Laura Sivula has been appointed as Aalto EE’s Director of Academic Affairs and International Business.
In her new role, she will lead Aalto EE’s operations in Singapore, which are celebrating their 25th anniversary this year. Sivula will oversee Aalto EE’s international sales and continue as a member of the leadership team.
Aalto EE’s Singapore office was established 25 years ago following the expansion of Nokia. Singapore is a now key business hub in Southeast Asia, and Asia-Pacific, alongside Europe, is a central geographical region in terms of Aalto EE’s international business and growth strategy.
In 2025, Aalto EE will also mark another milestone: its 30th year of collaboration with the South Korean business school aSSIST.
The two institutions have trained approximately 4,700 Korean leaders through their joint Executive MBA program, with companies like LG and Samsung regularly sending their leaders for Finnish leadership training.
Sivula explains that, while Finnish universities may not compete with global brands like Harvard Business School, Aalto’s unique approach and teaching methods offer a competitive advantage.
"For example, Koreans are interested in our innovation management teaching. We employ a truly multidisciplinary and diverse pedagogical approach to management and business phenomena," says Sivula.
In many Asian countries, leadership culture remains hierarchical, and there is a growing interest in alternatives that do not stem from the American culture of overachievement but rather from the Finnish culture of balancing work and leisure.
Sivula is committed to promoting Finnish expertise globally, whether in leadership, green transition, social responsibility, or design.
"Considering how small Finland is, our education brand is absolutely incredible worldwide. It’s important that we maximize this potential," she says.
Read Sivula's longer interview in Aalto Leaders' Insight.
Get in touch
Laura Sivula
Director of Academic Affairs and International Business
Aalto EE
Tel. +358 50 384 7228
laura.sivula@aaltoee.fi