Stockholm Trek 2026 Report
Valtteri Kuusisto
In April 2026, a group of finance interested students travelled to Stockholm for the traditional Aalto Finance Stockholm Excursion. The four-day excursion brought students into contact with leading firms across real estate investing, private equity, consulting, investment banking and public markets. The trip combined company visits, case work, networking, alumni connections and time together outside the formal programme.
Over the course of the excursion, the group visited Areim, J.P. Morgan, Triton, Oliver Wyman, Citi, Axcel, Altor, Cevian Capital and Barclays. The programme concluded with an alumni dinner.
Wednesday: A strong start
The group gathered early at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport before flying to Stockholm and travelling into the city. After dropping off luggage at Hotel Generator, the first company visit took place at Areim.
The afternoon at Areim began with an introduction to the firm and its approach to real estate investing. Students learned how Areim acquires, develops and actively manages properties across sectors. The group also gained insights on how real estate investments are evaluated, how value can be created throughout the ownership period. Following the presentation, the group had the honour of enjoying lunch prepared by Areim’s own chef. The lunch set a welcoming and informal tone for the first visit of the excursion.
Enjoying lunch at Areim
In the evening, the group headed to J.P. Morgan. In addition to learning more about the firm and investment banking, students had the opportunity to work on a case task and present the findings to company representatives. The session offered a practical perspective on the type of problem-solving and teamwork required in a professional financial environment, while also offering students the chance to hear from the work at J.P Morgan. After the day, participants split into smaller groups for an evening run or drinks in Stockholm.
Thursday: Cases, consulting and private equity
Thursday began with a visit to Triton. The group once again had the opportunity to tackle a case task, allowing participants to apply their analytical and presentation skills in a private equity context. The findings were then presented to Triton’s Investment Professionals, followed by productive discussions on the case, the underlying investment considerations and the reasoning behind each team’s conslusions.
The day then continued at Oliver Wyman, where the group heard particularly interesting insights from Sampo Päällysaho, CEO of Tokmanni. Päällysaho shared his experiences of working with consultants and offered a client-side perspective on the value consultants can create, how consulting engagements work in practice and what distinguishes effective collaboration. Päällysaho also shared his wisdom on his career steps.
Following Oliver Wyman, the group continued to Citi, where the group was introduced to Citi as a bank and had the opportunity to network with local company representatives. Next it was time for Axcel. At Axcel, participants heard first an introduction into the firm and after about the very interesting investment in AGRD Partners. The session provided a concrete example of private equity investing and gave the group an opportunity to hear how investment themes, value creation and portfolio-company development are considered in practice.
The evening view from Axcel’s office
Thursday covered a wide range of professional perspectives: private equity case work at Triton, a senior executive’s perspective at Oliver Wyman, investment banking at Citi and a detailed investment case at Axcel.
Friday: Networking and investment banking
Friday began at Altor, where the emphasis was strongly on networking and conversations with employees. The visit gave participants time to ask questions directly and gain a clearer picture of the firm, its culture and careers in private equity, while also hearing about balancing a life between Stockholm and Finland.
Students discussing while enjoying the morning view from Altor’s office
The group then continued to Cevian Capital. The visit offered an opportunity to learn about the firm’s approach to activist investing and to hear directly from employees about their work, career paths and experiences in Stockholm’s investment industry. Students and Cevian’s people shared their experiences in a relaxed lunch setting in a nearby restaurant.
In the evening, the group visited Barclays. Ari Mäkelä spoke about investment banking and his remarkable career, offering students a firsthand perspective on the industry and the experiences that have shaped his professional path. The evening included drinks and canapés and brought the formal company-visit programme to a fitting close.
Ending the trip
Saturday, the last full day was reserved mainly for free time, giving participants an opportunity to explore Stockholm, recover from the intensive company-visit programme and spend time together in smaller groups. In the evening, the group reconvened for an alumni dinner at Restaurang Hantverket. The dinner created an opportunity for current students to meet alumni, compare experiences and discuss career choices in a more informal setting.
The visits were particularly valuable because they offered different formats. Some sessions focused on structured case work, while others allowed participants to hear directly from senior executives, discuss investment cases or network informally with professionals. The excursion also reinforced the community within Aalto Finance. Between company visits, shared meals, runs, drinks and the alumni programme, the group had plenty of opportunities to get to know one another better.
Stockholm Trek 2026 was therefore more than a series of company visits. It was an opportunity to see different corners of the financial industry up close, test analytical skills through case work, build professional connections and strengthen the bonds within the Aalto Finance community.
Valtteri Kuusisto is the Editor-in-Chief of AFA Quarterly.