What has your career been like so far?
In a word: diverse. I’ve always been a generalist, which I think is often underrated. I’ve worked in business development roles both at so‑called Big Fours such as Deloitte and Ernst & Young and in the startup world—different companies in different industries, which has enriched my experience. At Gofore, I worked for just under a year as Head of Delivery, responsible for customer deliveries and customer experience, until my colleague Outi Määttä’s departure at the turn of the year created an opportunity for me to lead our Intelligent Industry business.
What have the first months leading our Intelligent Industry sector felt like?
I’ve started by observing and listening to what the team and the business need. Of course, it has also been exciting—there’s a lot to learn and a lot of things to get up to speed on. I don’t want to rush into renewing or changing ways of working that are delivering results. I get to do my work for the benefit of our customers very much together with the team. We have a great group of people and a sector leadership team, and the atmosphere in both is very good.
What is the most interesting thing in industrial digitalisation right now?
AI is, of course, the most talked‑about topic: people are curious about it, and there’s a certain kind of pressure to use it even without being sure what would actually make sense to do. From the perspective of our business, AI is also a very interesting shift, for example in procurement.
Uncertainty has, in general, been strongly present in the industry for a long time. Making decisions in a time of uncertainty is an interesting theme, and our Intelligent Industry sector’s theme for this year is in fact courage. That’s something we would like to see more of in Finnish industry.
What are Gofore’s strengths in this area, and what do you plan to develop?
We have a tremendous amount of expertise that helps customers. In particular, our Digital Product Lifecycle approach is a very wise concept that will surely improve customers’ competitive advantage and the value they get. Some customers are already far along this path; for others, it’s a new way of thinking. You can start building a digital product lifecycle from any point—either the easiest one or, for example, the one that is the most troublesome.
In my view, we could develop how we offer customers, even more flexibly, exactly what they need. We have many smart people—which doesn’t mean we rest on our laurels; we keep learning and renewing ourselves continuously. The industry now urgently needs vision and perspective: a trusted partner to spar with on the next steps in constant change.
Tell us something else about yourself.
In my free time, I play basketball—though right now I’m still recovering from Achilles tendon surgery. I like making things with my hands; I do a lot of crafts, and I’m also a trained goldsmith. At the moment, I’m dreaming of a little cottage that would be my own renovation project. I’m also a lifelong learner and a strongly people‑centric person. I’ve trained as a life skills coach, because people’s ways of thinking and feelings also have an impact in the workplace, and understanding those effects is close to my heart.
