Financial officer and team manager Otto Osanen: Through finance towards a sustainability transition

Otto first joined Syke in 2018 as an intern and now works as a financial officer in the financial planning team, where he has served as team manager since 2023. He holds a master’s degree in economics and business administration from the University of Vaasa, where he studied accounting and auditing, specialising in management accounting. He also studied financial law, focusing particularly on tax law. During the final stages of his studies, Otto completed his internship at Syke, where he also wrote his thesis on the implementation of the SolePRO project management system. After graduating, he continued at Syke as a financial officer.

Otto especially values the variety in his work, the opportunity to work independently, and the freedom to structure his day in a way that suits him. He also sees his colleagues as a valuable source of support. Otto divides his work roughly into three areas, the emphasis of which varies depending on the time of year, although a single day can involve a wide variety of tasks.

The first area involves supporting the financial management of projects. Otto helps prepare budgets and financial sections of project applications, supports reporting, and manages invoicing in collaboration with project managers. The second area focuses on supporting unit managers by producing financial information, reports, and forecasts, as well as offering sparring to support decision-making. The third area is development work, where Otto improves financial processes both within the finances group and across Syke.

Although the work involves a lot of computer-based analysis and reporting, it also includes plenty of interaction with people. “Meetings and sparring sessions with, for example, the management group are a nice counterbalance to working at the computer,” Otto explains. For him, the meaningfulness of his work comes from being able to help others and support the organisation's strategy. “The most rewarding part is seeing that my work genuinely helps people. That I can enable them to move forward with their goals and Syke’s mission,” Otto says.

One of his most memorable moments at Syke was the completion of the IBC-Carbon project, which received a group award at the end of 2023 for outstanding work. Although the award was also financial, what was most meaningful to Otto was the sense of community and being named as part of the project team. "It felt good to be involved in the project and not just be a faceless support service. It really showed that my work matters and that the team genuinely appreciated it. They saw me as part of the effort, not just the help desk,” Otto sums up.

For Otto, the sustainability transition represents hope for the future. “I believe we can truly make a difference, as long as we keep working at it,” he says. In his own role, he sees this reflected in enabling the work of those driving the transformation forward. “Nature is very close to my heart, and this is also reflected in the fact that I get to be involved in protecting the local nature and cottage landscapes. So that they will also be preserved for future generations."

Why should people come to work at Syke?

“Syke would be a great place to work as a financial officer, because the people here are kind and truly appreciate your work. Even as a relatively young professional, you get to take on challenging tasks independently. Your contribution really makes a difference and helps others. If you’re looking for meaningful work, this is a great place for it. Here, you get to work with really smart people and have a front-row seat to what goes on behind the scenes in environmental research."