My interest in cross-cultural communication has grown over the years through living, studying and working in very different environments. I've seen how much communication styles, expectations and context can vary between cultures and communities, and how important it is to understand your audience and their context in order to communicate effectively.

I explored this further in my bachelor's thesis in Public Relations through Edward T. Hall's fascinating theory of high- and low-context cultures. I compared Finnish and British marketing communications, analysing advertising from both countries and looking at how culture and history shape communication styles, interpretation and the potential for misunderstandings. I really enjoyed digging deeper into a subject I had already encountered in practice, and the thesis went on to receive the highest grade.

Spending time in places as different as Finland, Spain, Australia and Turkey has reinforced this even further. It has taught me not to automatically interpret other people's communication through my own cultural lens, and to stay open, curious and aware of the context behind how people communicate. I find these differences genuinely fascinating, and understanding them has been incredibly useful in communicating, collaborating and connecting with people from different backgrounds.