Kati Suurmunne ended up studying English at the Helsinki University without that much forethought. However, a career in industry was a clear decision.

“After school I was weighing up whether to go to business school and study law. In the end, I applied to study English philology in Helsinki to buy myself some time. From the very first months I knew that philology - studying language through culture and in particular through literature - was my thing. A friend recommended a ‘Basics of Organisational Communications’ course, and I had found my subsidiary subject. I even thought for a moment changing my main subject but soon realised that it is much more fun to do a Master's level seminar on beat literature than to dive into yet another communications theory.”

Suurmunne started working in corporate communications even during her studies.

“I got my first communications job by calling communications departments in every industrial company in the Helsinki phone book that had its name in large font. I was hired by the Puolimatka construction company as a maternity leave substitute for the communications assistant. Then I transferred to a PR agency and another, with all my clients from various B2B industries. In the end my biggest client Timberjack  hired me as their Group Communications Manager, with a global brief.

After forest machines, I got to know Partek's load handling equipment and Metso's paper machines, mining equipment and crushers.

“At Lemminkäinen, another construction company, I was especially fascinated by underground construction - tunnels and parking facilities, cities growing downwards.”

Since December 2014, Suurmunne has been getting acquainted with Fortum's energy production: nuclear and hydropower and combined heat and power production.