“Both partners need to feel the move is theirs”

A shared move to Helsinki sparked two new career paths

Credit: Stephen O’Rourke

Stephen O’Rourke moved to Helsinki with his wife, Şebnem, who is from Türkiye. Together they built careers they love and a life they enjoy in Finland.

  • Name: Stephen O’Rourke.
  • Occupation & employer: Founder and scientific regulatory affairs consultant at Clarifi Oy (my own consultancy, which I set up in Helsinki).
  • Hometown: Helsinki.
  • Country and city of origin: Dublin, Ireland.
  • Hobbies and personal passions: Hurling (an ancient Irish sport), running, and playing salibandy here. I'm also enjoying the challenge of learning the Finnish language – sometimes along with a chocolate-covered korvapuusti.

1. How can both partners build careers in Finland after relocating?

Both partners should see the move as being for both – not just for the one who is relocating because of the job.


I saw the move as the gentle kick I needed to finally set up my consultancy properly – and commit to it fully. I got on to Business Finland early – even before I officially moved. They helped me with the “start your business” coaching and reviewing my business plan. 


Helsinki is excellent for building a company. The startup scene with places like Maria 01 is top-notch.

2. What advice would you give couples moving to Finland?

The most important thing is that both partners need to feel the move is theirs. If only one person is invested, it's probably going to be rough. My wife’s new job brought us to Helsinki – I came to finally set up my own company. 


Show up early, talk to people, and use the support that’s there. Finland makes things accessible, but you still must engage. People here are direct and genuine. What you see is what you get, and I appreciate that.

3. What originally brought you to Finland?

My wife got her dream job at Supercell. Moving from Germany was a big jump for us both after having lived there for so long.


For me, the first couple of weeks were a challenge, which is probably normal when you move countries. The support from Supercell and people at the University of Helsinki made it a lot easier. They introduced me to salibandy, which I still play every week.


I love the general way of life here, and my wife and I have embraced it.

Clarifi Oy

At Clarifi Oy, Stephen works with scientific founders to make their regulatory strategy clear and practical, helping them build products faster, safer, and with fewer regulatory surprises.

Parents and child spending time on a basketball court - Marjaana Malkamäki / Keksi

Career opportunities and family support

Discover how spouses relocating to Finland can build careers.