Having graduated from BCIS, Silja returned to her home country, Finland. After studying Energy and Environmental Engineering in Aalto University for her bachelor‘s degree and later obtaining a master’s degree in Sustainable Systems and Markets, she settled down in Helsinki for work. Over in Helsinki, the elegant, idyllic capital city of Finland, where the winters are snowy but cozy, and the summers are filled with lively outdoor activities, life travels at a leisurely rhythm. Indeed, Finns keep a healthy work-life balance, and Silja is no different. Outside of working, she finds pleasure in exploring the city, picking up a book at the local library for her next read and spending quality time with friends and family. Moving through life at her own pace, making assertive decisions for herself and pursuing the things she loves the most, this confidence and autonomy is the hallmark of Silja’s personal leadership style. She works hard to sculpt a life she loves, and she doesn’t need anyone else (except 20 or so houseplants to keep her company). “I’m so happy in where I am at currently,” she says. “I'm very much in charge of my own time, money and resources and how I want to spend them.” The ability to take charge of her own life and pave her path forward is, in itself, a powerful form of leadership.

Only after mastering this self-direction, could she be such a confident leader of others, even in the rigorous energy and environmental sector which has long been dominated by men. As a wind power specialist, she is part of a technical advisory team for the global engineering, architecture and consultancy company Ramboll. She expertly organizes her project teams, manages projects, coordinates communication with clients, conducts risk assessments etc. In the workplace, she often finds herself being the only young woman in the conversation. When Silja first joined the industry, fresh out of college, this was no doubt immensely daunting. She felt wary and pressured to act extra polite when facing a roomful of older men. Oftentimes, she would be automatically assigned as a subordinate “secretary” role of taking notes at a meeting, and she battled with inconsistent salaries. However, she was far from dispirited. She forged on bravely, carving a definitive space for herself in this heavily male-dominated industry and emerged as the leader she is today. To all the women in the world who are fighting for their voices to be heard in the workplace, she says “You need be confident. You can’t let anything scare you!”