professional company well before joining. He was particularly interested in the opportunity to challenge himself, take on responsibility, and continue learning.
“What inspires me about consulting is the opportunity to help clients address genuine challenges and questions. The work feels meaningful when you get to solve real problems and, in doing so, contribute to moving society in a better direction,” Joel says.
Responsibility, freedom, and new perspectives
Lotta and Joel describe their first months at VALOR as fast-paced but smooth. Both highlight the team’s strong expertise, welcoming atmosphere, and practical approach to work.
“Returning to Helsinki’s business environment and beginning a new chapter in consulting have been remarkably smooth, thanks to VALOR’s exceptionally welcoming and highly knowledgeable team,” Lotta says.
Joel considers the combination of responsibility and freedom particularly important.
“My colleagues are wonderful people and highly skilled at what they do. Everyone is fully committed to the work, but there is always room for a sense of humour. Freedom and responsibility go hand in hand here,” he explains.
Looking ahead, they are both eager to work on a wide variety of projects, continue developing their expertise, and create tangible value for clients. They share a desire to tackle broad and meaningful questions, even though they approach them from very different professional backgrounds.
Lotta’s expertise in industry, technology, and the energy transition, combined with Joel’s understanding of economics and public decision-making, complements VALOR’s multidisciplinary capabilities and strengthens the team’s ability to approach clients’ challenges from multiple perspectives.