Suvi Wilén, Senior Risk Analyst

”A career in finance was definitely not what I was planning on doing after my studies. I imagined it would mean long hours and poor work-life balance. Luckily, I ended up at Finnfund, starting as a summer trainee and moving on to work part-time as a student. I quickly understood that I had been wrong all along and didn’t even consider other options when I graduated. I started working full-time at Finnfund in 2018.

My journey has gone from risk management trainee to working as a portfolio analyst and risk analyst. I have been able to have a say on my job description and we have had a continuous dialogue about my development with my supervisor. Attending the Portfolio Management Committee meetings and being a secretary for our Investment Committee has provided me a great overview on our investments. The Investment Committee is where you really see the investment process in action.

You never stop learning at Finnfund. The company gives you a possibility to develop at your work as well as attend trainings. With so many target countries and sectors, all different, you learn something new every day. Every investment is different. I am a person who loves to develop herself and that is probably why I love my work so much. Today, I’m responsible for updating and giving risk ratings to our investments and I develop our risk rating process. I know that I can develop both in our team and in my own role. Lately, I’ve been learning more about corporate governance issues and about our cooperation with other European Development Finance Institutions.

My colleagues are fantastic to work with, Finnfund has a great staff. Working in impact investing and development gives the job a purpose.