Markets LC&I

Executing trades, developing tools, analyzing risks – FFPs enjoy diverse experiences & team spirit

12-08-2025

(FFP #4) Welcome back to our blog series highlighting the incredible talent in Nordea's Future Finance Professional programme in Finland. In this fourth blog, we're thrilled to introduce you to three more of our exceptional FFPs: Christoffer, Kerkko, and Titus.

Titus Kokko, Kerkko Konola and Christoffer Stenius

Get ready to dive into Christoffer's fascinating work in ESG & Structured Finance Tools, where he helps develop applications that support our sustainability-linked loans. You'll also hear about Kerkko's experiences on the Derivatives Coverage FI desk, where he focuses on interest rate hedging offers and pricing, and Titus's work in Business Risk Control, where he performs various controls and analyzes transaction data. Their stories beautifully showcase the diverse opportunities within Nordea and how these varied roles contribute to our overall success.

Join us as Christoffer, Kerkko, and Titus share insights about their summer projects and daily work, and get a glimpse of the social aspects of FFP life, from office interactions to after-work activities, sports events, and networking opportunities with fellow FFPs and colleagues.

First, a brief introduction of these three talented students and their roles:

Christoffer Stenius, ESG & Structured Finance Tools

Hello! I'm Christoffer, though most people know me as Toffe. I'm currently wrapping up my Master's in Finance at Hanken School of Economics, with an expected graduation at the end of 2025. Outside of my studies and work, you can usually find me coding a new app, hitting the golf course, or battling it out in computer games with friends. I'm also really excited to be part of Nordea's Sports Club; I joined right when I started my FFP journey and am looking forward to participating in many of their upcoming events – in fact, my first one is already this week!

My time at Nordea has been a really insightful journey within the ESG & Structured Finance Tools team. We're a product owner team, working with our applications: the Structured Loan Manager (SLM) and Sustainability-Linked Loans (SLL). My role, essentially, involves helping to bridge the gap between our talented IT developers and what our business teams need. I try to ensure that our digital tools effectively support Nordea's offerings in sustainability-linked loans.

A typical day for me can be quite varied, which I enjoy. I usually spend about one-third of my time working alongside our developers, helping to translate business requirements into technical tasks. Another third is often spent connecting with our stakeholders, listening to their needs and pain points. The remaining third is dedicated to trying to solve those stakeholder problems and communicating them clearly back to the development team. It's a continuous process, and as projects evolve, so do my daily tasks, which keeps things interesting.

For me, the real reward in this role comes from the daily intellectual challenge of solving problems and building effective bridges between technology and business. I get to dive deep into understanding what our business stakeholders need for sustainable financing and then work closely with our developers to turn those ideas into functional applications. It’s incredibly satisfying to be involved from gathering initial requirements to testing new features, and to see how the tools we develop directly streamline the process for our relationship managers, ultimately contributing to Nordea's leadership in sustainable finance.

The learning curve here has definitely been steep, but in a really positive way. I've gained quite a bit of insight into both the more technical aspects of financial software development and the dynamic world of sustainable finance, which is an area that's growing rapidly in banking. What's made this learning experience so valuable is the support from my team. They've been very approachable and always willing to explain complex concepts, and they've made sure to include me in important discussions. It's a truly collaborative environment, and I appreciate the opportunity to learn and grow here.

Kerkko Konola, Derivatives Coverage FI

5 questions and answers about the Derivatives Coverage FI desk

Hi all,

I’m Kerkko Konola, a soon-to-be 5th (and final) year student at Aalto, studying in the Systems Analysis and Operations research MSc. programme. My studies have included a mix of mathematics, programming, and finance-related courses. In my free time, I seek alpha from poker tables and betting markets. Sometimes you can find me in an AC Oulu away game in Helsinki or the local gym.

Today, I’m uncovering the secrets of the Derivatives Coverage FI desk and what it is like to work here as an FFP. As many of you might be aiming to join the programme next year, let us start with what many of you might be wondering:

Q: What qualities does a good applicant have?

Interest in the financial markets, be it equities, FX, or crypto, is a major help. Additionally, precision and a good work ethic are important. Soft skills are always a plus - I’ve been lucky to get colleagues with a similar sense of humor, which makes every day in the office considerably more enjoyable. Ultimately, however, I believe that the keys to succeeding are genuine interest in your own role and the will to learn more.

In my role, one should also have some understanding of options and the basic Greeks. In addition to interest rate swaps, we often deal with caps, floors, and swaptions. Thus, understanding how option prices change with respect to changes in time, strike etc. is important. However, knowing Itô calculus is not a necessity.

Q: What does a typical day look like?

I’ll come to work and grab a cup of tea at 08.45. I’ll make a to-do-list for the day and start calculating interest rate hedging offers to our clients (note: most of our clients use our products for hedging purposes, but speculation is possible, too). I use our in-house pricing tools to price derivatives such as swaps, caps, floors, and swaptions.

The derivatives pricing work can be split into two parts: making indicative hedging offers (90%) and making binding deals with customers via phone (10%). The former is easier; the latter is more rewarding.

After 12, I have lunch – sometimes with the other FFPs, sometimes with my colleagues from my desk. The cafeteria at Nordea Campus offers a few different options every day. The food is quite tasty, especially after a semester of eating 2,95 € student lunches. The afternoon session consists of more similar pricing work, perhaps a team meeting of some sort and some time to prepare for the deals that are to be executed tomorrow.

Q: How busy and intense is it working at Nordea Markets?

It depends on the day. The most intense moments are when we are in the middle of making a deal with a customer and we must simultaneously talk with the customer and handle live market data. Failure to act sufficiently fast could result in losses.

On less busy days, we like to take small breaks and discuss recent news, politics and sports events. This creates a nice balance throughout the day. Overall, the atmosphere on the trading floor is dynamic, yet laid-back.

Q: Why should I apply?

In terms of personal development, I believe working in a front-office role is beneficial for all careers finance. I’ve also strengthened skills such as logical thinking, accuracy, working under pressure, negotiation, and market understanding. If these are areas you’d enjoy improving in, this might be the job for you!

Q: What’s next?

I’m looking forward to learning more and making big deals! I hope to finish my studies sometime early next year. I’m missing a few more courses and my Master’s thesis. After those are done, I’d be delighted to land a job similar to this, where I can utilize a mix of technical and mathematical skills and face interesting challenges daily.

Titus Kokko, Business Risk Control (BRC)

I am a final year Master’s student at Hanken School of Economics, majoring in Finance and minoring in Statistics. I am currently working on my thesis, with an expected graduation date in December. With previous experience in equity-based incentive plan administration and other financial services, I am eager to delve into the world of banking at Nordea during my internship.

During my internship in BRC I will perform various business risk controls, gaining exposure to various segments of banking activities and correlated risks that may arise. The controls performed by BRC range from daily semi-automated to monthly sample-based to quarterly manual controls. My day-to-day tasks can vary tremendously and include Sales Quality Assurance or investigating and analyzing transaction data, ensuring that Nordea operates according to financial regulations such as MiFID II.

I enjoy interacting with various stakeholders during the investigations, gaining valuable insights into regulations and transaction processes. Additionally, I have had the opportunity to refine my coding skills as transaction data is retrieved from SQL databases, with Excel and Power BI being other central tools in BRC. Also, it is educational and rewarding to work in an international environment as roughly half of the BRC team is physically located in Copenhagen. All colleagues have been very collaborative and easily approachable when I have had any doubts or questions about more complex investigations.

Overall, I would say that the most important qualities for a Business Risk Manager are curiosity and an eagerness to learn, as case investigations can be quite complex and differ from what is taught in school. Additionally, basic proficiency in coding (Python & SQL) and initiative-taking are beneficial traits to succeed in the role.

Overall, the learning curve has been quite steep, but I have noticed that I have been able to take on more responsibility and ownership in BRC’s controls already during my first 2-months at Nordea Markets. Aside from investigations and conducting controls, I have also had the opportunity to participate in two FFP events and a trading-floor-wide Summer Party, highlighting the fun and social side of working at Nordea Markets. Looking forward to the rest of the summer!

Christoffer, Kerkko and Titus enjoying the sun on a coffee break.

Social life as FFPs - building networks and friendships

The FFP programme offers much more than just professional development – it's also about building a network and forming friendships that will last throughout our careers. We've had numerous opportunities to connect with other FFPs and colleagues through organized events, casual lunches, and after-work activities.

The summer kicked off with an FFP welcome event where we got to meet all the other participants in the programme. Since then, our Fun Managers have organized several informal gatherings, from picnics in Helsinki's parks to active events like FFP Amazing-race. These social events have been perfect for sharing experiences and getting advice from FFPs working in different departments.

Sports have also been a great way to bond – we've formed a FFP golf group and participated in Nordea's golfing events. Looking ahead, we're excited about the upcoming FFP summer project presentations, where we'll get to showcase our work to senior management.

The combination of meaningful work, professional growth, and social connections has made this FFP experience truly exceptional. We're grateful for the opportunity and look forward to what the rest of our time at Nordea will bring.

Stay tuned for more blogs by our FFPs. Meanwhile, you can read the previous blogs in our FFP series, including "Inspiring, educational and fun – Meet Caj, FFP intern in Equity Research" and "Executing trades, meeting customers, automating processes – Interns enjoy steep learning curves & social activities."

Interested in a career at Nordea LC&I?

Nordea LC&I (Large Corporates & Institutions) is the leading international capital operator and investment banking partner in the Nordic region. Let some of our student interns, graduates as well as experienced professionals explain it to you; how it works, what we do, and about the many career opportunities we can offer you.

Interested in a career at Nordea Markets LC&I?

Nordea Markets LC&I (Large Corporates & Institutions) is the leading international capital operator and investment banking partner in the Nordic region. Let some of our student interns, graduates as well as experienced professionals explain it to you; how it works, what we do, and about the many career opportunities we can offer you.

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