Students, alumni, staff and retirees of Haaga-Helia have voted Bambi Dang, CEO, as the Alumni of the Year 2023. This year's candidates were nominated based on suggestions collected in the spring. In addition to Dang, the other nominees were Noora Fagerström, Member of Parliament and Tommi Niemelä, Head Coach of Lahti Pelicans.
Bambi Dang is the CEO and founding member of Finest Futures, an education company. The founders of Finest Future have an ambitious goal to create global growth through programmes in education, entrepreneurship and entertainment. At the same time, Dang wants to help address Finland's declining population and attract international talent and students to Finland.
Dang graduated from Haaga-Helia in 2017 with a degree in Hospitality, Tourism and Experience Management and in 2018 with a degree in International Business.
– The victory was a surprise for me, but it's great that many people have noticed my involvement in this society. I am grateful that Haaga-Helia gave me many opportunities as a student and now as an entrepreneur. As an immigrant and entrepreneur, my journey has certainly been full of challenges, but also many rewarding experiences. I am grateful to the whole of Finland and to the people who have helped me. I fully believe that the world will become a better place day by day when we work together, Dang commented.
The Alumni of the Year Award is annually given to a Haaga-Helia alum who has succeeded in the workplace, contributed to society, positively promoted their Haaga-Helia identity, participated in university activities and/or demonstrated an interest in lifelong learning.
Alumni are graduates from Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences, Haaga-Helia School of Vocational Teacher Education and their predecessor institutions. Alumni are an important link between Haaga-Helia and the business world.
– Every year, we organise events for alumni for training and continuous learning. We are happy to share information about new career opportunities and help alumni to further network with each other. Our alumni are also very happy to mentor our students and guest lecture in classes, many of them also take our students on internships and offer thesis work. The interaction is rewarding and fruitful, says Elina El Amrani, Alumni Relations Specialist of Haaga-Helia.
The Alumni of the Year will be invited to speak and inspire the community, for example at graduation ceremonies and other Haaga-Helia events.
– We can't wait for the Alumni Gala in October, where we will be able to award Bambi, El Amrani adds.
