Greetings from Alumni: Jenni Orhanen, Executive Coordinator, Berner Ltd

This time around in our Greetings from Alumni series, we interviewed our alumna Jenni Orhanen, who works as an executive coordinator at Berner Ltd. During her time at Hannes Snellman, from 2013 to 2018, Jenni worked as a legal assistant in our IP & Technology, Dispute Resolution, and M&A practices.

Hi Jenni, how are you  and how has the first half of the year been for you?

Thank you for asking! At this point I can’t avoid saying the first thing that came to my mind: the first half of the year has been mostly about getting used to “the new normal” in the middle of the bizarre pandemic challenge we are facing.  Overall, I have to say we have managed well with total remote working and adopted new ways of working. Besides work, I am also finalising my master’s studies in communications & marketing, and because every cloud has a silver lining, the total remote working has made my time management easier.

Furthermore, summer is getting closer, and I love it!

You work as an executive coordinator at Berner Oy. Can you tell us what is included in your daily work?

When I think of my week, it consists mostly of internal communications. My job includes providing support to our CEO, especially when it comes to communications, presentations, and events. Furthermore, I am closely working with the board of directors and our strategy work. Also, because of my own strengths, I’ve been involved in developing our virtual events, management communication, like the CEO’s vlog, and our group communications. Currently we are planning our brand new intranet.

In addition, managerial skills are something I am learning about every day. I am pleased to lead a team of professionals that are responsible for reception services and our own store called the BernerShop. The past year has changed our routines and way of working, but luckily, we do have the best team to tackle the challenges!

What was the biggest change when you moved from a law firm to a privately own family company?

I jumped into a totally different industry, and I have learned so much during the past 2.5 years. While the world has changed due to the pandemic, the biggest changes nearly three years ago were related to working hours as well as the jump into independent work instead of strong working pair model. I could say my work these days is more creative: I plan & produce virtual events, write announcements, create presentations from scratch, etc. I have to admit that my deadlines are not as strict as they used to be when I was working at a law firm. However, I do somewhat miss the hectic days with strict deadlines and last-minute editing.

During your time at Hannes, you worked as a legal assistant in several of our practices. What was the most valuable learning you took with you when you moved forward from Hannes?

This list is obviously long. To mention a few, I think that working at Hannes especially developed my ability to work under pressure, resilience, prioritising skills, and attention to details but at the same time also seeing the big picture.

Is there something you miss from your time at Hannes?

I really enjoyed working at Hannes and am still missing the atmosphere and colleagues! It was not easy to leave the Hannes family, but I feel I have been lucky to end up in a firm that has such a similar atmosphere: a big family with amazing professionals around!

Berner develops and manufactures many of the well-known Finnish products and imports international brands. What is your favourite of all Berner brands?

This is a difficult question because I cannot choose just one or two! We do have a huge number of brilliant brands at our portfolio. In my bathroom you’ll find a range of Finnish XZ, LV, and Ainu products that my family uses daily. I am especially a fan of Nuxe skincare products. Admittedly I love cosmetics and can’t leave our brands Clarins, Sensai, Mavala, and IsaDora unmentioned. If they are not familiar to you yet, I warmly recommend trying the best household products from our HETI series. And now that the summer season is starting, I put my yellow Hai Low Boots on and start planting flowers with the help of the GreenCare products. If you take a look at my kitchen, you’ll find all my favourite Rajamäen, Kikkoman, and Saclá products. During the pandemic, I always carry a bottle of LV hand disinfectant in my purse.

In our Greetings from Alumni series, you will meet interesting people and get to hear about their different career stories. If you want to know more about working at Hannes Snellman, please pay a visit to our Careers section.