about transite relocations

Transite Relocations commenced operations in Helsinki 1997 and offers inbound services in all the major cities of Finland.

Through our EURA (European Relocation Association) membership and our extensive network of relocation professionals we also offer outbound relocation services worldwide.

Transite Relocations is a founder member of ANR (Absolute Nordic Relocation) with offices in all of the four Nordic countries. ANR provides a regional solution which is simple, cost effective and coordinated. A single point of contact and a single billing entity.

Liz Paavolainen

Liz Paavolainen, a British national, arrived in Helsinki in 1985 and is married to a Finn. After 5 years with the United Nations in Finland where she first worked with international relocatees, she spent the next 5 years accompanying her husband on his expat assignment. Returning to Finland she founded Transite Relocations in the mid 90s and is a co director of the company with her husband.

Two of her children have been through the Finnish and British school/university systems. This, along with her permanent place in the Finnish expatriate community, provides her with a personal understanding of the situation her clients face when moving to live and work in Finland.

As the CEO of Transite, Liz deals with many facets of the business but her main interest and focus remains accompanying family members who are involved in an international assignment. Happy families mean successful assignments!

Tina Hietalahti

Tina Hietalahti has extensive experience from setting up foreign-owned businesses in China and financial management of Asian and global operations of international companies. She is a Chinese national married to a Finn and living in Finland. After ten years in Germany first studying for a Masters in Business Management and then working within financial management she returned to China to set up a manufacturing subsidiary. She has since set up other companies in China and in the Far East, with regional and global divisional responsibility for the financial management including taxation and legal issues.

During her studies and career life in China and abroad, she has enjoyed working with people from different cultural backgrounds, including Europe and the US. Tina believes that good food unites people from different parts of the world, and her favorite hobby is to travel and taste different foods, as well as cook for a group of friends.

Tina helps Transite and its clients as a consultant and advisor to Chinese business, including both commercial and social aspects.

Leena-Kaisa Paananen

Leena-Kaisa Paananen is a Finnish national but has spent many years studying and working abroad. She holds a business degree from an Austrian university and has worked for large international companies in the field of marketing both abroad and in Finland. She is experienced in international project management and research.

Leena-Kaisa’s role at Transite is primarily handling immigration issues but she is also very experienced in the relocation process from start to finish. She enjoys working with her clients from all corners of the world. As having lived, studied and worked abroad she knows how the expat life is but also as being a Finn she is very familiar with the Finnish system and how it works.

She is an enthusiastic outdoor person especially in winter sports and spends her free time travelling and enjoying outdoor activities.

Tanja Malo

Tanja Malo is a Finnish national with completed studies in both the UK and Finland in the fields of international politics, history and educational sciences. Tanja is widely travelled and culturally adaptable with work and study experience in Finland, France and the UK. She is dedicated and enthusiastic person, with outgoing personality. She loves to travel and is always ready for a new adventure.

At Transite Tanja is working as a Relocation Consultant. The main tasks include all relocation services from immigration and home search to settling-in. She knows from a personal experience that there are many new things to learn when living abroad, but it is always worth every hardship one may come across. All those new friends and experiences are waiting around the corner; just open your heart and mind!

If you have any questions about recreational activities all around Finland she is the person to ask. Tanja is enthusiastic about trekking and spends her free time organizing outdoor activities for children.

Tuomo Perälä

Tuomo Perälä has worked in various NGO’s and consulting companies on the field of marketing. Over time he has found his passion in working for the service industry. He has been involved in developing new innovative events for tourism sector as well as organizing leisure events for the corporate sector.

Having travelled widely abroad Tuomo has gained experience and insights from several continents. A longer study period in the United States has proven to be a valuable asset in the relocation business. Shorter periods in Central America and Africa have, on the other hand, solidified his view that people are ultimately the same where ever you go on the globe. This is an elementary idea in his work approach in Transite Relocations.

As a bicycling enthusiast Tuomo can be found on his way to work on bike no matter what time of the year or temperature it is in Finland. He is originally from Oulu (northern Finland) which provides him with comprehensive knowledge of that area as well.

Sanna Jensen

Sanna Jensen has spent most of her adult life living abroad accompanying her husband’s overseas posts and taking care of the family.

Sanna Jensen’s education is in business and customer service and has worked many years as stewardess in Finnair. Her more recent studies have been in psychology.

Sanna is a mother of three teenagers. One of them has already begun university studies abroad. Sanna has a very good understanding of children’s education in Finland and the international school system. Her own children are attending international schools. Sanna knows the city of Helsinki as well as the suburbs.

During the years abroad Sanna has been active member of international school organizations and women clubs. Her specialty lies on her own experience and expertise of living abroad and raising children in a multicultural environment.