Alumni stories
Alum Kati Vilhelmsson: 鈥極ne of the most important things I have taken from Aalto was a truly global mindset鈥
School of Business, International Business Programme alum Kati Vilhelmsson encourages current students to actively seek international opportunities and trust the power of their networks.
Hannu Martola appointed as Chair of the Aalto University Alumni Network Board
The board鈥檚 new members are Esa Arola, Eila Lindroos and Terttu Sopanen. Continuing members are Ari Bertula, Ossi Leikola, Laura Nikola and Katja Soini.
Alum Ding Ma: 'I want to represent a new-era Mayor'
Ding Ma, who will start as the Mayor of Savonlinna at the age of 37, studied Information and Service Management at the School of Business.
鈥極ur careers have been rewarding, and we want to help young people move forward鈥
After long careers abroad, Erkki and Kaija Rautiainen wanted to support the teaching and research in textile design and industrial engineering and management with a new fund.
Lotta Partanen moved from design to creating new business
Aalto University alum Lotta Partanen realized that she is more interested in new businesses than in furniture design. She has ended up building and leading VTT's Launchpad business incubator.
Alum Vesa Sironen: 'It's important that studies have a certain amount of flexibility'
Alum of the School of Business and board professional Vesa Sironen studied for his bachelor's degree in Mikkeli and his master's degree in T枚枚l枚, in addition to completing the separate ITP and IDBM programmes in Otaniemi.
Alumni encounters from Seoul to New York
Over the past spring, Aalto alumni came together across the globe 鈥 to reconnect, inspire and remind each other that the Aalto spirit travels well.
Professor of Practice Timo L枚yttyniemi looks forward to meeting energetic and active students
L枚yttyniemi has started as a Professor of Practice in finance at the School of Business
Growing Materials, Growing Ideas: Inside the BioMaker Studio
At Aalto University鈥檚 BioMaker Studio, initiated by Ena Naito, students and researchers experiment with living materials, from algae to mycelium.
Alum Tuomas Paananen: 'Many paths lead back to studies'
Tuomas Paananen, originally from Vihti, knew from a young age that he wanted to be an entrepreneur.
65 years of class reunions
The class of '52 that began their studies at the Helsinki School of Economics 73 years ago has been meeting regularly for decades.
President Ilkka Niemel盲 to alumni: 'At Aalto, we dare to dream - and we dare to do'
Aalto Alumni Weekend brought together 1 400 alumni.
The Alum of the Year Juha Jolkkonen Has Built an Impressive Career as a Leader, Physician and Reformer
Alum of the Year Juha Jolkkonen has played an active role in developing the Aalto Executive MBA program for the City of Helsinki.
Alum Nina Zhao: Curiosity has taken me far
Nina Zhao has graduated from the master's program in Global Management, and she currently works at EY People Advisory Services in New York.
Support for the transition to working life and insights into one's own skills
Participants of the latest mentoring programme Inka Vettenranta and Marek Hude膷ek share their mentoring experiences.
School of Science Alumnus of the Year Matti Aksela: it鈥檚 always worth learning something new
Aksela mentors international students through the Aalto International Talent programme and hopes to see even greater diversity in the technology sector.
School of Electrical Engineering Alum of the Year 2025 Ville Voipio shares his insights on the importance of adaptability
Three themes guide Ville Voipio's career: digitalisation, sustainability and economic well-being. He received the Alum of the Year award at the Alumni Weekend event on 25 October 2025.
From polymer technology to international research centres 鈥 Chemical engineering alum of the year Petri Lehmus
Petri Lehmus, Vice President of Research and Development at Neste Corporation, has been named alum of the year by the School of Chemical Engineering. Throughout his career, he has led international research centres, built the success story of Neste鈥檚 renewable business and advanced chemical engineering research and education at Aalto University.
School of Engineering Alum of the Year Mika Viljanmaa: There鈥檚 no point in developing something useless
Viljanmaa, an award-winning inventor, calls Otaniemi his professional and spiritual home.
Mentor Eduardo Hern谩ndez Villalobos: I learned from challenges faced by young designers
Aalto Mentoring Programme offered a chance for meaningful engagement and community building for the School of Arts, Design and Architecture graduate.
