Minna's story: Amazing things happen when you let them

My interest in food and hospitality began in childhood. Growing up in a small rural village, food was incredibly important to us. I would often help on my relative’s farm, and we would gather around buffet tables on public holidays with our friends and family. As an only child I treasured those meals and celebrations and they’ve also profoundly influenced my career path.

From restaurants to management

I started working in the restaurant industry whilst I was still studying for my bachelor’s degree in hospitality management.

After earning my hospitality management degree in 2001, I joined a large catering company. Over 14 years, I advanced through various roles, taking on my first site management position in 2003. This was one of the most challenging roles of my career - as the sole team member, I handled everything from chef duties to budgeting for the 80-person lunch service, nursery catering and hospitality.

Over the years that followed I was responsible for a range of different clients and also completed a master’s degree in hospitality management.

In 2015 I moved to Dubai with my young family for my husband’s work. We returned to Finland in 2019 and that’s when I found Sodexo.

In 2022 I was promoted to site manager for the University of Helsinki, my current role. I lead a team of 20 people, serving around 1,300 consumers across our restaurants at the two university locations as well as providing a large amount of hospitality catering. We are delighted to be one of Finland’s largest providers of conference services!

The well-being of my team is incredibly important to me, I feel that Sodexo’s values align perfectly with my own in this respect. I make it a priority to know how each member of my team are feeling, taking time throughout the day to check in with everyone to support them in any way I can. I ensure I spend time each week at the smaller university building in addition to the main building so I get a chance to see every team member in person.