Master instructors

Markku Vengasaho

Project Manager

• Master pastry chef and baker
• Vocational teacher since 1995
• Coordinator of Pastry Saimaa training programs and coach
• Head of the confectionery discipline 2015–2017 and from 2020 onwards
• Project manager in several development projects since 2014
• Member of the confectionery discipline WorldSkills and EuroSkills coaching team since 2017
• European Vocational Teacher of the Year 2019
• Pro Teacher Award nominee 2022
• Skills Contributor of the Year 2025
• The 2026 Recognition Award from the Finnish Food Culture Foundation for the long-term development and promotion of Finnish pastry expertise.

Placements of coached competitors in international competitions:

• WorldSkills 2017 – 1st place
• WorldSkills 2022 – 6th place
• EuroSkills 2023 – 3rd place
• WorldSkills 2024 – 5th place
• EuroSkills 2025 – 4th place

David Vidal

David Vidal grew up in Malta and was introduced to bakery work at an early age, working at his uncle’s bakery after school. At the time, the job was mainly a way for him to earn some money, and pastry did not particularly appeal to him. His path into the kitchen eventually led him to culinary school, where a whole new world opened up to him: he discovered just how much could be done with food and how much creativity the profession offered. International competitions also sparked his interest. After graduating, Vidal worked in restaurants and hotels in Malta. A placement abroad as part of his studies took him to London, where he met his future Swedish wife. After spending a few years in Malta, the couple moved to Sweden, where Vidal continued his career in restaurant kitchens. He worked as a chef for around 15 years.

A turning point came in 2016, when Vidal was given responsibility for reorganising the cold kitchen, which also included desserts. After so many years away from pastry, his skills were rusty. He had, for example, never tempered chocolate. He began looking to Instagram for inspiration, learning new techniques and practising them independently. Before long, Vidal started sharing his own creations online. His striking desserts attracted attention, his following grew, and social media connected him with other professionals and international brands. This led to collaborations, masterclasses and eventually international recognition. Although Instagram has played an important role in Vidal’s career, he does not want to be seen as a social media influencer. For him, social media has primarily been a place to learn, find inspiration and discover what others around the world are doing.

Competing was an important part of Vidal’s professional development for many years. He has been involved in culinary competitions in both Malta and Sweden and took part in the Culinary World Cup in Luxembourg in 2018. Eventually, however, he had to choose between competing and teaching – and teaching won. Vidal finds working with young professionals particularly rewarding. At its best, teaching gives students something that continues to influence the way they think and work long after the class itself is over. This is what ultimately inspired Vidal to focus his energy increasingly on teaching rather than competing.

Vidal’s particular passion is plated desserts. This is also what he most enjoys teaching his students, although sharing recipes is only a small part of his approach. Give the same recipe to ten different people and you may end up with ten different results. That is why Vidal wants to teach not only recipes, but also techniques, professional ways of working and, above all, inspiration.

His approach to teaching is based on openness: knowledge should not be held back, and students should be taught everything you can teach them. While Vidal describes himself as demanding and disciplined in his own kitchen, as an instructor he believes it is important to be approachable and willing to share his knowledge.

Having taught internationally, Vidal has visited many pastry and culinary schools throughout his career. Pastry Saimaa particularly impressed him with its facilities, equipment and the scale of its training environment. He considers it one of the best schools in the field that he has seen.

Frank Haasnoot

Frank Haasnoot is an internationally respected Dutch pastry chef known for his modern pastry creations, chocolate and sugar showpieces, and his work as a pastry instructor and competition chef. Frank trained as a pastry chef in the Netherlands. He has worked in several high-end pastry shops and hotels in different countries, including the Netherlands, Switzerland, Taiwan and Hong Kong. Frank has won several major pastry competitions, including the title of World Champion at the World Chocolate Masters in 2011. He has also published books on professional pastry. Today he travels internationally giving masterclasses, demonstrations and professional pastry training. He continuously develops new techniques and ways of working. Frank considers Pastry Saimaa to be a high-quality school. At Pastry Saimaa, Frank feels he is in good hands thanks to the excellent equipment and well-equipped facilities. He hopes that participants enjoy his masterclasses and aims to inspire people to think in new ways and develop their own personal style with heart and passion.

Frank’s interest in the field stems from his family background. His grandfather owned a bakery and his uncle had a restaurant where Frank completed a work placement at the age of 13. This sparked his interest, and he soon asked his uncle if he could help out. At his uncle’s fish restaurant Frank assisted in the kitchen. As a talented drawer, Frank initially considered a career as an architect, but working with his hands and the teamwork of the restaurant kitchen ultimately won him over. On his uncle’s recommendation he started in pastry. The idea was that he might later move to cuisine, but that never happened. Among the highlights of his career, Frank mentions a former supervisor who inspired him years ago to think differently. This encouragement helped him develop his own style and changed the way he works as a pastry chef. Winning the World Chocolate Masters was another major milestone, bringing him international recognition and opening doors around the world.

Vinesh Johny

As a young man, Vinesh Johny attended school in Bangalore. An academic career did not appeal to him. Instead, he wanted to work with his hands and chose to train as a chef. However, the work did not feel like the right fit, so he moved into the beverage industry. By chance, he ended up baking for a few months, which was a turning point in his career. Vinesh then trained as a pastry chef, initially working in luxury hotels before founding the prestigious Lavonne (Academy of Baking Science and Pastry Arts) at the age of just 24. Lavonne is India’s first modern baking academy and has played a significant role in the development of the country’s pastry industry. Vinesh has also founded two restaurants, the LICK ice cream brand and six cafés.

Today, Vinesh is one of the most respected pastry professionals in India and across Asia, as well as an internationally recognised educator and author. His accolades include Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia (2016), World’s 50 Best – 50 Next (2022), and Indian Pastry Chef of the Year (2024 and 2025). In his masterclasses, Vinesh focuses on teaching originality – how a product can emerge from one’s own inspiration. He encourages students to express themselves fearlessly. As a key trend in the industry, he highlights the addition of protein and electrolytes to products. At the same time, simplicity is making a comeback. It is all about balance between health, simplicity and high quality. Less is more.
Vinesh has visited Finland three times, and his connection to Finnish culture is strong. He considers the collaboration with Pastry Saimaa successful. The facilities and equipment are excellent, making it possible to produce top-quality products.

Katja Tuomainen

Katja Tuomainen is a chef from Helsinki and the Team Manager of the Culinary Team of Finland. She has been a member of the national team since 2016 and has represented Finland in several international competitions, including the Culinary Olympics and World Championships.

As Team Manager, Katja is responsible for the long-term development, coaching, and competition activities of the national team. Under her leadership, Finland achieved a gold medal at the 2024 Culinary Olympics. Katja is particularly known for her modern and responsible leadership style, characterized by trust, clear direction, and teamwork, and she has been awarded the PRO Award for her leadership. In addition, she serves as a judge in international competitions.

Katja also develops recipes for companies and works as an instructor. Her work is guided by a strong respect for ingredients and a desire to advance Finnish food culture. For her, it is important to share her expertise and support the development of the next generation.

Sukanya Parkkima

Sukanya Parkkima works as a pastry chef at Café Aleksandra in Lappeenranta. In her work, she prepares both sweet and savory pastry products. Sukanya placed fourth in the Makeamestari competition in 2019. In 2020, she worked as an assistant to Eija Kuningas with the Culinary Team of Finland, after which she trained as the team’s pastry member for the 2022 World Championships in Luxembourg. However, the competition participation was canceled at the last minute. Sukanya finds teaching at Pastry Saimaa very rewarding. Her first time as an instructor was nerve-racking, but the experience sparked a new passion to continue developing as an even better instructor.

When Sukanya originally moved from Thailand to Finland, she considered becoming a chef or pursuing education in the hospitality and restaurant sector after studying the Finnish language. However, studies in bakery and pastry arts ultimately won her over, and she began studying at Sampo in 2016. During her studies, she had the opportunity to closely follow Eija Kuningas preparing for the Makeamestari competition, which inspired her to pursue something similar. Sukanya continued directly to advanced pastry studies, and in spring 2021 she began the pastry master training when it became available at Sampo. She completed her internship at Restaurant Savoy in Helsinki. After completing the master qualification, Sukanya continued at Sampo in product development training. In the future, she hopes to work as a pastry chef and also teach at Sampo.

Guilherme Guise

Guilherme Guise from Brazil has worked for many years as a pastry chef in some of Finland’s top restaurants. He considers the pastry master training at Sampo to be truly unique in Finland.

Guilherme worked for nearly three years in various kitchens as a cook before starting as a pastry chef at Hans Välimäki’s restaurant La Société du Cochon. He learned the craft from the ground up under the guidance of a pastry chef he knew. Since then, Guilherme has worked as a pastry chef in several places, including PH7 and for many years at Hotel Kämp. Before his current work as an entrepreneur at Quincy Gastronomic Services, he was responsible for the desserts at Restaurant Savoy and their development. Guilherme also serves as a brand ambassador in Finland for two French companies: the chocolate producer Michel Cluizel and the fruit purée manufacturer Les Vergers Boiron.

Amanda Rantala

Amanda Rantala has worked in the field for over ten years. After graduating in Hämeenlinna, she began her career at a bakery in Turku, where the foundation of the business is strong craftsmanship and a drive to create something new and bold within the bakery industry. Over six years, Amanda worked in a wide range of roles and gained extensive hands-on experience. She later moved to a smaller bakery, where the focus is strongly on artisanal work and sourdough baking. In her current role, Amanda also has the freedom to develop new ideas and flavor combinations.

Amanda completed her pastry master qualification alongside her work at Saimaa Vocational College Sampo. She describes the collaboration with Pastry Saimaa as both rewarding and inspiring. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming, and communication is effortless. During the training, professionals openly share their knowledge and expertise with one another.

Amanda developed a passion for baking already in childhood, when she was encouraged at home to experiment and try different things. After upper secondary school, her career path was still unclear, but her interest in baking led her to pursue studies in the bakery field. Her first permanent position came through an internship. Working alongside enthusiastic colleagues, Amanda spent her free time experimenting with new ideas, which she found highly inspiring.

She has a broad interest in the pastry field, although pastries are her particular strength. Amanda hopes the industry will move towards a simpler and more natural direction. She values seasonality and the use of natural ingredients and colorings in her work.

Olli Kuokkanen

Olli has worked as a chef and garde manger in numerous restaurants in Helsinki as well as in Paris and London. He has also been a partner in and operated his own delicatessen factory, Gagu, and led the opening of Leipomo Salonen’s in-store bakery at Iso Omena. Olli has been a member of the Culinary Team of Finland and has participated in two Culinary Olympics. He has also served twice as a judge in the Chef of the Year competition and received the Cordon Bleu medal from the Finnish Chefs Association in 2018.

Competition history:

• 10 / 2008: IKA Olympiade der Köche (Culinary Olympics). 1 Gold, 3 Silver, 15th place.
• 04 / 2011: C3 Desserts for Restaurant (World Championship for Restaurant Desserts). Semi-final, 2nd place.
• 01 / 2012: PRO Pastry Competition 10th Anniversary. Finalist, 1st place.
• 10 / 2012: IKA Olympiade der Köche (Culinary Olympics). 4 Silver, 7th place.
• 05 / 2013: Global Pastry Chef Challenge (Northern Europe Semi-Final). 1st place.
• 07 / 2014: Global Pastry Chef Challenge (World Final). 2nd place.
• 04 / 2016: C3 Desserts for Restaurant (World Championship for Restaurant Desserts). Semi-final, 2nd place.
• 10 / 2018: Makeamestari 2018. Semi-final, 6th place.

Outi Suopanki

International Affairs Specialist

• Master pastry chef, Master of Engineering (UAS)
• Vocational teacher since 2009
• International coordinator, instructor, and coach at Pastry Saimaa
• WorldSkills Expert (Pâtisserie and Confectionery), Abu Dhabi 2017, Lucerne 2022
• EuroSkills Chief Expert (Pâtisserie and Confectionery), Gdansk 2023, Herning 2025, Düsseldorf 2027
• Abilympics Skill Competition Manager (Pâtisserie and Confectionery), Helsinki 2027
• Skills Finland National Competition Taitaja 2027 discipline lead
• Involved in Finland’s Taitaja competition activities since 2013 as a member of the discipline steering group, semi-final and final judge, discipline lead, and chief judge

Outi Suopanki, a leading expert in her field, works as a lecturer in the food industry at Saimaa Vocational College Sampo and as the international affairs specialist and coordinator of Pastry Saimaa. Outi has extensive international networks built over the years, largely through international competition activities. At Sampo, she teaches students in the food industry vocational qualification as well as pastry apprentice and pastry master students.

Outi has more than a decade of experience in industry competitions. She has served in several roles in the Taitaja national skills competitions, including as the chief judge of the bakery and pastry discipline in 2022 and 2023.

In international competitions, Outi has worked as an expert in the pâtisserie and confectionery discipline at the WorldSkills competitions in Lucerne, Switzerland in 2022 and in Abu Dhabi in 2017. In the 2017 competition, Sampo’s Emeliina Papinniemi won Finland’s first gold medal in the discipline. In 2023, pâtisserie and confectionery was included in the EuroSkills competition for the first time, and Outi served as the Chief Expert, responsible for planning the implementation of the discipline, the competition tasks and evaluation, as well as leading the discipline during the competition. Her role continued when she was unanimously selected as Chief Expert for the next EuroSkills competition in Herning, Denmark in 2025. Work is now underway for the next EuroSkills competition in Düsseldorf, Germany in 2027, where Outi will again serve as Chief Expert. In the same year, the Skills Games event will be held in Helsinki, where Outi will serve both as the discipline lead for bakery and pastry in the Taitaja competition and as the Skill Competition Manager for the Abilympics discipline Pâtisserie and Confectionery.

Competition activities and her previous professional roles have included extensive international travel. Outi encourages students to explore international opportunities during their studies and to make use of student mobility programs. During her pastry master studies, she herself spent two weeks in Austria on a student exchange period.

“As the saying goes, travel broadens the mind; it gives a wider perspective on things both professionally and personally,” Outi notes.

Outi found her way to the bakery and pastry field after upper secondary school, encouraged by a friend. She had always enjoyed baking, and vocational studies offered a relatively quick path into working life. Before beginning her teaching career, Outi worked in small artisan pastry and bakery businesses, after which she spent 14.5 years working in vocational education at Salpaus Further Education. Her favorite ingredient is chocolate, where she feels she has the deepest expertise. Making chocolate pralines is also a cherished hobby for her.

When Outi joined Sampo at the beginning of 2024, the institution was already familiar to her through competitions and her own studies. “It feels like coming home,” she says, adding that she enjoys working at Sampo very much.

“Sampo has world-class facilities and equipment, which enable versatile activities. Most importantly, the culture is enabling, and there is a development-oriented and innovative mindset in everything we do,” Outi explains.

Eija Kuningas

Product Development Specialist

• Master pastry chef
• Instructor and coach at Pastry Saimaa
• Member of the confectionery discipline WorldSkills and EuroSkills coaching team since 2017
• Member of the Culinary Team of Finland since 2019
• IKA Culinary Olympics gold medalist 2024
• IKA Culinary Olympics – 2nd place Chef’s Table, 5th place overall 2020
• Makeamestari 2018 – 3rd place

Fredrik Borgskog

Master Instructor

Swedish chef Fredrik Borgskog has worked for many years first as a chef and later as a pastry chef in several top restaurants in Sweden. Fredrik greatly enjoys collaborating with the pastry master students at Sampo, describing the atmosphere as fantastic. He also considers the school’s facilities to be extremely clean and very well equipped.

Fredrik began his career in Stockholm and later continued through Skåne to Gothenburg. There he opened a completely new type of bakery and café in a former boat-building workshop. On weekdays, the space produces specialty products such as pastries and confectionery for restaurants and companies. Every other weekend, the impressive 200-square-meter factory-style space is opened to the public, offering visitors new products each time. In addition, Fredrik develops recipes and provides training.

Kari Julin

Master Instructor

Kari is a member of the Culinary Team of Finland and has worked, among other places, at Mustio Manor and in Raseborg.

Luke Frost

Master Instructor

Luke Frost is part of the L’École Valrhona chef team, working across Northern Europe. The chocolate expertise center L’École Valrhona is part of Valrhona, which in Finland is represented by PNM-Chipsters.

Luke finds teaching at Sampo inspiring, as the facilities are excellent and the students show strong passion and motivation to learn more. Luke’s approach is unique, as he focuses more on ingredients and spends less time on recipes and techniques. The goal is for students to better understand how ingredients behave within recipes. For example, when working with chocolate, the key factors are temperature and how different types of chocolate react at different temperatures.

As a young man, Luke originally planned to study business. However, while working in a restaurant alongside his studies, he found the restaurant environment far more appealing than office life. He therefore changed his plans. Before joining L’École Valrhona, Luke gained extensive experience in leading hotels in the United Kingdom, including the Savoy Hotel Group, Raymond Blanc’s flagship restaurant Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons, Nigel Haworth’s Northcote Manor, The Chester Grosvenor, and the Dorchester Collection’s Coworth Park in Ascot. Luke has traveled extensively and participated in international food festivals and training placements, taking him into kitchens around the world to work alongside some of the industry’s leading chefs.

Olivier Lucas

Master Instructor

French pastry master Olivier Lucas has worked around the world for many years. He finds collaborating with the pastry master students at Sampo highly inspiring.

Olivier grew up in the culinary culture of Paris. After qualifying as a pastry master at a young age in France, he has traveled the world, developing his expertise through various professional roles as well as consulting and training for international brands as a gelato chef. Olivier has lived in Finland for several years and has also worked as an instructor in the pastry field. In autumn 2022, Olivier opened a new pastry café in Helsinki.

Emeliina Papinniemi

Master Instructor

Emeliina Papinniemi works as a pastry chef at Leipomo Manna in Turku. She is responsible for the entire pastry section of the bakery together with two pastry colleagues. Her work is wide-ranging. Emeliina is particularly interested in chocolate work and creating chocolate sculptures. At Sampo she teaches chocolate techniques, offering both basic technique courses and showpiece courses. Her collaboration with Sampo has lasted for many years, and Emeliina values it greatly. She says it is always a pleasure to return to Sampo, where the welcome is warm and the atmosphere trusting, even during the student stage.

Emeliina entered the field immediately after completing comprehensive school. Upper secondary school remained an option for a long time, which is why she completed a dual qualification at Sampo. From the beginning, the field felt like the right choice—interesting and diverse. During her studies, her interest in the profession only deepened, and she has continued to pursue that passion after graduation. While studying, Emeliina competed in the Finnish Taitaja national skills competition twice, winning gold and the title of Best Competitor in her second participation. After completing her basic qualification, she moved to Turku to work at MBakery. During five and a half years there, she spent one and a half years as a supervisor in the pastry department while simultaneously completing her pastry apprentice qualification alongside work and competing internationally with the Culinary Team of Finland. She participated twice in the Culinary Olympics and once in the individual WorldSkills competition, where she won the world championship. After moving to Leipomo Manna, Emeliina completed her pastry master qualification at Sampo. She deeply values the collaboration with Sampo, which began in 2012 and continues to this day.

Ban Tell

Master Instructor

Ban Tell has worked for many years as a pastry chef and head pastry chef in Stockholm. She describes teaching at Sampo as incredible, as the school’s kitchen is extremely well equipped — “everything is top class.” Ban felt the welcome was very warm and the students were fantastic. Every student was fully engaged in the teaching and in creating their own wedding cake, which she found very rewarding.

Ban began baking and designing cakes at the age of 21 in Jordan, where she was born. At first, she baked cakes from her home kitchen for friends’ and family members’ birthdays and celebrations for several years. She then moved to Paris to study at Le Cordon Bleu and to pursue cake design professionally. She graduated from LCB with top honors. After four years in Paris, she moved to Stockholm. She first worked for several years as a pastry chef and later as head pastry chef at the Grand Hotel. Today, Ban works as head pastry chef at Fotografiska, where she is responsible for the Fika buffet as well as desserts for celebration dinners and tasting menus.

Samuel Fremaux

Master Instructor

Samuel Fremaux works as a bakery and pastry instructor at the École Nationale Supérieure de Pâtisserie (ENSP) in Yssingeaux, France. For over 40 years, ENSP has been one of the world’s leading schools in the field. The institution has educated top professionals in pastry, baking, chocolate work, confectionery, and ice cream. In 2023, ENSP expanded its operations to the new Yves Thuriès campus, becoming the largest pastry school in the world. Samuel finds the collaboration with Sampo both interesting and enjoyable. In his view, Sampo has excellent facilities and everything appears efficient and well organized.

Already at the age of five, Samuel knew he wanted to become a pastry chef. No one else in his family was particularly interested in baking, except for his grandfather, which may have influenced the young boy. As a child, Samuel mainly baked pancakes and almond croquant pastries. He truly discovered baking when he began working as an apprentice four years before starting his formal studies. From the beginning, Samuel knew he wanted to teach. The first year of his studies focused purely on baking, followed by pastry work and later chocolate work. In France, the path to becoming a master pastry chef takes five years in total.

Samuel completed the demanding technical qualification (BTM) and the highest possible level in the pastry profession, the Brevet de Maîtrise master qualification, at the INBP school in Rouen. With this highest certification, one can pursue any path in the field: teaching, leading masterclasses, or starting a business.

After his studies, Samuel worked in several companies, including with Stéphane Glacier, the French and World Champion pastry chef. Samuel has also participated in numerous competitions and achieved strong results, including third place in the International Glacier Trophy in 2017 and fourth place in the European Art Sugar Championship in 2021.

Vellamo Laine

Master Instructor

Vellamo Laine works as a pastry chef at Ekberg on Bulevardi in the heart of Helsinki. Ekberg is Finland’s oldest bakery, pastry shop, and café, known for its classic pastry creations. At Sampo, Vellamo taught exactly these classics — butter and shortcrust pastries as well as cakes — naturally with a master’s twist. She taught the course after graduating as a pastry master from Sampo herself. Returning to Sampo felt very pleasant and easy for her. “Teaching can be nerve-racking at first, but the nervousness fades quickly when the atmosphere is so welcoming and you get to work together with such a great group.”

As a young person, Vellamo did not initially feel a strong calling toward the profession. Encouraged by her mother, who worked in a bakery, she went to visit her mother’s workplace and watched how cakes were made. “I could do that too,” she thought, and after comprehensive school she applied to study bakery and pastry arts. That path led her to many different roles in bakeries. Along the way, Vellamo also explored other fields — she served in the Finnish Defence Forces among the first women in Finland and worked in a restaurant kitchen. Through positions at Sokerileipuri Alenius, a catering company in Vantaa, and PH7 Patisserie, she eventually found her way to her current workplace. During her career she completed both the pastry apprentice and pastry master qualifications. Vellamo has always loved the scent of a bakery. It is a small but wonderful moment in everyday life when the first breads and buns are already filling the bakery with their aroma in the morning.

Roger Fok

Master Instructor

Roger Fok is an internationally recognized expert in the pastry field and serves as Head Instructor at the International Culinary Institute in Hong Kong. Roger is known for his innovative approach, combining Asian ingredients with modern French pastries and confectionery. His philosophy emphasizes flavor and texture. Roger is also a WorldSkills expert and coaches young pastry chefs for international skills competitions. He considers the collaboration with Sampo truly excellent. Roger travels a long distance to Finland, which highlights the importance of professional collaboration and friendship.

Roger first learned the art of cooking from his mother. Later, he became especially drawn to the pastry profession. Beyond flavor, he was fascinated by presentation and texture, and by the fact that pastry creations can bring happiness to people. Roger studied pastry at the same school where he now teaches. He first began competing in local competitions and later in international ones, aiming to elevate his expertise to a higher level. He won the World Chocolate Masters Asia competition and became the first Hong Kong finalist to place among the top ten in the World Chocolate Masters global finals. He has also received awards in other international competitions, including a silver medal at the IKA Culinary Olympics. After working in three different hotels, he progressed from pastry chef to executive pastry chef before moving into teaching.

Different stages of life bring different passions. Now, as an instructor, Roger finds motivation in seeing the younger generation succeed. Looking to the future, Roger does not dream of personal achievements but instead hopes to raise the international level of Hong Kong’s pastry industry. Although Hong Kong is geographically small, Roger aims to demonstrate its high level of professional expertise to the world.

Martha Balerina

Master Instructor

Martha Balerina is a dual citizen of Finland and Greece with more than 25 years of teaching experience. She is an enthusiastic lifelong learner and, as an Athenian, seeks to apply philosophy to real life. Martha works as a lecturer at Karelia University of Applied Sciences in the fields of media and business studies, and as a team coach at Y-Akatemia. She also works as a part-time entrepreneur as a corporate communications trainer and visual artist. Martha is a passionate artist whose abstract expressionist style explores the essence of beauty, poetic emotions, and impressions. Through her art, she aims to bring light and joy to people and to contribute to a better world.

At Sampo, Martha taught visual composition to pastry master students. Visual design is an essential part of pastry work, as it directly influences the customer experience and the success of the business. Martha greatly enjoys collaborating with Sampo. The high level of professionalism, commitment, creativity, and positive approach are inspiring, and working with professionals is also rewarding and educational.

Martha’s passion for sharing knowledge led her to a career in education. Throughout her life she has found herself in teaching situations — guiding, advising, and helping others learn, already from her early school years. As an enthusiastic learner herself, she has always wanted to share the joy of learning with others. Martha is deeply dedicated to her students and aims through her pedagogical work to contribute to the development of higher education. Her goal is to mentor professionals who are thoughtful and responsible, both professionally and socially, with ethics and respect for people and nature at the center.

In addition to her teaching work, Martha’s professional experience includes responsibilities such as project coordination, research, artistic direction, and visual design. She has studied and worked in Finland, Switzerland, Germany, and Greece, where she has also organized both solo and group art exhibitions.

Leopold Forsthoefer

Master Instructor

Austrian pastry expert Leopold Forsthoefer is a highly respected professional in the field and a WorldSkills expert who has coached several gold medalists. He currently works at the renowned Oberlaa pastry shop in Vienna. As a young man, he competed for 15 years, including as a member of the Austrian National Culinary Team in the EXPOGAST Culinary World Cup and the IKA Culinary Olympics in Berlin. With the Pastry National Team he participated three times in the Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie in Lyon and four times in the World Chocolate Masters competition in Paris, as well as in the Austrian Chocolate Masters competition. Leopold has also served as a judge in numerous international competitions, including the 2024 IKA Culinary Olympics. He has written and co-authored several books on pastry, including *The Chocolate Bible*. Leopold greatly enjoys collaborating with Sampo, praising the excellent organization and the inspiring atmosphere.

Leopold’s mother loved baking, especially at Christmas when she would prepare more than twenty different types of pastries. Leopold wanted to create things with his hands and often helped her. Later he considered becoming a chef. When he had the opportunity to observe different professionals at work, he saw a pastry chef creating sugar art. It looked incredible, and Leopold decided that was what he wanted to pursue. He has always loved the creativity of the profession. He received his pastry apprentice diploma at the young age of 17 and later completed his pastry master qualification at 24. After completing his military service, Leopold applied for jobs across Austria. He eventually joined the prestigious Oberlaa pastry shop in Vienna, where he has now worked for nearly 40 years.

The company operates 11 pastry shops in Vienna, employs 30 pastry chefs, around 60 staff in the bakery, and approximately 350 employees in total. Leopold serves as the second-in-command of the pastry operation and is responsible for special orders, including wedding cakes.

Markus Hurskainen

Master Instructor

Markus Hurskainen works at Arla as a Culinary Lead. Arla’s collaboration with Sampo has been close already during the time of Markus’s predecessors. For Markus, flavor is a powerful element, and he has a great deal of expertise to share. He teaches the Flavours and Textures course, where participants explore flavors and the creations built around them. Markus describes the collaboration with Sampo as natural and community-driven. It is important to contribute ingredients and support the development of pastry culture in both education and competition activities. In addition to teaching at Sampo, Markus is also studying there. In his studies he follows an individual study path, which allows flexibility in choosing courses.

Markus has worked in the field for more than 20 years. After comprehensive school he already had a vision of pursuing a career in the restaurant and pastry industry, but his mother encouraged him to attend upper secondary school first. After successfully completing upper secondary school and military service, Markus enrolled at Perho Culinary, Tourism & Business College. During his studies he spent half of the time in Belgium. The pastry side of the profession fascinated him greatly. After returning to Finland, Markus began working in the early 2000s at Restaurant Demo, which received its first Michelin star in 2007.

From 2011 onward Markus worked as an entrepreneur, consultant, and trainer. At the same time he appeared on the television program The Great Finnish Bake Off for seven seasons and worked on product development projects for companies. In 2011 Markus founded his own pastry shop, which later developed into a bakery–patisserie. In 2019 he sold his share of the company. In 2014 Markus also co-founded a restaurant group, from which he stepped aside in 2023 when he joined Arla. In his current role, Markus appreciates being able to work together with others on projects he truly enjoys and that have a meaningful impact. He believes that one can never say they are fully finished learning, but in his current role he has the opportunity to continue developing himself — while also having more time for his family.