Greetings from Alumni: Ida Viitamäki, Mandatum — Recognising the Importance of People

This time in Greetings from Alumni, we catch up with Ida Viitamäki, Head of Wealth Management & Investment Legal at Mandatum. Ida used to work as a lawyer in our M&A Team, and we asked her to share a little bit about where life has taken her since then.

Hi Ida, how are you? Anything special going on this autumn?

I’m doing well, thank you. Autumn has always felt a bit bittersweet to me. On the one hand, it’s the season when we say goodbye to the long summer days, and I always feel a little nostalgic leaving our summer place behind for another year. On the other hand, autumn also feels like a fresh start. People come back from holidays with new energy, and projects get moving again. At work, we have quite a few exciting projects on the table at the moment, including new product initiatives and launches. On a more personal note, I’m trying to make the most of everything autumn has to offer. I enjoy getting out into nature, whether that’s going mushroom picking, going for a run or a bike ride in the crisp autumn air, or simply appreciating the changing colours. And although I admit it’s probably a little early, I’d be lying if I said I haven’t already started thinking about the skiing season. Living in Finland, the prospect of the first proper snowfall is never too far from my mind.

You currently work as head of wealth management & investment legal at Mandatum. What does the role entail?

In practice, my role is about helping the business navigate opportunities and risks in a highly regulated industry. I support Mandatum’s wealth management segment across a wide range of legal matters, including, for example, fund formation, asset and portfolio management, M&A, distribution arrangements, and regulatory developments in our field. What I enjoy most is the intersection between legal questions and real-world challenges. Very few issues are purely legal. Usually, you’re helping people solve practical problems, achieve strategic objectives, or navigate uncertainty in a sensible way. I find that particularly rewarding especially when working with a group of people who all bring their own perspective and knowledge to the table. I also have the privilege of working with ambitious and intelligent colleagues across the business. Ultimately, my role is not just about identifying legal risks but about helping the business find practical ways to move forward.

It has now been a few years since you moved from private practice to an in-house role. How was that transition for you? Were there any surprising similarities or differences?

The transition was smooth, although the perspective naturally changed. In private practice, you’re often brought in to advise on a particular issue or transaction. In-house, you become part of the broader journey and see how decisions play out over time. The biggest difference is probably that you are much closer to the business. The legal question is rarely the only question. You also need to understand operational, commercial, and strategic considerations and find a balance between them. I’ve also come to realise that the similarities might actually be greater than the differences. At the end of the day, both roles are about helping people make good decisions. Whether you’re sitting in a law firm or in-house, it helps to be commercially minded, to be able to separate and focus on the important, to communicate clearly, and to navigate situations where people may have different views on the best path forward. Perhaps most importantly, both roles require being comfortable operating in areas where there is no clear-cut answer. Often the challenge is not finding the perfect solution but helping people make a well-informed decision despite uncertainty. Those skills have been valuable in every role I’ve had so far.

What are some of the most valuable lessons from your years at HS that continue to guide you today?

At HS, I learned to approach my work in a way that allows me to be genuinely proud of the end result. That usually comes from careful preparation, attention to detail, and putting in the effort required to reach a good result. Something else that has stayed with me is the importance of maintaining momentum in a project. When people feel engaged, see progress being made, and feel that they are working towards a shared goal, they are much more likely to contribute actively and provide input when it’s needed. Keeping that momentum going is often what ultimately gets a project over the finish line. Perhaps the most important lesson, however, was that projects are ultimately about people. Treating people with respect, recognising their expertise, and making them feel genuinely valued creates an environment where people want to contribute and work towards a common goal. In my experience, that is almost always the best foundation for achieving a successful outcome.

Speaking of your time at HS, what would you say is your fondest memory from that time?

Of course, there are some projects that immediately come to mind. We worked on matters that required enormous effort from the team and a great deal of commitment, and those experiences certainly stay with you. But when I think about my years at HS, the memories that stand out most are often the smaller and more personal ones. I still remember my first day as a trainee some fifteen years ago. My very first assignment was to drive the firm’s car to a nearby supermarket with my then supervisor, Kai Liimatainen. For whatever reason, I was convinced that the biggest challenge of the day would be parallel parking in front of the store. I was incredibly nervous about getting it right, but somehow I managed, and the rest is history. Looking back, what I remember most is not a single deal or transaction, but the people. I grew enormously as a professional and as a person during my years at HS. I had the privilege of working with talented colleagues, many of whom I still keep in touch with today, and I met some truly special people along the way.

If you were able to give one piece of advice to yourself at the beginning of your career, what would that be?

I would probably tell myself not to spend so much time worrying about what other people think. Early in your career, it’s natural to seek approval and reassurance, but over time I’ve learned that it’s important to listen to your own judgement as well. Trust your instincts, stay true to what you genuinely think and feel, and don’t be afraid to have your own perspective. I would also remind myself to be proactive. Opportunities rarely arrive neatly packaged at your doorstep. More often, they come from raising your hand, expressing interest, and daring to ask questions. And perhaps I’d add one final thing: we are often our own biggest obstacle by staying in familiar territory, but being willing to step outside your comfort zone and try new things is usually the best way to discover what genuinely motivates you and what kind of work makes you happy.