Robot Owner: Minja Bridges Accounting and Automation

The finance and accounting profession has changed dramatically in recent years. As digitalisation and automation continue to reshape the industry, new specialist and matrix-role opportunities have emerged alongside traditional client work.

At Staria, one example of this is the Robot Owner role. Robot Owners oversee automations, identify development opportunities, and act as a bridge between operational teams and automation specialists.

Minja Pääjärvi, an Accounting Advisor at Staria, is one of our Robot Owners. Alongside her client-facing accounting responsibilities, she helps develop and maintain automations that support both colleagues and clients.

 A Career change into accounting

Before studying finance and accounting, Minja spent ten years working as a department manager in the retail sector. Towards the end of her studies, she did her internship at an accounting firm and later joined Staria in 2023 in an accounting role.

“I always say that I came to Staria from a world of paper files,” Minja laughs.

Having worked in the industry for several years, she has witnessed first-hand how rapidly the profession has evolved.

“There used to be so much more paper. The level of digitalisation has been enormous.”

With digitalisation has come a new range of career opportunities, and Minja has experienced this first-hand. Her role at Staria has expanded with new responsibilities made possible by advances in automation.

Longing for new challenges

Alongside her accounting work, Minja was looking for opportunities to broaden her expertise and take on new challenges. Having spent several years in accounting, she was curious about the technology and processes working behind the scenes and wanted to learn more about how automation supports everyday work.

“I’d been working in accounting for quite a long time and was looking for new challenges and something different.”

The Robot Owner role provided an opportunity to explore an entirely new area while continuing her client work. She was particularly interested in gaining a broader understanding of accounting processes and finding new ways to support her colleagues.

“I’m naturally someone who enjoys helping others. In this role, I get to see the bigger picture and support the whole team in a much broader way.”

Like any new role, stepping into the position came with a learning curve and moments of uncertainty.

“I wondered how I would learn everything and whether I was capable of doing the job. The previous Robot Owner left some very big shoes to fill. But you learn through doing, and my counterpart in the RPA team has been an incredible source of support.”

Minja credits thorough onboarding, Robot Owner training and strong support from colleagues for helping her build confidence and develop the skills needed to succeed in the role.

Robot Owner is bridging two worlds

As a Robot Owner, Minja is responsible for monitoring automation performance, identifying development opportunities, and resolving issues together with the RPA team.

In practice, she acts as a translator between two worlds. She understands accounting processes and the needs of her colleagues, while also being able to discuss technical solutions with automation specialists.

Many client environments rely on robots to process large volumes of data and repetitive tasks that would be both time-consuming and prone to error if handled manually. One automation, for example, processes large quantities of payment reports that would be almost impossible to manage efficiently by hand.

“I think of a robot as another colleague whose work I manage and oversee every day. It’s designed to handle repetitive tasks so that people can focus on expert work and supporting clients.”

Day-to-day work involves monitoring automations, identifying new development opportunities, and investigating issues whenever something does not work as expected.

The complexity of the role is not always visible to others.

“If a robot gets stuck or behaves unexpectedly, finding the root cause can be a lengthy process. At the same time, you need to understand how any change might affect the wider process.”

New skills and new perspectives

The Robot Owner role has helped Minja develop in many ways. Alongside technical knowledge, it has changed how she approaches processes and problem-solving.

“I’ve always been quite a big-picture person, but this role has taught me to pay attention to details and take time to think things through before deciding on a solution.”

Her problem-solving skills have developed significantly as well.

Where she previously viewed situations mainly through an accounting lens, she now considers how entire processes function, where bottlenecks emerge, and whether tasks could be completed more efficiently.

The role has also sparked a growing interest in development initiatives and technology-related projects.

“These days I’m much more willing to get involved in projects related to software and process development.”

Collaboration is the key to success

Although the Robot Owner role is closely connected to technology, Minja believes that people are its most important element.

For her, the most rewarding part is collaboration and the feeling that her work helps others succeed.

“It’s wonderful to be able to genuinely help colleagues. The work feels meaningful, and it’s highly motivating. You can see the impact directly in people’s day-to-day work.”

Support from the team becomes especially important during busy periods. Since the matrix role runs alongside client work, priorities must constantly be balanced.

“We have a fantastic team spirit. Help is always available when you need it. You just have to be willing to ask.”

Who is a matrix role suitable for?

According to Minja, a matrix role does not require complete expertise from day one. What matters most is a willingness to learn.

“Curiosity is probably the most important quality. You also need problem-solving skills, the ability to collaborate, and a willingness to communicate with others.”

She encourages colleagues to embrace opportunities even when they do not feel fully qualified.

“This matrix role has surprised me in nothing but positive ways. Despite the nerves, sometimes you simply have to be brave enough to give something new a try.”

Minja’s story demonstrates that career development at Staria does not follow a single predefined path. Alongside traditional accounting work, there are opportunities to take on new responsibilities, deepen expertise, and contribute to the continuous development of the organisation as a whole.