Laura Lees has returned to the Kone Foundation grants team

Laura Lees, who has previously worked at Kone Foundation in different roles, has returned to work at the Helsinki office, Lauttasaari manor. She will start her work as Grant Coordinator this summer.

Laura worked at the Foundation from 2009 to 2017. At the time, there were only a few employees at the Foundation and Laura got to do everything from opening grant application letters and event coordinating to working with salaries and forming a communication strategy. Life took her abroad, but now since returning to Finland after almost six years she got a chance to return to work at the Foundation in the form of vicariances.

“It feels like coming back home. A lot has changed, with some new faces and less of the old ones. But the Foundation’s core purpose as a guardian of free art and research has only gotten stronger.”

Laura used to work at the Foundation’s old premises, as the plans for renovating the Lauttasaari manor had only just begun. Due to her not having time to work at the manor before her departure, it has now been great to get to work in a new environment.

“It has also been interesting to see how the Foundation’s functions have developed and expanded.”

Three questions for Laura

What do you like to do in your spare time?

My time outside of work is mostly spent goofing off with a toddler.

What are you most excited about in your upcoming time at the Foundation?

It is a great privilege to have your workplace’s values meet your own. It will also be insightful to work with slightly different tasks than I previously did in the Foundation.

Which pastry would you be?

An éclair with vanilla cream filling and a caramel fudge topping. They used to make these at our local bakery and they always managed to cheer me up, especially on a bad day.