Trainee story: meet risk management trainee Eetu Turunen

Eetu Turunen joined Finnfund as a trainee over 2 years ago and has embraced his evolving role within finance, accounting, and risk management. Eetu is currently pursuing his master’s degree in accounting at Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology (LUT) where he previously completed his bachelor’s degree in finance..

Small team, big reward

Eetu has enjoyed that Finnfund is a smaller organisation which has allowed him to gain experience in a variety of tasks across different functions including accounting, finance, risk management, and back-office duties. Eetu emphasises that as a trainee, he has been trusted to take on lots of responsibility and has been able to learn about different aspects of finance and accounting.

He says, “You get a lot of exposure even as a trainee. I’ve learned a lot of things about loans and equities, cash management, and risk management. And I’ve been able to see how the things I’ve learned in class are applied in practice”. In addition, he adds that he has learned a lot from his kind and helpful colleagues who have a wealth of experience and knowledge to share.

Synergy and flexibility

As a trainee in the accounting team, Eetu expanded his knowledge in accounts payable while also working on cash management and back-office tasks. The following summer, he transitioned fully into the back-office team where he tracked loan and fund payments and completed loan payment calculations. He has also supported the risk management and treasury teams. Tasks include supporting risk ratings for all projects, attending investment meetings, developing the risk rating pipeline, and double-checking proper transfers of funds. During his second summer at Finnfund, Eetu was heavily supporting the back-office team while continuing tasks related to treasury and reporting.

Eetu reflects, “It has been a very smooth experience transitioning between teams and roles. There are great synergies between the teams and the flexible culture at Finnfund has made it possible. I’ve been able to balance working alongside my studies which is a huge reason I’ve stayed so long. This type of flexibility is not available at every company”.

Equal member of the team

When asked if he would recommend a traineeship at Finnfund, Eetu says, “Of course. It has been a great experience. After being here for so long, I feel like a true employee. As a trainee, you never get treated as though you are on the bottom – I felt like an equal part of the team after two weeks, was given lots of responsibility, and am highly trusted by team members”.

He adds, “At Finnfund, I actually feel like I’m doing something meaningful compared to working at a big firm where you are only a small part of it. Even as a trainee, I feel as though I am making an impact”.

“It has been a very smooth experience transitioning between teams and roles. There are great synergies between the teams and the flexible culture at Finnfund has made it possible. I’ve been able to balance working alongside my studies which is a huge reason I’ve stayed so long. This type of flexibility is not available at every company”, says Eetu.