Meet the experts at Reputation and Trust: Antti Pennala

Data Team Lead

Hey there, who are you?

My name is Antti, and I’m from Pihtipudas in Central Finland, a small village called Elämäjärvi. The nearest store in the town center was over 15 kilometers away, so I grew up in the countryside and learned a lot from that experience—like picking berries and riding tractors.

After high school, I moved to Oulu to study business, and while there I held leadership positions in student organizations. Since entering the workforce, my involvement in organizations has decreased, and I now spend most of my free time engaging in sports. My favorite activities are running, badminton, tennis, and soccer.

How did you end up working at Reputation and Trust Analytics?

In the spring of 2021, I only had my bachelor’s thesis left to complete, so I wanted to work while I was still in school. I applied to T-Media (as it was known at the time) and was hired as a junior data analyst on the data team.

I worked part-time for a couple of years, and in the spring of 2023 I wrote my thesis for my employer—the title was “The Relationship Between Reputation and a Company’s Financial Performance.” After completing my thesis, I continued working at the firm full-time.

What do you do and what have you done at Reputation and Trust Analytics?

I received my first promotion back in the spring of 2022, when “junior” was dropped from my title. In 2024, I filled in for the team lead for nine months, and the following spring, “senior” was added to my job title. Since the beginning of December 2025, I have officially been the data team lead. As team lead, I’m responsible for how client projects are assigned and the timelines for completing them.

I’ve produced a lot of client reports, and they’re still a key part of my job. As a senior data analyst, I’m responsible for the analytics that our team produces for use in webinars, press releases, and communications with our clients.

On top of that, I’m a jack-of-all-trades: I provide whatever kind of senior data support is needed at any given time. I also speak at webinars and client meetings. I’m kind of the spokesperson for the data team.

What is the best and most inspiring part of your job?

People, above all else. I’m a social person by nature, and I enjoy spending time with friends. Reputation and Trust Analytics is full of people who have also become my friends. Everyday life and work are much more enjoyable with them.

I’m in touch with my team a lot. My teammates are really nice, and when we talk, we always catch up on what’s going on in our daily lives. They probably know more about my life than my friends do—and I think I spend more time with them than with many of my close friends.

Although my involvement in organizations has slowed down a bit, I’m still interested in social issues, actively follow world events, and enjoy investing. In this job, I’m constantly dealing with issues of social significance, which is really interesting.

And yes, I’m a numbers person. I like that I get to work with data, and it’s nice that I can challenge myself in that area too. In a small company, you get to do all sorts of things, and we’re always open to new ideas.

Antti was interviewed by Anu Räsänen, a communications specialist at Reputation and Trust.