The success of a shipping company depends on reliable vessels and skilled crews, but many important matters are handled onshore. In August 2026, RABN welcomed Veera Korvensyrjä to the team as its new CFO.
The careers of many people at RABN were inspired by family members or friends who worked at sea. Veera, on the other hand, became familiar with accounting and finance at an early age.
“My mother had her own accounting firm, and I helped her out with some of the tasks as a teenager. Clients would sometimes deliver a year’s worth of receipts stuffed into a box, and it was my job to sort them out,” Veera laughs.
Diverse Career in Finance
Veera’s early experiences with accounting and finance encouraged her to pursue her studies at Turku School of Economics. After completing her Master’s degree in Economics and Business Administration, she worked in various roles related to accounting and finance.
Veera gained experience as an assistant at an audit firm and as a Finance Manager at a technology company. She was also the co-founder, partner, and CEO of an accounting firm before moving into a new role as Controller at the local hospital district.
Her most recent workplace before joining RABN was an industrial tank engineering company. Although the industry itself was completely different, Veera sees some similarities between her previous workplace and RABN.
“Basic principles of financial administration are similar across industries,” she notes. “While RABN’s crew members spend long periods at sea, the people installing tanks sometimes worked in remote locations for months at a time. At both companies, a big part of my work is finding a common language with the people leading the work on site, whether project managers at construction sites or captains on cargo vessels.”
Learning the Ropes in Shipping
Working for a shipping company is new to Veera, but she is eager to learn.
“I haven’t spent very much time at sea, although my family did have a small open motorboat when I was a kid. But truth be told, nowadays I’m a total landlubber,” Veera confesses. She is, however, eagerly looking forward to visiting RABN’s vessels when they are in port.
From a financial perspective, shipping is an interesting field with plenty of room for professional growth. As RABN’s new CFO, Veera’s first priority is to gain a clear understanding of the company’s current ways of working.
“Looking at our current practices with fresh eyes and documenting them will provide a strong foundation as the company continues to grow. My goal is to ensure the financial side of the business supports this. Shipping is a very capital-intensive industry, so maintaining a clear overview of financing, forecasting, and financial performance is particularly important.”
In her free time, Veera volunteers with a search and rescue dog association as a trainer. After a long workweek, she may get a call to help search for a missing person. While helping people in need is important to her, Veera equally enjoys training her own Border Collie, Rokka, and getting familiar with the people and dogs in the association.
“Teamwork really is essential both in my hobby and at work, and I enjoy meeting new people. When you find common ground, it’s always easier to work together as a team,” Veera concludes.