Greetings from Alumni: Kati McCarthy, Paralegal at Helen

This time in our Greetings from Alumni series, you will meet our alumna Kati McCarthy, who works as a Paralegal at Helen. During her time at Hannes between 2011 and 2021, Kati worked as a legal assistant in our Dispute Resolution Team.

Hi Kati, how was your summer?

Hi there! My summer was really great, thanks for asking. I spent most of my vacation in the US, which was not only a relaxing, but also a very special time, as my 2-year-old got to meet his American side of the family for the first time — an unplanned long wait due to COVID. I returned to the office a few days ago and am happy to be settling back into a more consistent routine.

You work as a paralegal at Helen Oy. Can you tell us what is included in your daily work?

My work is a hybrid between various legal and administrative tasks. I enjoy the versatility that a hybrid role brings and a usual day may, among other things, entail preparation and management of different company documents and their language versions, drafting agendas and/or meeting minutes, advising on non-disclosure agreements as well as providing support to the company legal team.

What was the biggest change when you moved from Hannes to Helen?

The pandemic guidelines were at their strictest at the time I moved to Helen, so the biggest initial change was starting work at a new company remotely and everything that entails, from understanding the company structure and its units to getting to know colleagues without seeing them in person. Other than that, though I still work with lawyers and within the field of law, it was an intriguing transition moving from a law firm environment that deals with various fields of business to narrowing the focus to strictly the energy sector.  

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?

I feel like this would make a long list, but more than anything, I feel privileged to have been able to work closely with and learn from people who I believe to have been among the best in what they do, from lawyers to fellow support professionals. The pursuit of quality at Hannes is next level, and I hope to have adopted several traits from that culture, whether it be attention to detail or working well under pressure.    

What is your favourite memory from your time at Hannes?

When I think back to working at Hannes, I mostly remember a lighthearted, humorous atmosphere despite the strict deadlines and everyone certainly taking their work seriously. I am not sure if I can pinpoint a single favorite memory, so I will say it is the atmosphere that I look back at with a smile.

One theme which currently stands out in working life discussions is purpose at work. To conclude this interview, we would like to ask what are the things that keep you going and motivated in work —what is your purpose?

For me, purpose at work has always been found in the combination of getting to work for a company that I respect, as well as working with people I can look up to. Currently, it feels particularly motivating and purposeful to get to be a part of the energy transition through my work as Helen is on its way to reaching carbon neutrality in 2030.