Diverse Paths, Shared Goals: Laura and Erkki show that different backgrounds create a great culture for learning
Laura Piipponen and Erkki Koivusalo differ significantly in age and background, yet they exemplify how people at Sofigate learn from one another.
Laura Piipponen and Erkki Koivusalo are both a part of our Transformations team, Laura as an Advisor and Erkki as a Senior Advisor. Both are involved in project management and are based in our Helsinki office.
However, they are two very different people.
Laura, 30, comes from a family of merchants and holds a Master’s degree in business. Her working background is mostly with engineering companies. In her free time, she enjoys the arts – she is a singer, a dancer, and an avid opera enthusiast.
Erkki, 58, has degrees in both Computer Science and Economics and spent years in product development within the telecommunications industry before embarking on a second career at Sofigate. He’s also authored a book on the history of telecommunications, published by Wiley, a highly regarded international publisher. The book has also been used as a course book at the Universities of Vaasa and Oulu.
In other words, Laura and Erkki are living embodiments of how Sofigators are from a variety of different backgrounds – even in similar positions. In fact, Laura and Erkki had not even met before being invited to take part in this article.
“We are just getting to know each other,” Laura says, laughing. “But we have already discovered that we do have many things in common. We both love swimming in lakes, but only when the water is warm enough.”
“A new project always means learning new things”
Laura Piipponen has been a Sofigator for 2.5 years, and works on transformation projects that often involve various IT systems, ranging from ERP to HR systems. However, all these projects share a common goal: to improve operations by making them more efficient, more aligned, and more transparent. She says she’s particularly motivated by the interplay of business and technology.
“As a project person, I enjoy not being the one in charge of details, but the one who sees the big picture. I also like the fact that starting a new project always means meeting new people and learning new things,” Laura says.
For his part, Erkki Koivusalo has worked with us for more than 8 years. He also works with transformation projects – the more varied, the better.
“I’ve worked with different industries and processes: food, paper, steel. I’ve also learned to deal with disappointments: every time one door has been closed, another one has opened,” Erkki says.
“You learn more when not everyone is the same.”
As a professional services company with operations and experts in several teams, units and countries, knowledge sharing is a key element of our working culture.
It turns out that Laura and Erkki also have more in common than just the love for swimming.
Despite their differences – or maybe even because of them – they both appreciate our culture and the diversity of Sofigators.
“If I don’t know something, it’s good to know that I can always find someone who does. I also like the entrepreneurial spirit and how encouraging everyone is. We are different people, but we have shared goals,” Laura says.
“The range of people here is very different from the telecoms industry, which was very male-dominated, at least back in my time. You learn much more from people when not everyone is the same gender, the same age, or from a similar background,” Erkki says.
Even during their first shared lunch, Erkki learned something useful from Laura.
“Laura told me about group exercises she does at the beginning of every project: how they help people get to know and trust each other, and how they improve communication. That’s something I might also bring to my upcoming assignments.”
Want to join Laura and Erkki?
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