Alumnus of the Year and angel investor Riku Asikainen chairs Alumni Steering Board

The members of the advisory board are a versatile representation of School of Business alumni, and the board is chaired by the Alumnus of the Year of the School of Business, angel investor Riku Asikainen. To achieve a good dialogue, the members of the board also include the Chairman of the Board of the Association of Economics Students in Helsinki (KY) and representatives from the School of Business.

– We have managed to gather a very competent group to support our school in fulfilling its goals. Through the Alumni Advisory Board, we can strengthen our ties to our alumni and develop our operations together, says Dean Ingmar Björkman.

– The School of Business is our school only for its alumni, so we need to take some ownership of the school, describes Asikainen. The goal of the Alumni Advisory Board is to support its alma mater in the areas of teaching, research and societal impact. The group will discuss policies related to the school's alumni activities, external relations and fundraising. 

– The school has given us all so much, and it keeps giving us more through alumni activities. Participating in the school's alumni activities is the best way of support, describes Asikainen.

– As one aspect of alumni activity, we raise additional funds for the school, for example for student exchange and to cover the expenses of visiting international professors. It is through these kinds of precise objectives that we can best influence and support the school's core operations.

– I am very excited about our new working group. I believe that we can be a good example to other schools and universities of building a working alumni community, Asikainen sums up.

The Alumni Advisory Board organising meeting was held on 18 May 2015.

Alumni Advisory Board of the School of Business:

•       Riku Asikainen, Chairperson of the Board

•       Aatto Prihti, Former chancellor of the Helsinki School of Economics

•       Salla Vainio, Managing Director at Fondia

•       Paula Salovaara, Journalist /Entrepreneur, Räty-Salovaara-Blåfield

•       Timo Pantsari, Senior Managing Consultant, CISA at International Business Machines (IBM)

•       Tiina Alahuhta-Kasko, President, Marimekko 

•       Matti Parpala, Chairperson of the Board, Frank Students

•       Antti Korpelainen, Chairman of the Board, KY

•       Ingmar Björkman, Dean

•       Katja Kolehmainen, Assistant Professor, Accounting

•       Jonna Söderholm, Head of External Relations

•       Henna Immonen, Alumni Relations Manager

•       Johanna Lassy, Communications Specialist

Further information:
Alumni Relations Manager Henna Immonen
tel.+358 50 433 9712
henna.immonen@aalto.fi