Tell us about your career journey?

I work in Strategy & Development at UPM. In addition to my role at UPM, I’m a co-founder of Sister of Muse (SOM), a cosmetics e-commerce brand I built with my sister, Kiia. Two perspectives that reinforce each other: long-horizon strategy and hands-on execution. I’ve also recently completed a master’s in Forest Sciences from HY and a bachelor’s in Chemical Engineering at Aalto.

What were some defining moments that shaped your career?

UPM strategy work is where materials, markets, and large-scale production meet, and this is the exact intersection I’ve built my skills around. I wish to understand how decisions at this scale shape competitiveness, sustainability, and long-term market positioning. The biggest thing I’ve learned is simple: in a company this size, nothing meaningful is done alone. Collaboration isn’t a “nice-to-have”; it’s the operating system. If you actually want to understand what’s really happening, and contribute, you need the networked loop: talk to operators, sales, finance and customers for their insights. I hope the most defining moments are still to come!

What is your proudest moment in your career?

Turning an idea into a brand that people use and recommend. Every time I hear our product made someone’s week easier and created space for what matters, that’s a clear win.

What inspired you to pursue this career path?

I grew up in the back room of my mom’s hair salon (30+ years an entrepreneur). Watching her make every client feel seen wired me for customer centricity. That “why would people want this?” question drives everything. I think it’s the thread I carry through my career. With many interests, entrepreneurship became the vehicle. With my sister’s deep product know-how, we built SOM to solve a clear request we kept hearing: “I want to look polished all week without fussing every morning.” Our product does exactly that.

What advice do you have for female students?

Fail faster (so you can learn faster). Perfectionism creates a chain reaction: aiming for perfect leads to fearing failure, which leads to avoiding trying. I’ve had to unlearn the “spotlight effect”: the idea that everyone is watching you. They aren’t. Most people are busy thinking about themselves. Once you truly internalize that, trying (and failing) gets easier.

What are some challenges you’ve had to face in your career?

Protect your focus: say no to good things so you can say yes to great ones. The hard part, still a work in progress, is cutting extra noise: nice-to-haves, low-leverage tasks, FOMO projects. Keep the plate clear so the work that actually moves the needle has room.

What skills do you think are most important to succeed in this career?

Customer obsession. Clear writing. Bias-to-action.

Career Aspirations showcases the goals, inspirations, and experiences of women through written format.