Roosa-Maria Manninen, BBA, has been named the Xamk Alumna of the Year. Manninen completed her studies on Mikkeli Campus and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business administration in 2015. After graduation, she has actively cooperated with Xamk and conducted training courses for Xamk staff.
- Manninen was a hard-working and active student who created extensive networks and gained versatile work experience during her studies, says Degree Programme Coordinator Anna-Liisa Immonen.
- In her free time, she represented Xamk on various occasions: chaired panel discussions, attended student recruiting events and participated in the making of video and marketing materials.
A native of Mikkeli, Roosa-Maria Manninen realised at the very start of her degree programme studies that she wanted to focus on international trade.
– My studies opened a new perspective on my home town and laid the foundation for me to be a professional in the world of commerce. I believe it’s my genuine interest in trade that’s been pushing me forward. I want to get better and learn all the time.
Manninen has also earned a master’s degree in economics and currently works as a specialist for technology company Vainu.
– I’ve performed various tasks at Vainu, in the sales department and in customer relationship management. At the moment, I’m developing the management of our international key accounts, Manninen says.
– Last year I had a chance to build cooperation between Xamk and Vainu and I really enjoyed it. The roles were changed and I got to teach my teachers.
In October, Roosa-Maria Manninen also started a business of her own when together with her friend she co-founded Femmeworks, a company that aims to support Finnish women in their pursuit of a career and self-development.
– I’d love to make this a nationwide network where every woman could find professional inspiration, Manninen envisions.
– In my work, I’ve also benefited from the network I created during my studies. It’s great that old school mates can help each other. For example, when we were setting up Femmeworks, one of my fellow students helped me out with matters related to accounting and the legal form of the company.
The Alumnus/Alumna of the Year award was announced on 18 Dec 2020 at the virtual Xamk graduation ceremony. Manninen, who currently lives in Espoo, gave her speech via a video conference application.
Each year, Xamk students and staff are invited to submit suggestions for Alumnus/Alumna of the Year nominees, and the final decision is made by University President Heikki Saastamoinen. The students who graduated from Kymenlaakso University of Applied Sciences or Mikkeli University of Applied Sciences, in total 34,700, can also be nominated for the award.