This is exactly where I want to be! Asanka’s traineeship at UPM

As many international students are aware, the way into the Finnish job market is through gathering valuable internship experience. With years of experience in the field, a bachelor’s degree and two master’s degrees, Asanka Wedeha Pathirana’s was well prepared to enter the competition to secure a sought-after traineeship at UPM.

Earlier this year Asanka has completed her second master’s degree in Future Studies at the University of Turku with a minor in international law. Her interdisciplinary background in business and law combined with a long-lasting passion for privacy and compliance made her exactly the person the UPM Privacy and Digital Compliance team was looking for. It was a perfect match!

I always had a passion for privacy and personal data protection. When I saw this opportunity at UPM, I knew this was exactly what I wanted to do.

A meaningful mission: Protecting people through data

Asanka’s role centers around protecting people through data. Assessments of privacy risks, supporting internal processes and ensuring that UPM data handling is both ethical and compliant make up the daily tasks for her. Her responsibilities include supporting Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs) and Privacy Risk Assessments, assisting with privacy audits and personal data inventories, contributing to tasks related to Intra group and Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs), engaging in data retention efforts aligned with global privacy laws, providing advice to UPM businesses and functions on implementing privacy requirements, supporting compliance with the Code of Conduct and mandatory e-learnings, and participating in counterparty (third-party) risk management activities. At its core, it’s all about safeguarding human rights.

“Privacy work is really about protecting human rights. The risks to personal data are risks to people. That’s what we focus on - doing our best to keep high standards for personal data protection."

Feeling included, valued, and inspired to grow

Although the tasks are interesting and every day brings a new exciting challenge, the people are what make working at UPM special. Asanka felt genuinely welcomed and appreciated in her role from day one, and the team has been there to support her through this journey. What sets UPM Legal apart is its genuine openness to diverse backgrounds and perspectives. It’s a place where authenticity is valued, and people are respected for who they are. Guided by responsible growth, Asanka is proud to be part of a team that values forward thinking, human-centric values.

The right opportunity, person and a team can provide you an incredible summer traineeship that will help push both your career and personal growth forward. With the fitting conditions, a simple summer traineeship can turn into something much more meaningful.

Feeling good about your work

Embracing the task ahead plays a significant role in feeling comfortable in the workplace. When you genuinely enjoy what you do, and approach your role with purpose and curiosity, giving 100% comes effortlessly. Asanka has found a place to grow and feel valued at the UPM Privacy and Digital Compliance team and this is what feeling good about your work means to her.

Writer: Alisa Hermonen

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