Where are you originally from?
I still reside in my beloved home country, Finland
What do you enjoy doing in your free time? Any favourite sports or hobbies?
I simply love being out in nature, preferably close to the sea with a hammock, and a good book. This gives a nice balance for my quite frequent travelling during working weeks. Lately I also started to do way more gym, swimming and freediving. And naturally, as a Finn, I also enjoy having a sauna as often as possible.
How did you get into the AV industry?
My first job in AV was around 2005 when I was first hired as a lighting sales person for a Finnish AV integration company. Over the years I’ve been lucky enough to be able to work both in distributor and in manufacturer roles, which has given me a very healthy market perspective. My first international role was for Analog Way, where I was working as a sales manager for the Nordics and Baltics and from there I was hired to my current role at IDK Europe.
What are your thoughts on the future of the industry? How is your company addressing potential challenges?
Currently the AV business is in a state of turmoil. AVoIP is still the word of the day, but there’s also a lot of uncertainty as to which direction clients want to move. There are many new technologies coming up, and this is causing pressure on the clients to choose the “right boat” to jump on. And if they’re not sure which to choose, many decide to wait until a certain technology gets enough market share. For the future, I expect to see more IP native products coming into the market. The past has shown us that the majority of clients don’t necessarily need higher resolutions anymore, but instead, the more flexible network adaptation seems to be more important. Also the network security aspects are becoming more important. So these are the factors we’re keeping our eye on.
Any exciting news you’d like to share?
We have some quite interesting development ideas including bridging products which we already started to develop. This will give end users a very efficient way to combine several protocols in a single network in a very easy way.
What excites you most about working in AV every day?
You are never ready. That’s the one thing I truly love in AV. You need to constantly push yourself and be on top of the latest technology and current developments so you can recommend the most suitable solutions for your clients. Another thing I love is the wide contact network around the world. The AV business does feel like a small family for me and definitely brings together some of the brightest minds I know.
If you had to predict one major shift in the AV industry over the next decade, what would it be?
I expect that people will start to demand more ultra-reliable signal paths with extremely low latency alongside proper AI implementation on the control side.
What’s the most valuable leadership lesson you’ve learned during your career in AV?
Never judge the decision by its outcome. This was the advice shared to me by one of the people I appreciate the most.
What advice would you give to someone looking to build a successful career in pro AV?
Build a good contact network, share your knowledge and be curious, allow yourself to learn from others and vice versa. Dare to say NO if the right values are not met. And remember, you can’t do your job properly if you’re constantly afraid of losing it.
