Jenna Holappa

Background

About Jenna Holappa

Since I was a kid until high school I thought I wanted to work with medical sciences. I diligently studied my focus on natural sciences just to realise on my first year in uni that it was not what I really wanted. Instead of the medical part, the people part was the one that intrigued me. So I packed my bags and moved to Helsinki, studied a vocational qualification in sales & marketing and then got to work in a coffee shop chain because I loved the vibe there. I started with zero experience from restaurants or cafes, and after a couple of months got promoted to be responsible for running the shifts. Turned out I really liked and excelled in training people, so I was given a chance to start opening new shops first in Finland and then in Copenhagen. I got promoted to being an assistant manager after Copenhagen, and after six months of supporting a coffee shop manager in one of the busiest shops in Helsinki, I joined the team in Germany to train assistant managers there. However, while there, the thought of getting a higher degree felt like the right next move so I returned to Finland and studied myself a Bachelor’s degree in hospitality management. Currently I am pursuing my masters in strategic management, and alongside work part-time as a member of the Conference & Office team at Roschier Attorneys Ltd. Besides my continuous interest in management, leadership, and training/coaching, customer and employee experience are themes close to my heart.