School of Business Alumni Advisory Board member's story: Alexei Koveshnikov

I studied at Kauppis in 2003 - 2005, I majored in International Business.

How has your career path been?

Well, my studies at Kauppis have truly planted the seeds of curiosity in me. I was inspired by some of our professors and decided to continue my studies by doing a PhD across the street (back in the days) at Hanken. But my absence from my alma mater was not long, because already in 2014, I started at Aalto University School of Business as a post doc.

Today, I work as Associate Professor in Management and Organization at Aalto University School of Business. In my academic career, I have spent several years abroad working as a visiting scholar in the US, New Zealand and Australia. It has been a lot of fun and learning all the way!

Share something memorable from the time when you were studying.

Those days were truly some of the best in my life. It was a lot of fun to take courses at the School, participate in various school-related activities like case competitions, and then mingle with a very international and diverse group of fellow students. Many of the people from those days today are my colleagues or friends – so the story continues! 

In what ways should the current students take the changes in the business world into consideration in their studies?

I still believe that one should follow his/her heart in choosing the topic of studies. Yet, I think that some of the skills and competences are fundamental in whatever walk of life you choose. These are intercultural and interpersonal competences, analytical and argumentation skills, cognitive abilities to process and synthesize information. The business world has been and will be changing fast, so one needs to develop meta-skills and meta-competences (our strategy colleagues might call these dynamic capabilities 😉) to keep pace and stay afloat.  

What kind of knowledge and skills are emphasized in the future working life in your opinion?

Once again, I think the technical competence is important yet much more fundamental and valuable is the ability to organize, motivate, lead and steer, or manage, if you like. The working life becomes more and more complex, social, dispersed, unstructured and voluntary. To be able to manage it and manage others in these conditions effectively is a very valuable and rare skill. 

You are a member of the Alumni Advisory Board at the School of Business. What does being an alumnus mean to you?

 I am very proud of being a member of the Alumni Advisory Board, it is a great honor. As I said above, I spent a few years away from the School of Business observing from across the street - from Hanken - how it has been developing in the first years of its Aalto history. And I was very happy to be back in 2014 and join the School on its journey of integrating into Aalto University and reinventing itself under a new name and in a new location. I feel committed to our School and to the people who work here. I am happy to contribute in whatever way I can to co-creating the success story of Aalto University School of Business together with other employees, alumni and students.   

Is there something else that you would like to say?

Stay ahead, stay cool, stay Kauppis!