Employee Spotlight: Saana Taimisto
In Robocorp’s employee spotlight blog posts, you meet the team behind our products and hear what they say about their lives and work at Robocorp.
Name: Saana Taimisto
Location: Helsinki, Finland
Position: Head of Growth Partners
Say hello to Saana Taimisto, one of Robocorp’s longest-serving employees, who joined the company in early 2020. She had previously worked for Digital Workforce, a leader in the RPA service space. She worked as a Lead Solutions Consultant, ensuring customers received high-quality, on-time automations, and as a Program Manager for Intelligent Automation.
“The first time I heard of Robocorp was when I read it in a local newspaper. The article was about the company’s first funding. I immediately got intrigued by their technology – especially how open-source RPA could transform a market dominated by proprietary and closed Gen 1 RPA providers”. Saana continues, “back then, I was hesitant to apply for a position because, as a startup, the company seemed so small and unknown. Also, I wasn’t sure if the role would be too technicalGen 1 RPA providers”. Saana continues, “back then, I was hesitant to apply for a position because, as a startup, the company seemed so small and unknown. Also, I wasn’t sure if the role would be too technical for my background.”
Luckily for Robocorp, Saana had the courage to submit her application – because she was immediately hired and started her Robocorp career as the Product Manager of Robocorp’s Learning Platform. Not one to sit still, Saana then took on several different roles – and was recently promoted to the Head of Growth Partners!
– Saana joined the team as one of the first non-engineering hires. Since then, she has worked across product, customer success, partner success, and sales. She is always ready to jump on a new opportunity. (Antti Karjalainen, CEO & Founder, Robocorp)
After several years at Robocorp, Saana knows the company’s culture inside and out. To her, the best thing about Robocorp is flexibility and appreciation toward employees. “We all are valued for the time and effort we put into our work by the trust and freedom we get back from the company. For example, there are times when I need to participate in late-night calls – and as a result – Robocorp lets me use the next morning however I’d like”.
Furthermore, Saana highlights how a healthy work-life balance is encouraged at Robocorp. ”I am passionate about traveling, hiking, skiing, and cycling. With such flexibility, I can stay abroad doing what I love without compromising my career ambitions”, she adds, “and of course, enjoying nature and sports brings an excellent balance between the technical discussions I have at work.” Recently, she spent a month working remotely in French Alps.
Life in a fast-growing start-up has also brought Saana an extraordinary chance to learn and develop herself.
– Here, no one needs to settle for the passenger seat; it’s truly up to you how far you are willing to go and how much you want to grow.
When Saana started as a Product Manager, Robocorp supported her career development by getting her into a Silicon Valley-based Product School for training. “It’s been amazing how much I’ve learned. During my first week at work, I joined a meeting where we discussed choosing a static or headless content management system. I just wondered what these systems even do”, she laughs, “as you can see, you do not need to know everything when you join; it’s more about your attitude and willingness to learn.”
Saana’s workdays and tasks vary greatly, but she typically starts her mornings by checking out the company’s Slack channel from her phone. Then, if there are no emergencies, she usually picks up her sneakers and heads out to exercise. In the afternoon, Saana gets into work mode and dives into customer meetings, follow-ups, and other ongoing projects.
– Saana is an exceptional person and colleague. She’s caught every curveball, tackling every situation like a pro, and I cannot wait to see her work magic with our partners to ensure their growth. We look forward to seeing the amazing things she has in store as she continues her career here. (Sebastian Toro, VP of Partnerships, Robocorp)
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