Alumni stories
Harri Paananen, triple alum of Aalto University, moves to NATO from the City of Espoo
鈥業n doctoral studies, you need to be able to define the problem yourself and solve it,鈥 says Aalto University鈥檚 triple alum Harri Paananen. He first applied that mindset in the City of Espoo and now in his new role at NATO.
Alum Maria Pirkkalainen-Barber: Business studies built a bridge for international influencing
Maria Pirkkalainen-Barber has graduated from Aalto University School of Business, majoring in Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management.
The Aalto University EMBA alumni in Korea are important ambassadors between Korea and Finland
The 30th anniversary of Aalto University EMBA in South Korea brought together 250 alumni and friends on September 4th in Gangnam, Seoul.
Alum Salla Lonka implements a culture of experimentation in a home appliance company
Salla Lonka finds it fascinating to examine creative processes from a distance, focusing on efficiency and impact. After completing her master's degree in fashion design, she ended up at a global home appliance company in Stockholm.
President Sauli Niinist枚: 鈥楾he future is brighter than it appears right now.鈥
Approximately 600 invited guests and alumni attended the event named after Chancellor Jaakko Honko at Aalto University T枚枚l枚
Alum Maija Itkonen shapes food and businesses: 鈥業 want to do things that I can direct my passion towards鈥
Maija Itkonen, CEO of Onego Bio, is known for popularising the meat alternative Pulled Oats and now also for egg protein made without chickens. She believes business can change the world for the better.
Alum Ella Ahmas: 'Getting a job at the European Commission was a great achievement, and I believe that my younger self would be really proud of me'
Ella Ahmas, who studied in the Master's programme in Management and International Business, found her niche through the experience gained in internships and ended up working for the European Commission in her current role.
Alum Laura Suomalainen: 鈥漈he idea of always having your life with you and being able to move from place to place spoke to me.鈥
Laura Suomalainen had long dreamed of "Vanlife" until the opportunity to go on exchange to Norway set the wheels of her dream in motion. Nowadays she travels across Europe in her own van and works remotely.
Learning new things continues after graduation
Aalto graduates鈥 transition to working life and their experience of studies and careers are monitored annually through a career monitoring survey. The responses to the survey provide important information about the work life of graduates, both for current students and for young people considering their future studies. In addition, the information collected is used to develop Aalto University鈥檚 teaching and services.
Almost 40 percent of alumni survey respondents feel they belong to the Aalto community
Alumni are primarily interested in interaction and networking with other alumni.
"The spark for Chemical engineering was ignited" - An alumni's story from Otaniemi to working life
Juha Malinen, an alumn of the School of Chemical Engineering, warmly recounts his years at Otaniemi, the studies that supported his transition to working life and helped him find his place in building a more sustainable future.
Alumni encounters from Chicago to Chennai
We met alumni in over 20 cities around the world in spring 2025.
Applications for the WiT Programme are open till June 15th!
The Aalto WiT Programme is a 3.5-month, 24 ECTS post-master鈥檚 programme, focusing on the resilience of human settlements in the Global Majority context. The application period for this Autumn is extended till June 15th. Apply now!
Degree and language skills helped Mariana Salgado into Finnish working life
The professional network has been an important support for Salgado in her career as a service designer
Alum Salla Vainio: An exceptional generalist
Little did a young business student know that the most valuable lessons of her career wouldn鈥檛 come from lectures but from student union work. Over the years, Salla Vainio has found herself in many extraordinary situations in leadership roles around the world.
Growth entrepreneur Teemu Myllym盲ki: I wanted to see where the rabbit hole leads
An entrepreneurial mindset and the lessons learned during doctoral studies at Aalto University have helped Teemu Myllym盲ki to become a founding partner and CEO of Measurlabs, a company selling chemical measurement services.
Alum Sari Ovaska: 'It was clear to me that I wanted to help create better workplaces for others'
Our alum Sari Ovaska broadened her expertise during her study leave, and transitioned from an auditor position to a new career in HR.
鈥楽port is the most important useless thing in the world鈥
Tero Tiitu, three-time world floorball champion, shared his experiences of combining studies, competitive sport and working life
Heikki Poutanen: Insights from my life and the philosophy of the new People Know it Better fund
An alumnus of Department of Industrial Engineering and Management, Heikki Poutanen talks in his own words about his life, career and leadership philosophy. With the substantial donation of Mr. Poutanen, Aalto University established the Heikki Poutanen People Know it Better Leadership Fund in 2024, the funds of which will be used to support teaching and research in the Department of Industrial Engineering and Management in line with Poutanen's leadership philosophy.
Alum Otso Sillanaukee: "Master's studies prepared me well for working life"
Otso Sillanaukee, an alum from the Master鈥檚 programme in Creative Sustainability, wants to make a difference in the world for a more sustainable and happier future.
