VALOR Partners continues to strengthen its team with versatile top talent, as Lovisa Sihvola, Risto Venermo, and Juuso Leikola join the company.
Lovisa has diverse experience in M&A, audit and early-stage venture capital. Her previous industry expertise is focused on financial services. Lovisa holds a Bachelor’s degree in Management from the University of Warwick in the UK. She will graduate this summer with a Master’s degree in Finance from Aalto University. Additionally, she is a qualified ACA accountant, a certification she completed while working in London.
With a long and diverse consulting career, Risto has been involved in numerous projects ranging from large-scale business transformations and turnaround programs to more narrowly scoped initiatives in technology, strategy, and operational efficiency.
Juuso joined VALOR as an intern after completing his Master’s degree in June 2025. Juuso has previous experience in alternative investing, where he was part of a team managing hedge funds and credit investments. He also developed a solid foundation in financial reporting through an auditing internship.
After a few weeks on the job, we check in with Lovisa, Risto, and Juuso to hear about their experiences so far.
What attracted you to VALOR as a workplace/internship opportunity?
Lovisa: What stood out to me about VALOR was the unique combination of a smaller firm’s dynamic and entrepreneurial nature and the wide-ranging expertise of a highly skilled team with visibility across various industries. I was especially drawn to the IB team’s strong capabilities in the energy and infrastructure sectors, as they promise a rewardingly steep learning curve.
Risto: During my consulting career, I had come across VALOR’s assignments and heard many good things about the company, its culture, and the strong team spirit. The high quality of work, the genuine ambition to always deliver added value to the client, the pragmatism, and the depth of expertise were impressive. These impressions were further reinforced by my meetings with the company’s key personnel.
Juuso: VALOR offers a unique blend of investment banking and consulting, all within a close-knit and collaborative team culture. After attending one of VALORs dinner events, I had a clear sense of what to expect – and the experience has fully lived up to those expectations. Professionally, I look forward to sharpening my financial modeling skills and deepening my understanding of the energy and infrastructure sectors.
How have the first weeks been?
Lovisa: I’ve had a flying start to my time at VALOR. I immediately got to dive into new learning opportunities by preparing materials related to an international energy sector company and by considering financing solutions for a Finnish publicly listed firm. Alongside work, I’ve had the warmest welcome to the VALOR team and have gotten to know my new colleagues through coffee chats and after work activities organised by the firm.
Risto: They’ve started off at a fast pace—getting to know the team, learning about the company’s strengths and position in the market, and of course, meeting clients.
Juuso: There is no shortage of projects at VALOR, and I got to dive into interesting work from day one. So far, I’ve conducted research on infrastructure-related companies and created pitch materials for clients, focusing on M&A and refinancing opportunities.