FFP 2024 kick-off – Zooming in on former FFPs’ career journeys and a ‘fantastic Welcoming Event’ - meet our talents

So, what’s it like to join our FFP internship? What’s a Fun Manager? Get the answers in our blog series featuring both current and one-time FFPs, sharing their experiences, challenges and wins, as they’re jump-staring their career with us in Large Corporate & Institutions (LC&I) Finland. 

We kick off the series by introducing you to two of the FFP Fun Managers, Julia and Patrick – organisers of this year’s FFP events and former FFPs – now working in Equity Research and FX Sales, respectively. Hear about their career journey from FFP students to analysts in Nordea Markets. You’ll also meet some of the FFPs telling about the fun and eye-opening Welcoming event. First up, meet Patrick and Julia.

By the FFP Fun Managers, Julia & Patrick

Patrick Campbell (24), Equity Research, Nordea Markets

I am currently pursuing a master's degree in finance at Aalto University, while working in the Finnish Equity Research team in Nordea Markets. Last year, I was a FFP intern myself, and this year I volunteered to be one of the four Fun Managers, who are responsible for ensuring that the FFPs feel welcome and everyone are having an enjoyable and educational experience at Nordea – just like I had. 

My journey at Nordea

My journey at Nordea began in 2022 when I started working as a trainee during the summer period in the KYC (Know Your Customer) unit. The following year, 2023, I had the opportunity to join the Markets Equity Research team as a FFP, and I’ve stayed on in the team and currently work in a part-time manner alongside my studies. The atmosphere and my colleagues here at Nordea Markets have been – and are – incredibly supportive, which is why I continue to enjoy my time here. I continue to learn new skills and develop, even while completing my studies simultaneously, which speaks to the flexibility and quality of opportunities Nordea offers. 

My role and tasks in Equity Research Finland

Our focus in the Finnish Markets Equity Research team is on Finnish publicly listed companies. Each full-time analyst in our team has a general sector to cover, while my role mainly evolves around supporting a senior analyst on the coverage of Capital Goods companies. This role entails several different tasks related to financial modelling and working on company reports but also includes writing the morning equity newsletter to our Finnish customers. There is always something new happening in the markets, so each day is inherently different. The most rewarding part of my job is seeing the recommendations we work on play out in the market. 

FFP programme comes highly recommended  

My FFP experience was invaluable in many ways; the professional development opportunities that the programme offers, and the chance you get to meet many talented individuals, have all been extremely insightful. I would highly recommend the FFP programme for anyone looking to work at Nordea. The program provides great insight and clarity to what you might enjoy working on in the future and provides a strong gateway for those with ambitions to further pursue a career in the industry. I look forward to this exciting summer ahead and welcoming all our new FFPs. 

Julia Karinen (23), FX Sales, Nordea Markets

I’m working in Nordea Markets as a part of the Finnish FX Sales team while finishing my master’s degree in finance from Turku School of Economics. I’m honoured to be a part of this year’s Fun Manager team of four. 

My journey  - amazing FFP experience led to FX Sales position

I started my career in Nordea as intern in the FFP programme last year, which was an amazing introductory experience to the banking sector. During the programme, I gained a wide view of different sides of the financial sector and was able to connect with interesting professionals with huge amount of knowledge and experience, who are always eager to share their thoughts with us younger talents. 

When I started in the FFP programme, I had planned to stay at Nordea just for the summer, since I still had some studies to finish. However, when I was offered an opportunity to continue working here, I accepted on the spot. The atmosphere here at the Markets trading floor in Helsinki is something truly special, and I’m glad to come to work every day to meet my colleagues and have meaningful conversations with clients. 

My role and tasks in FX Sales

In my current position in the FX Sales team, I work with our smaller business clientele with their currency trading and risk hedging. In practise, I hold meetings with our clients about their currency position in their business activities, and deal currencies with clients over the phone. One big part is also talking to customers about what is happening in the macroeconomic markets as well as sharing views on where it might be heading. 

In addition to my work on the FX side, I work with dealing our money market products – these include commercial papers, municipal bills, certificate of deposit and time deposits. Working with such varied instruments, clients and markets, makes no workday similar. This ensures a constant development, which, in my opinion, is one of the most important traits in a meaningful job. Furthermore, we work closely together in the FX Sales FI team, and every colleague supports each other. Maybe the best thing in this job is the combination of these two – work tasks that challenge you to develop yourself and amazing people to work with.

A very special opportunity

In my view the FFP programme is a very special opportunity for young talents eager to learn, and to gain confidence in themselves in a professional setting, while finding a career path they find interesting. A big part of the internship is also all the experiences and socialising that our amazing Fun Managers organised for us last year. With these memories vividly in mind, I was thrilled to be offered a Fun Manager role this year and take part in creating similar great experiences for our new talents. This year, we will organise four FFP events with different themes and activities.

Here’s a snapshot of the first welcoming event we, the Fun Managers, arranged for the FFPs.

Impressions from attending FFPs:

Henrik Suonsyrjä, 23, Hanken School of Economics (M.sc in Finance)

My time at Nordea began with a fantastic welcoming event called “Know Your Colleague”. The event was all about helping us to get to know each other better and build a sense of friendship among the FFPs. With playful games and some cold refreshments, it turned out to be a perfect way to break the ice and connect with everyone. 

What pleasantly surprised me about my fellow FFPs was their diverse academic backgrounds. Many of the FFPs study a wide range of subjects beyond the typical finance and economics that you might see in a place like the trading floor. This variety brings a huge wealth of perspectives and experiences to the trading floor. It’s eye-opening to see how varied paths can converge into a shared passion for the financial markets and a common goal at Nordea.

Riina Virtanen, 25, University of Vaasa (M.sc in Finance)

The welcoming event was really fun, and I believe that everyone enjoyed themselves. It was nice to see your fellow FFP colleagues and Fun Managers outside of work and get to know each other better. The atmosphere was chilled and welcoming, so it was really easy to relax and just enjoy the moment. I'm really looking forward to the next FPP events.

Lilja Korpi, 26, Turku School of Economics (M.sc in Economics)

The Welcome event was very intriguing. It was cultivating to spend time with the people outside of the work environment, and in a relaxed setting. The event was full of insightful conversations and lots of laughter. What surprised me the most was how we, the whole group, seemed to get along very well from the very beginning, and it was really interesting to get to know the fellow FFP colleagues better. One notable factor was to learn that my fellow FFPs come from differing educational backgrounds. Also, it was quite eye-opening to learn about how many career opportunities Nordea offers for people across the university majors.

Stay tuned for more insight to the life as FFP with us in the next FFP blogs. Meanwhile, you can find more information about our Future Finance Professional progamme here - and check out some of the various blogs featuring divers employees in LC&I, here..