Alumni stories
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 Niemelä 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 Hudeček share their mentoring experiences.
School of Science Alumnus of the Year Matti Aksela: it’s 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 – 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’s renewable business and advanced chemical engineering research and education at Aalto University.
School of Engineering Alum of the Year Mika Viljanmaa: There’s no point in developing something useless
Viljanmaa, an award-winning inventor, calls Otaniemi his professional and spiritual home.
Mentor Eduardo Hernández 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.
Harri Paananen, triple alum of Aalto University, moves to NATO from the City of Espoo
‘In doctoral studies, you need to be able to define the problem yourself and solve it,’ says Aalto University’s 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 Niinistö: ‘The future is brighter than it appears right now.’
Approximately 600 invited guests and alumni attended the event named after Chancellor Jaakko Honko at Aalto University Töölö
Alum Maija Itkonen shapes food and businesses: ‘I want to do things that I can direct my passion towards’
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: ”The idea of always having your life with you and being able to move from place to place spoke to me.”
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’ 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’s teaching and services.
