Robert Ekblom, Partner at Haven Green Capital and Founder of Suomen Metsä, LGB 2011
Robert Ekblom
La Grande Boissière, 2011
Partner at Haven Green Capital and Founder of Suomen Metsä
Finland
Learn more about me :
Since leaving Ecolint, I received a BA from the European Business School in London and have made my career in finance, specifically asset management. After starting my career in New York and London, I moved home to Finland in March, 2020. Today, I am responsible for Nordic business development at a company called Haven Green Capital, where I represent sustainable finance.
I graduated from Ecolint in 2011, from La Grande Boissière. My fondest memories are certainly those from my favourite modules taught by Jane McKenzie. Humanities at Ecolint offered me a unique opportunity to develop not only skills in presentation, but more importantly taught me to articulate myself and my opinions in a coherent and mindful manner. By participating in the Global Issues Network and Earth Focus groups, which Jane made possible, it led to some of my favourite memories from Ecolint. We travelled to conferences in Switzerland, Germany, and as far as Costa Rica participating in panels and discussing topics that have stolen the world's attention today regarding sustainability. What I found interesting in middle school and high school has evolved into an unprecedented global crisis today - The opportunity to acknowledge these topics from such an early age has served as an invaluable asset throughout my adult life.
Ecolint helped to shape my independence from an early age. The teachers and academic system that LGB built meant that already in middle-school, we were treated like adults. We were offered opportunities to take initiative and develop ourselves and focus our attention towards our strengths and pursue our passions. I was never a strong student when it came to the quantitative modules and sciences; however, I was permitted to direct my attention towards the humanities. Post graduation, I adopted that same approach at university and continue to do so in my career. Today I acknowledge where my strengths and weaknesses lie, and that is largely thanks to discovering these attributes from my earlier years at Ecolint.
Something my parents told me throughout my childhood was to enjoy my younger years, because they’re the best years of our lives. If I could do it all again, knowing what I know today? I think I would have tried harder in certain modules, especially the sciences. I think I abandoned motivation too early when I dedicated my attention towards the modules I loved. It can be difficult to manage one's enthusiasm when you’re given the choice to pursue what you enjoy versus working harder on modules you are less keen for.
My words of wisdom for Ecolint students is that Ecolint offers a truly unique platform for a student and young-adult to develop themselves and explore their interests. The possibilities that Ecolint can offer are next-to-none and are all there to be seized by those that are keen and enthusiastic. I would whole-heartedly recommend to all Ecolint students, and Alumni for that matter, to take advantage of this platform. Embrace new activities, opinions, attitudes, and take advantage of the support the teachers and faculty offer. From personal experience, Jane McKenzie was my teacher from 9th grade through to graduation. After one of my first classes, she mentioned in passing the possibility to participate in an extra-curricular debate team, where I could discuss with others issues we faced on a global scale. Picking up on this opportunity fundamentally impacted my life.
The legacy I would like to leave: whilst my career has taken me down the path of finance and economics, I have launched a charity in Finland to protect the environment. Remembering the roots of my interests with global issues and raising awareness to driving change towards a more sustainable future, I want my legacy to be this charitable body. Each and every one of us can make an enormous difference if we commit ourselves to creating a platform to drive this positive change. We live in pivotal times, where global volatility and uncertainty leave many feeling a sense of hopelessness and loss with regards to what best to do and how to participate in driving change – I want my charity to be that platform and to offer one possible solution. We must each take responsibility for the world we leave behind.
An exciting project I have coming up is: the ‘’Suomen Metsä’’ charity, which translates to Finland’s Forest and is set to be the greatest venture I have embarked on. With the world at constant threat of destruction to our environment and ecosystems being irreversibly lost, I took to my global network with a new platform I have built with the intention of protecting the forests of Finland. This is a passion project that I am confident is already accomplishing sending a message internationally of the conviction we, a global community, have towards halting the harm that we cause the environment. Whilst Suomen Metsä is based in Finland, we have caught the attention of eager activists and donors from all around the world, with every cent we generate being used to purchase and protect forests across southern Finland. I began with family and friends, and have since met with the Mayor of Helsinki and other high standing politicians due to the support and attention we’ve gathered. I am very proud of the work we have done thus far, and I hope to continue to build this platform to channel the voice of the people in our desire to protect what we can.