Studies

I was born in Helsinki in 1969. I went to the Deutsche Schule Helsinki (German school) in Helsinki before graduating from the Helsingin Suomalainen yhteiskoulu in 1988.

After high school, I decided to study law because I wanted to understand how society worked. There was a time when I considered studying at the Faculty of Social Sciences but I thought that working as a lawyer would provide a more secure occupation.

I graduated as a Bachelor of Laws in 1994 from the University of Helsinki.

Shortly after, in 1995, I graduated from the University of Maastricht with a Rotary scholarship.

Work

In 1996, I worked as a legal trainee in the cabinet of a Finnish judge within the Court of Justice of the European Union in Luxembourg.

Thereafter, I worked for a law firm in Helsinki and in 1998 completed my court training in the District Court of Helsinki.

In 2002 I moved to Norway with my then spouse, where I lived and worked for four years. I struggled to find work as a lawyer, but instead I landed a job at Securitas whilst simultaneously studying human rights.

In 2006 I returned to Finland to look for work in my field and agreeable my husband and I decided it was time to go our separate ways.

I found a job in Vaasa covering maternity leave at KWH Pipe Oy before starting work for my current employer, Wärtsilä in 2007. During my time at Wärtsilä I returned to Norway, working there for a total of 4 years.

I currently work for Wärtsilä’s marine business in international trade law. I support sellers and buyers with contracts, ensuring that the deals are legally sound, providing legal advice and helping to resolve conflicts so that both parties are able to reach a mutually beneficial agreement.

I thoroughly enjoy my work because of the international environment and the varied working days. It is very rewarding to provide legal advice which helps in finding solutions. In the end, business is always done by people and I am pleased to be working with both talented and friendly people, whether they are colleagues, customers or counterparts.

Family

My boyfriend lives in Kokkola, so I spend my free time there too. Working remotely during the corona period has also made it possible to work from Kokkola. I am proud and privileged to be the bonus mother of two wonderful boys and my new family has given me more colour and perspective on life, for which I am extremely grateful.

Other important people to me are my father, my two godchildren and my closest friends from both school and college.

Hobbies

The Martha Association has been an important and meaningful part of my life. My late mother worked for the association as press secretary and I have been a member of the Marttatalon Martat since I was a teenager.

The Martha Association carries out important work by promoting everyday skills and this work resonates with me in terms of their principles and moral perspectives.

Activies in ELSA

During my studies, I was actively involved with the international law students (ELSA = the European Law Students’ Association). In 1991 I was president of ELSA Helsinki and later held positions of trust at ELSA at both national and international level.

In 2006 I was involved in the founding of ELSA Alumni Finland ry and since 2019 I have been a member of the Advisory Board of the International Alumni Association (ELSA Alumni asbl).

ELSA is the world’s largest law students’ organisation and includes intern exchanges, seminars, conferences and publishing activities.

During my studies I found it inspiring to get to know students from all over Europe. I think it is valuable for law students to learn to understand different cultures and different ways of working as it helps to reduce conflict. This is why I want to support ELSA as an alumni. Also, the alumni parties are pretty fun!