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Otso Sillanaukee studied in the Master's programme in Creative Sustainability at Aalto University School of Business from 2018 to 2020. Bilingual Otso completed his bachelor's degree at Hanken School of Economics because he wanted to maintain the Swedish language in his studies, having first attended primary school in Swedish and high school in Finnish. In high school, Otso was still sure that he would pursue a career in medicine like his parents, but since his physics studies did not go smoothly, he thought of studying business, which he believed he could apply in many directions.

During his bachelor's studies, Otso became more concerned about climate change, particularly marine plastic pollution and other environmental issues that affect life on the planet. ‘When I then heard from a friend studying at Aalto about the Master's programme in Creative Sustainability, I decided to apply for it. I remember that this happened very close to the deadline and the application had to be submitted quite quickly. I also remember feeling nervous about the interview included in the application process. But in the end, everything went well!’

Social perspective, significance and practical application

‘I really enjoyed studying in the Creative Sustainability programme. It combines both the field of business studies and a societal perspective, and it brings together people from different fields and backgrounds to solve problems together and create broader societal change. Right at the beginning of my studies, I felt a very strong pull towards learning, as the themes really spoke to me,’ Otso says about his study experience. Otso also feels that the studies combined theory and practice in a completely different way compared to his previous studies. The studies involved a lot of consideration of practical application and perspective, which motivated him even more.

One of the most rewarding aspects of the studies, according to Otso, was the Capstone course at the end of studies. ‘In that course, we got to work on a concrete project for a company. I was part of a team that developed a practical proposal for an event production company of a tool, which would integrate sustainability and sustainable actions into everyday event production. The company needed concrete ideas to make their operations more sustainable.’ According to Otso, the course provided ideas and practical insights into how the work related to sustainability and sustainable development looks like in workplaces. ‘It was great to be able to consult the company at a strategic level and demonstrate the impact that can be achieved,’ Otso adds.

Work at Demos Helsinki

Otso Sillanaukee currently works as one of five team leads at Demos Helsinki. Otso leads a team of 10 people and is responsible for his team’s well-being and ensuring that the team members can develop in their own work and find meaningful and inspiring ways to contribute to the development of operations. Otso is also responsible for Demos Helsinki's internship programme and its development.

'In addition to these, I am responsible for the projects in my team and lead some projects myself that relate to a fair green transition and its implementation in various organisations and society. Additionally, all teams at Demos Helsinki participate in acquiring projects, that is, sales. In other words, we do not have separate salespeople, but everyone has a democratic opportunity to influence what kinds of projects are done and what each person’s work consists of.'

Otso's own background has been strongly involved in circular economy themed projects, both in and outside of work. During his bachelor's studies, he had the opportunity to write a book about a zero-waste lifestyle, after first writing a blog on the subject. When the book was published, he was given opportunities to give talks and lectures on the topic to companies through his own business. 'The activity was very small-scaled, but it allowed me to do meaningful and impactful things alongside my studies. And when the opportunity to work at Demos Helsinki arose, the place and mode of work just changed, but the ethos remained.'

'At the moment, my daily work balances between acting as a supervisor, leading my own projects, doing sales and developing the organisation. For example, I might discuss with universities about whether we could apply for ERDF funding for a joint project to accelerate the circular economy transition, or work together with other teams at Demos Helsinki how cities could lead a fair green transition in their own way and how we could compile the lessons from this for the use of various organisations,' Otso explains.

Curiosity and enjoying the moment – and also other aspects of life

Otso feels that curiosity and readiness to learn new things have helped him a lot in his career. ‘As a person, I am someone who gets excited about many things, especially when the activity aligns with my own values. When new opportunities arise in that context, you must dare to approach them boldly, even if the theme is unfamiliar or you’ve never worked on similar topics before. I learned a lot about this during my studies as well.’

‘I also believe it is good to occasionally venture off the beaten path during university studies. Such studies can provide a lot for the future and enrich the way you view the world. If I were to do anything differently in my studies, I would stop more often to enjoy the moment and “get lost on sidetracks”. You don’t always need to be rushing forward’, Otso adds.

Learn more about Otso's career path and studies !