Introducing the AFA Board of 2026
The Presidents’ Bull. The efforts of AFA’s presidents throughout time are memorialized by naming them in this table statue of the charging Bull of Wall Street, an item that rotates to each president’s home for their term. AFA’s nine founders are named on the top plate.
Toni Mikkonen
The AFA Board for 2026 was elected by the General Meeting in December and convened for its first meeting in January. The new board brings together a strong and balanced combination of five new members and eight experienced board members, many of whom have already contributed actively to AFA over several years.
It is worth noting that the AFA Board is very much a hands-on working group: board members are directly responsible for organizing events, running programs, and developing the association’s activities beyond formal board meetings. I would like to extend sincere thanks to all board members—both new and long-serving—for their commitment and dedication.
In 2026, AFA’s core focus areas will remain our events, mentoring program, and AFA Quarterly. In addition, we aim to strengthen the onboarding and engagement of recent graduates and will actively seek feedback from members on how AFA can continue to create meaningful value across the alumni community.
Please feel free to reach out to any board member with ideas, feedback, or suggestions. The board is here to serve the members—and we look forward to another active and impactful year together.
Toni Mikkonen, President
Toni rejoins the Aalto Finance Alumni Board as President for 2026, having previously served on the AFA Board from 2017 to 2019. An alumnus of the class of 2008, Toni has built a diverse career spanning startup co-founding, strategy consulting, investment leadership, and serving as CEO of an impact fund. Currently Toni works as a consultant with a focus on strategy and AI.
Outside of work, Toni enjoys spending time with family and friends and staying active through sports such as CrossFit, ice hockey, and gravel riding. Returning to the AFA Board, Toni is impressed by the achievements of previous boards and motivated to further strengthen the ways AFA serves and engages its members.
Jesse Hirvelä, Vice President
Jesse has been an Aalto Finance Alumni board member since 2023, having graduated with an M.Sc. in Finance in Spring 2022. He serves as AFA’s Vice President and was already during his studies actively involved in the university community and Aalto Finance, including serving as the President of Aalto Finance in 2021.
After graduating, Jesse gained cross-industry experience as a consultant at McKinsey & Company and is now a co-founder of a software start-up developing modern tools for finance professionals. Outside of work, Jesse is an enthusiastic golfer and racket sport player and enjoys traveling. He joined the AFA board driven by a passion for connecting with people and strengthening the alumni community, and he actively contributes to AFA’s initiatives while engaging with fellow alumni throughout the year.
Markus Mäkelä, Past President
Markus graduated in 2001 after a stint as a Finance Faculty assistant, and has great memories from his KY and Finance times. Later, he also graduated with a D.Sc. (Econ.) and from the Helsinki University of Technology. Markus’ career roles have spanned several sectors, e.g. software and private equity, and he has often worked with change management – like in strategy, M&A, and IT transformations, where he is now the Head of AI for an agile and nimble university group. In the academia, he has also had roles like full professor, Executive in Residence, and research center director, and has worked at several universities in the US and Finland. As an alum, Markus previously chaired AYY’s alumni-based Corporate Relations Council and has now had to pass on AFA’s presidency, though very happily to Toni’s safe pair of hands. On his free time, Markus puts in hours for his family, exercise, and writing in the fascinating intersection of AI and strategic transformation.
Emmi Mykkänen, COO
Emmi serves as COO on the AFA board in 2026. She is also the Alumni Relations Manager at Aalto Finance. She completed her bachelor’s degree in summer 2025 and is currently pursuing a master’s degree, with plans to graduate in spring 2027. In her free time, Emmi enjoys travelling, trying new restaurants, spending time with family and friends, and staying active through various sports.
Valtteri Kuusisto, Editor-in-Chief
Valtteri is a second-year finance student and joins the AFA board for 2026. As the Editor-in-Chief of the AFA Quarterly, he oversees content creation and manages the publication process, with the goal of producing insightful issues for the AFA community. He is also focused on further developing the Quarterly. In his free time, he likes to stay active through sports, with football and golf closest to his heart.
Valtteri Hyppänen, CFO
Valtteri joins the AFA board as the CFO for 2026. As is customary, he is also the treasurer of Aalto Finance. He graduated with a B.Sc. in finance last summer and is currently working towards his master’s degree with an expected graduation in summer 2027. Outside of his studies and work most of his time is nowadays spent on hanging out with his friends and family, travelling or doing various kinds of sports from running to golf and going to the gym.
Aleksi Kauppi
Aleksi continues in the AFA board for a second year. After graduating in 2016, he worked as a management consultant at McKinsey and later as a project and a team lead at Neste. Now he is doing group strategy at Nordea. Aleksi enjoys doing a variety of sports: ice hockey and floorball regularly and others as opportunities arise. He also enjoys playing strategy board games, traveling, breakdancing, and spending time with his family.
Karla Kossila
Karla continues as a board member at AFA, having previously been a member in 2023 and 2025. She graduated in 2024 and is currently working at Bain & Company. During her studies, Karla was an active member of Aalto Finance, which inspired her to remain involved in the community even after graduation. As a board member, Karla is dedicated to engaging recent graduates with the finance alumni network and fostering a stronger sense of community among alumni. In her free time, Karla is passionate about sports. She enjoys ice skating, tennis and running, and is an avid Formula 1 fan, often spending her Sundays watching the races together with friends.
Oskari Kouti
Oskari joins the board for the second year after organizing the master’s dinner & the Piemonte wine tasting. During his studies, he was on the Aalto Finance board in ‘21, focusing on organizing fun events for finance-minded people. After graduating in 2023, he worked briefly at McKinsey, and now works at the old KY building in product management at Wolt.
During his free time, Oskari enjoys spending time with his friends and family, cooking, wine tastings, menswear, going to the gym, and video games.
Santeri Lähdesmäki
Santeri joined the AFA board to participate more actively in the AFA community and help arrange some new activities, like wine tastings. After completing his studies in 2007, Santeri worked at CapMan BuyOut, Wärtsilä, Bain & Co and Nordea. Nowadays, he's a full-time investor and likes to spend his spare time playing ITF tennis and ITF beach tennis.
Annika Nieminen
Annika joins the Aalto Finance Alumni Board in 2026, motivated by her interest in reconnecting with familiar faces, meeting new members of the community, and encouraging alumni engagement in AFA’s events. She holds an M.Sc. in Finance and joined August Associates after graduating in spring 2017, where she now works as a Senior Project Manager, partnering with clients on strategy and transformation journeys. Annika has a versatile professional background, including experience in business acceleration at Swappie and as a research assistant at the Department of Finance. Alongside her academic pursuits, she also danced with the Finnish National Ballet for a decade. In her free time, Annika enjoys spending time with family and friends and draws energy from sports and culture, including CrossFit, museums, and time outdoors.
Antto Piirainen
Antto joins the AFA board for the third year. He graduated in 2021, and after experiences in investment banking and private equity, he is currently pursuing a career in venture capital. As a board member of the AFA, Antto aims to strengthen the alumni network and facilitate stronger connections between graduates and current students. Outside of his professional pursuits, Antto is an avid sports enthusiast and enjoys playing football and various racket sports in his free time.
Juhani Seppä-Lassila
Juhani joins the AFA board to organize fun events for fellow alumni, like afterworks and the traditional padel tournament. Since graduating in 2020, he has worked in the financial markets from London to Helsinki, from equity derivatives to corporate banking. In his spare time, Juhani enjoys singing in the business school’s male choir, following politics, playing padel, and studying applied mathematics for a second degree at Aalto. Being a “teekkari” doesn’t stop Juhani from actively contributing to the finance alumni community!
The AFA Board 2026. The board is at its January meeting at 10th Floor, with some Board 2025 colleagues also participating.