WORK – RECENT
• Independent AI advisor and communicator. I’ve followed AI since 2010. Since 2022 alone, I’ve invested 1,000+ hours into understanding and working with AI. We are living through one of the defining moments in human history. You can check here what I’m doing about it.
• Co-founder, Wolt, 2014–2024. Wolt is a local commerce platform making it incredibly easy to discover and get what you want, delivered in 30+ countries across EMEA and Asia. During my 10 years, we grew from 0 to 15,000+ employees, $850M+ in funding, and reached $1B+ in yearly revenue, became the #1 fastest-growing tech company in Europe and were acquired by DoorDash for $8B in 2022.
At Wolt, I was the generalist tackling different fields, figuring out what we needed long-term. I headed our first launches in the Nordics, then kickstarted our marketing, then led our People team for two years. In 2020–2024 I headed our internal culture and global Covid-19 prep while helping with communications, public affairs, courier responsibility, and sharing our story through public speaking. In 2024, I announced leaving on Oct 10 at 10 am after a full 10 years.
• Host of the Juhani Mykkäsen podcast, HS. A genuinely curious conversation around a surprisingly interesting topic with an insightful guest (think Lex Fridman style). New episode every Sunday. On break from Jan 2026.
• Founder, WOD-liiga. WOD-liiga is the largest functional fitness online competition in the Nordics. In Finland, about 25 % of all active CrossFit athletes have taken part in it. This is a hobby project. 2022–
I won’t list my positions of trust, but I’ve held a few from board positions in publicly listed companies to editorial council positions in national news media.
WORK – PAST
• Columnist, Helsingin Sanomat. Columns on tech and scaling growth. 2022–2024.
• Co-author, Koodi2016. Wrote and produced a free-for-all handbook and website on teaching computer programming in elementary school. With Linda Liukas. 2014
• Editor-in-Chief, Nyt, Radio Helsinki. I managed the Helsingin Sanomat multimedia desk comprising the HS weekly Nyt as well as the radio station Radio Helsinki. 1/2012–12/2013.
• Journalist, Deputy Editor, Helsingin Sanomat, Nyt. My stories appeared on most sections of HS (politics, homeland, city, culture, economy, lifestyle, science, home etc.) as well as in Nyt. 2007–2011
• Junior Consultant, Zhangjiang Hi-tech Park, Shanghai, China. Internship at the 24-square-kilometre hi-tech park in Shanghai. 2007
• Mathematics assistant, Aalto University, Department of Mathematics. Teaching university-level maths. 2005–2006
• Military service, Finnish Air Force, Tikkakoski. 2003
EDUCATION
Master of Science, Information Networks, Aalto University School of Science (GPA 4.7/5)
Information Networks Degree Program, 2004–2011 (Industrial Management with a tech emphasis).
Major: Knowledge-Intensive Business. Master’s thesis: 5/5.
RANDOM STUFF
• Markku, a song we made with friends that went platinum (more than 4 million streams) on Spotify. 2023.
• Wolt selected as #1 fastest-growing tech company in Europe – Financial Times’ FT1000 list.
• Certified CrossFit L1 trainer. 2023.
• Reddit global front page top #1 post, 2018 (and top #10 post, 2015).
• Grand One, Gold Medal 2017. Personally headed Wolt’s Christmas Meal for the Homeless campaign which collected 15,000 meals for the homeless.
• Wired’s “Hottest startups in Europe”. Wolt was given this award three times, 2015, 2016 and 2018.
• Apple “Editors’ Choice”. Wolt was given this award by Apple a few weeks after we launched in Helsinki in 2015.
• EREPS and EHFA certified personal trainer – score 97/100, 2013.
• Kilroy Travellers of the Year winner out of 800 competitors together with my dear friend Lauri Puustinen, 2009.
• SSI-certified scuba diver, 2009.
• Winner of the Feature Newspaper Article of the Year 2008 (Nyt-liite, article on the Finnish Foreign Minister (later President) Alexander Stubb, written together with Ville Blåfield, Tuija Pallaste and Ville Similä) in the annual competition of the Finnish Newspapers Association, 2009.
• Finalist (with the film Poliisi elokuva, directing and cinematography by myself) in a national short film competition Uneton48, 2008.
• Finnish representative at the annual McKinsey EuroAcademy in Kitzbühel, Austria, 2008.
• Scholarship for Outstanding Achievements in Studies at Aalto, 2007.
• Who Wants to Be a Millionaire competitor while 18 years old. Got about halfway through, took the money and ran, 2002.
• Scholarships (4) in the fields of maths and other study achievements in senior high, 2000–2002.
• 2nd place in a national Finnish–British Society’s English writing competition, 2001.
• Finnish representative in the Gifted Children Summer School in Korolev, Russia, 2001.
HOBBIES
I do CrossFit 5 times per week and occasionally play some golf.
I’ve been around 70+ countries in Europe, Africa, Asia, South-Pacific, North America, South America and Central America, including one around-the-world-trip.
I love playing the piano.
I’m a bit of a cinephile and studied film history at Taideteollinen korkeakoulu. I’ve also directed and written a few short films.
I like new physical experiences: have jumped into water from 24 meters high, scuba-dived, parachuted from 4 kilometres, bungee jumped, canyon-swung and paraglided.
I speak native-level English and Finnish as well as some Swedish and a bit of French.