UPM Graduates Life: Understanding international business with rotations

Santeri Nuottamo

UPM Graduate, Strategy & Digital

"I just got off the phone with our team in APAC; you’ll be going to Melbourne for a rotation next month". This was the news my manager shared with me in the fall, after my first month in the graduate program. Having graduated earlier that year, gaining international work experience was something I had been highly anticipating as my next step. I was immediately excited about the opportunity. Not only would I get to learn how we operate within the region, but I could also experience the local culture. I made the necessary arrangements, focused on finishing my first rotation, and before I knew it, I was on a flight Down Under.

UPM Graduates Life: Understanding international business with rotations

Adjusting to life on the other side of the world

With my mind occupied by work leading up to my departure, I didn’t start to feel nervous until I was already up in the air. My mind began to fill with questions ranging from “What will my daily routine look like?” to “What if I get eaten by a huge spider?” Fortunately, real jet lag proved much more powerful than imaginary problems, and by Monday morning I walked into our Melbourne terminal office feeling surprisingly relaxed. When I arrived, I was welcomed by the friendliest group of people I had met in a long time. It may sound cliché, but the people there truly felt like a small family.

Life was busy – every day was full of new challenges, but the intensity of the work was balanced by opportunities to experience the local life. The area around Melbourne offered a mix of picturesque mountains, rainforests, and beaches, with a lot happening in the nearby gold-rush-era towns and the urban downtown. As someone who loves hiking, I took every opportunity to explore the many beautiful national parks over the weekends and enjoy both the landscapes and the local wildlife. Driving through the ranges often felt like a balancing act between taking in the scenery and avoiding kangaroos crossing the road. During the weekdays, I also got to experience life closer to the city. As a Finn, grabbing a morning coffee from the many local cafés before work was a must – while evening visits to the beach were a perfect way to unwind after work.

From a learning perspective, the rotation was a major success. I had the opportunity to participate in various projects that deepened my understanding of forecasting, our label products, and offer management. At the same time, I gained valuable insight into the regional forces and market strategy, as well as the local culture and ways of working. Experiencing how regional dynamics – such as growth pace, the competitive landscape, and customer expectations – shape business strategy highlighted the importance of adapting our approach to the specific conditions of each market. Visiting a few of our customers also allowed me to see firsthand how we contribute to their operations. Overall, the rotation taught me a lot – not only through the projects I contributed to, but also through exposure to the everyday ways of working in the region.

One of the highlights of the rotation was an invitation to participate in Labelexpo Asia. Spending a couple of days in Shanghai was a memorable experience, as I was able to see the scale of the entire regional business ecosystem live instead of in numbers on a screen. From interactions with customers, competitors, and suppliers, I was able to deepen my understanding of market dynamics and regional differences.

Next steps

After nearly three months of learning, I returned to Helsinki and began supporting our annual strategy process. The time with our team in Melbourne was invaluable and I am sure that the lessons I learned there will help me throughout the rest of my graduate journey.

For my next rotation, I will be familiarizing myself with another region by joining our Inside Sales Team in the United States in April. I am looking forward to gaining insight into the customer-facing side of the business and further developing a customer-focused mindset – I am confident that this will be an ideal environment to do so.

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