Alumna Pauliina Martikainen: ‘Global Management/CEMS programme gives a useful, broad look into driving business sustainably’

I’m Pauliina Martikainen, a graduate from the first Global Management batch that started in the fall 2017. Nowadays, I work as an Investment Director at Maki.vc – an early stage venture capital firm investing in deep tech and brand-driven companies across consumer and enterprise spaces. 

What made you choose the Global Management / CEMS programme? 

I did my bachelor’s degree in social sciences at University of Helsinki, and through working while studying had realized I wanted to better grasp business fundamentals and economy’s micro-level issues from an academic point of view. Global Management programme with strategy as a specialization area seemed like a good option to embark on that journey. 

What skills did you learn in your programme that you find valuable? 

I was inspired by the diverse, driven CEMS community – all students together contributed to making the study environment one of the most inclusive ones I’ve been part of. I hope me and others can take that with us to workplaces.

Regarding practical skills, some of the most useful courses I took were on M&A and corporate finance as well as on public speaking. Both are of good help in my job nowadays. The global outlook that you gain through studies is of course also helpful in my day to day – our firm has a global investment mandate and it feels natural to engage with prospective entrepreneurs or fellow investors from all kinds of cultural backgrounds. Many of my investments are based outside of Finland, and I’m eagerly looking forward to being able to travel again and see these inspiring entrepreneurs face-to-face!

Why would you recommend the programme to prospective students?

The programme gives an useful, broad look into driving business sustainably both from an economical and environmental point of view. I find CEMS programme’s strong relations to corporate world also very valuable, especially for students who are like me – interested in almost everything and trying to nail down what to do next.