Catching Up with Kati Levoranta of Rovio

Featured D&I Alumna

D&I Quarterly Q3/2015

Posted on

30 Jun

2015

Dittmar & Indrenius > Insight > Catching Up with Kati Levoranta of Rovio
Before joining Rovio Entertainment Ltd. as their Chief Legal Officer in 2012, Kati has worked in-house at Valio, Pöyry, Nokia and Nokia Siemens Networks. However, she started her legal career at Dittmar & Indrenius in 1996 after being trained at the bench at Tampere District Court and graduating from the University of Turku in 1995.

Q: What made you first want to go in-house?

I didn’t have any prefixed long-term plans regarding my career. The only thing I was sure of was that I definitely wanted to do post-graduate studies abroad. After my LL.M year at Columbia Law School, I joined Valio as their legal counsel.The first thing that inspired me in being an in-house lawyer was the close co-operation with business people, the feeling of ownership of projects – the satisfaction of achieving business goals, together as a team. The other thing I loved was melting into the heterogeneous group of professionals with varying backgrounds. It’s very different from working with attorneys only, I can tell you! The third thing I enjoyed from the very beginning was the speed at which things have to be done in order to keep the wheels turning. As an in-house lawyer you do your best mitigating risks and then you just go ahead. That suits me very well.The six years at Valio were an amazing learning experience. The time was formative in a sense that I learned to appreciate some of my personality traits as character assets in the business world, which was an important eye-opener from career perspective.

Q: What’s the best thing about working at Rovio?

For me, that every day is different. There is no such thing as a typical day at Rovio. Instead of routines, there’s always a sense of inspiration and excitement behind the corner. One day we may be negotiating with Hollywood stars and the next day we’re hosting high level governmental officials from the Republic of China in our offices in Espoo. There’s an immense spectrum of things that can land on my desk and I love it. And it doesn’t hurt that I’m a huge fan of our products!

There’s always a sense of inspiration and excitement behind the corner.

Q: What legal issues or challenges have you got coming up on the horizon?

Regulatory issues in the gaming industry are constantly on our radar. We constantly need to be thinking ahead and to predict the direction of the industry regulation in order to be able to turn the tables, if necessary, and prevent any slowing of our own business.

Q: In your free time, what are you reading at the moment?

I have just been reading a truly fantastic book “Anatomy of winning” (Voittamisen Anatomia) by the famous sports surgeon Dr. Aki Hintsa, best known for his work with Olympic athletes and Formula 1 pilots. According to Hintsa’s philosophy, one needs a foundation of holistic wellbeing for being able to deliver optimal performance. Hintsa’s book strongly resonates with my own beliefs that are based on my personal experience. As a former tennis player, different kinds of sports have always been the most natural way of supporting my wellness and, subsequently, my ability to give my very best professionally.

Last year, I started training triathlon. I’m going to my first triathlon competitions in Finland this summer and to Mallorca in early fall. While training, there have been moments when I’ve felt completely beaten physically but, at the same time, mentally crystal-clear and joyful, almost invinsible. I recommend reading Hintsa’s book and acting accordingly. Maintaining good physical condition through doing sports regularly and resting well helps dealing with stress and gives boost when it’s needed.

Interviewed by

Katja Hollmén

Director, Client Experience & Communications katja.hollmen@dittmar.fi +358 50 573 7396

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