Alumna Miia Martikainen: my heart beats for solving the challenges of our society's well-being

Who are you? What did you study at Aalto University School of Business and when did you graduate?

I am a business graduate working at the intersections of business, technology and design, and whose heart beats especially for solving the challenges of our society's well-being, i.e., for the development of our social and health care system. I studied business technology and information and service management at the Aalto University School of Business. I graduated with a master's degree in 2015.

How did you become interested in studying business? What made you apply to the School of Business?

Business studies allow a very wide range of interesting career paths. The employment prospects of business graduates seemed promising to me. I felt that through business studies, I could be part of making an impact that matters. In addition, business studies combined thematically my favorite high school subjects such as social sciences, psychology, mathematics, and languages.

What was studying at the School of Business like? Best memories from your time as a student?

Studying at the School of Business was an eventful time full of pleasant memories. The courses in my major were versatile and the content of them was inspiring. I appreciated the flexibility of the studies, as it was also possible to gain work experience alongside the studies. Furthermore, the student exchange experience in the heart of Bangkok's metropolis, the wonderful KY 100th annual ball and different kinds of funny student celebrations have remained in my mind as great memories. During my study time, I also developed dear friendships and important networks.

Could you tell us a little about your career path? What kind of organizations and jobs have you had during your career?

I have been working as a consultant for almost a decade now. At the beginning of my career, I worked for five years as a business consultant in the IT field at IBM. I got an excellent schooling in the ins and outs of the consulting world and got to know a wide range of different technologies and industries. At IBM, I became more interested in the health and well-being industry and decided to move from the IT sector to a consulting company called Nordic Healthcare Group, which specializes in social and health care industry. I worked there as a project manager and service designer to strengthen my understanding of that industry. Then, I started working for my current employer, Deloitte, in 2021.

In addition, before my consulting career, I worked alongside my studies, e.g. In the Unilever Food Solutions company, in the field of business information management.

You are currently working as a Senior Manager at Deloitte in the Government and Public Services team. What kind of tasks and projects does your job involve and what are your working days like?

At Deloitte, I am currently in my dream job solving the future challenges of our public social and healthcare system together with my clients and colleagues. Every working day and project is different. As a consultant, I get to constantly learn new things and challenge myself. At Deloitte, I especially value the emphasis on the purpose and social impact of the work, strong management support, and the broad backbone and wide-ranging expertise of a company that is one of the world's largest consulting houses.

I work as a specialist and project manager in customer projects in the social and healthcare industry, the topics of which may be related to, for example, the development of service production, strategy, administration, support services or information systems. I have special expertise in defining and developing services, operating models, and processes, and facilitating change in a large scale. In addition to delivering and managing customer projects, my job includes sales, team leadership, and business development.

What have been the highlights of your career? And what brings you meaning in your career?

At the beginning of 2023, an exceptionally historical reform took place in Finland, when social, health care and rescue services were transferred from municipalities and joint municipal authorities to wellbeing services counties. It has been especially great to start this joint journey with our customers.

While working at Deloitte, I have been at the vantage point into the hard core of the Finnish health care and social welfare system. In addition, I have found it very interesting to be able to examine the field of health and wellbeing from a Nordic and more broadly international perspective.

The warm encounters with the customers of social and health care services have also been highlights to me. During my career, I have been able to visit e.g., the home of an elderly home care client, talk to a former child welfare client, and hear the views of a person rehabilitating from substance abuse who also used to be homeless. Although as a consultant I am generally not directly influencing people's well-being and health, I find these encounters and the object of my work very meaningful.

The best thing you learned during your studies that has helped you in working life?

A solution-oriented attitude towards the future, a curious mind and critical thinking come to mind first. In working life and in life in general, everything is ultimately built on relationships between people, collaboration, and communication, and in this regard too, my studies at the School of Business have helped me in my career path.

You can find out more about Miia’s career on LinkedIn!