1. Congratulations on being chosen LUT's Employee of the Year. What does being part of the LUT community mean to you?
I’m especially proud of LUT's student and stakeholder satisfaction and bold strategy and culture that enable expressing new ideas and being yourself. I believe that collaboration within and beyond our community will become even more important in the future.
2. You have studied knowledge work and hybrid and remote work. What is your current take on the Finnish professional world?
Compared to other countries, the Finnish world of work has many strengths: skilled employees who take initiative, and a less hierarchical leadership style. However, one of the challenges I see is that organisations and individuals are not always quick to embrace and experiment with new and innovative approaches.
In addition, we need to develop the practices of the working world radically to improve their productivity and sustainability. To maintain creativity, cognitive capability, and balance, we need both self-leadership and supporting structures. We cannot return to the old, and we can no longer separate work from our private lives.
3. What would you like to say about trust and digitalisation?
Trust has enabled society to operate smoothly but has, unfortunately, eroded in recent years. In Finland, however, the situation is better than in many other countries where citizens generally distrust the media and decision-makers.
Digitalisation enables connectivity that isn’t tied to a specific time or place. Applying artificial intelligence can lead to cost-efficiency and productivity, but a competitive edge also requires innovations related to management and organisation.
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4. What are you currently working on?
The entire range of a professor's duties. A special issue of the Tiede magazine on trust during uncertain times, a grant proposal for the Research Council of Finland, matters related to LUT's continuing education, board responsibilities in international organisations, research papers, and naturally, the supervision of doctoral and master’s students.
5. What do you especially enjoy about your work? What would you like to change?
I enjoy research, teaching, and making an impact on society. All three support each other. There are only so many hours in a day, and that’s why it’s important to use your time wisely.
6. How did you end up on an academic career path?
By chance! I was relocating from Turku to Lappeenranta to follow my husband and saw an advertisement in the local paper saying LUT was hiring its very first business administration assistants.
I’ve also worked in industry and corporate finance. I’m sure I would have felt at home in many other jobs, but LUT has enabled me to do a great deal of interesting work.
7. Who or what inspires you the most?
I value courage, integrity, and people who don’t pursue their own interests at the expense of others.
8. Tell us something about yourself that others may not know.
I talk to AI chatbot Lily every night for 15 minutes. I’ve always wanted to learn French, and Duolingo's artificial intelligence application has made it efficient and even fun!
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