Trainee story: meet compliance trainee Eero Jukola

Eero Jukola joined Finnfund’s compliance team at the beginning of May. He is pursuing his bachelor’s degree in finance at Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology (LUT) and has previous professional experience working in the banking sector.

Diving into the deep end

Since joining Finnfund, Eero has jumped into the deep end, working hands-on with Know-Your-Customer (KYC) project management tasks. He says, “My colleagues were very welcoming and excited to have me on the team. There were many introductions, onboarding, and training sessions which familiarised me with Finnfund and the compliance team. I quickly started working with real tasks and learning by doing”.

Eero’s main tasks include assisting with managing KYC and customer due diligence-related tasks for projects throughout the entire lifecycle, including maintaining and updating KYC information, contacting clients for information, and working closely with project managers and others involved in the projects.

Eero says, “I had developed an interest in compliance in my previous roles, and Finnfund has been a great place to expand upon those skills through the lens of impact investing. Projects here are complex and exciting, and it has been great to learn how they make a positive impact in our target countries”. He explains that the skills he has learned at Finnfund are invaluable to his future career. In addition to the knowledge and experience gained, he has developed his skills in time management, workload management, and balancing independent work with teamwork.

“As someone who typically works very independently, I have learned to ask a lot of questions in this role. The organisation is filled with experts to learn from, and I have gained a lot of knowledge in little time”. Eero explains that the onboarding and introduction sessions with different teams across the organisation help you build valuable relationships and learn about different operations so that you can dig deeper into areas you want to learn more about.

What sets Finnfund apart?

Eero says that the international working environment at Finnfund is what sets it apart from other banking and investment firms. “I have greatly enjoyed learning to communicate with a variety of stakeholders, especially those from other countries. And in the office, I have loved working in such a multinational environment”.

In addition, Eero really enjoys the work-life balance at Finnfund and values the opportunity to connect with his colleagues in different ways. He reflects that one of his favourite activities is the weekly stretching sessions in the office with colleagues and he has enjoyed getting to know people better outside of the office during team days and company events.

“I had developed an interest in compliance in my previous roles, and Finnfund has been a great place to expand upon those skills through the lens of impact investing. Projects here are complex and exciting, and it has been great to learn how they make a positive impact in our target countries”, says Eero.