When I began to study history, my goal was to become a researcher. I didn't even think about studying anything else as history had been my only choice since my early school years. After graduation, I was commissioned to write one history book and competed for scarce research grants. Postgrad schools did not exist back then. In order to make ends meet, I took on small commissions for various publishing houses.

Managerial tasks bring a nice extra challenge to my work. I have enjoyed managing both businesses and people. In fact, I think that humanists have a lot to offer in corporate management, but unfortunately the world of business doesn't seem to understand this.

At some point Helsingin Sanomat and other newspapers published a series of interviews with CEOs, and it seemed that the interviewees’ hobbies were always pretty much the same. Typically the interviewees were men, and even when they were women they ran marathons, sailed, did climbing or decathlon, or something of the kind, as long as it ”tested you to the limit”. I was a CEO, so what was wrong with me?

When I was a student, I soon found myself working at the history students' organisation Kronos ry. During my time there, I managed to edit the magazine, Kronikka, and serve as the culture co-ordinator and the president. This was the beginning of my passion for organisations, which, the evidence suggests, is still going strong. I have, for example, been a board member of The Finnish Whodunnit Society for almost 20 years and held several positions of trust in the publishing and media industry.

The University of Helsinki has meant a great deal to me. It was easy to get to know teachers and other students alike at the beating heart of the University campus, the PamPam restaurant, aka the ”seminar room” at the old department of history. There was an endless stream of legendary personalities among the teachers. I met most of my best friends in those circles.

Perhaps right now I am dreaming that all roads would lead to Rome again, or at least somewhere else in Italy. I have always felt at home in Italy, as has my family, and Rome especially continues to lure me, time after time. Sunshine, good food and wine, history and…