Role Model Blog
Elina Vihriälä, Lead Analytics Consultant and Tableau Technical Lead at Knowit, shares her passion for tech and shines a light on embracing change.
Lilly Vasanthini, VP and Delivery Head – Eastern Europe, NORDICS and Switzerland at Infosys, reflects on her career journey and gives tips how to tame disruptive nature of changes.
This year’s theme is Tech Evolution: Embracing Change. With this edition, we want to celebrate the rapid and versatile nature of the tech industry. Focusing on stories of the trailblazers who triumphed over the changes that happened throughout their careers and offering a glimpse into new cutting-edge tech trends and the benefits they bring.
Main Partners
“Driving DEI actions is not just a moral imperative but a strategic business necessity,” Heikki Härkönen, Managing Director & Co-founder at Fusion Ecosystem.
We place DEI at the heart of our mission to create and grow thriving companies. There are 30+ digital development companies in Fusion Ecosystem, and together their capacity is 6000+ talents internationally. The ecosystem is accelerated by Reaktor.
“‘Together we are more’ applies strongly in business. Diverse backgrounds are valuable, and through collaboration, they can change entire industries,” Jussi Siltanen, Senior Partner at Reaktor Group & Co-founder at Fusion Ecosystem.
In technology and entrepreneurship, we acknowledge the need for more robust DEI actions.
“Our vision extends beyond the status quo, aiming to showcase diverse role models and exemplify the rich value diversity brings to the entrepreneurial landscape,” Riikka Uimonen, Investment Director & Co-founder at Fusion Ecosystem.
Our commitment to driving DEI is realised through several initiatives, including WiT Forum partnership. One cornerstone is our Fusion Stellar founder program. It is built for experienced business leaders from diverse backgrounds to explore entrepreneurship as a possible career path.
Driving DEI is a collaborative effort, which is why we have partnered up with various organizations. We have created a DEI Handbook for Fusion companies with the leading DEI agency deidei. The handbook equips companies with the knowledge and tools necessary to advance their DEI efforts.
Our partnership with Female Founders Suomi and Tech Nordic Advocates empowers women with their ventures and entrepreneurial aspirations. Driving DEI demands a long-term commitment, a mix of proactive actions and collaborative efforts.
“By integrating DEI into our core operations and initiatives, we commit to working towards a more inclusive, equitable, and diverse entrepreneurial landscape and business,” Tuike Järvi, Growth Director & Co-founder at Fusion Ecosystem.
Ready to reshape it?
👉 Knowit is a consultancy firm that helps companies and people succeed in the digital transformation. Every day, millions of people use the solutions we have created. Currently, we are more than 4,000 employees mainly in the Nordic countries, but also in operations in Germany and Poland, working with clients and partners to develop innovative solutions that contribute to a sustainable and humane society in which we ourselves want to live and grow.
🤝 With the unique combination of competences that we have in strategy, creativity, and tech, we are a partner that solves any challenge that companies need to address to future proof their business.
✨ With our transparent and decentralized approach, we create a workplace where people can grow. We have direct, open, and clear communication in our assignments and always strive to have a close collaboration with all the involved parties. We want to act responsibly and provide for a better, sustainable work life, where we will meet each other as a whole.
🙌 For us, sustainable and humane work life means above all that everyone has a right to be and act themselves. Everyone should be able to work and develop in their own way. We are a fair and equal workplace, and people can come to us as they are. We have room for different people and personalities.
💛 Diversity and equality are core values for us at Knowit and we want to contribute to attracting more women to our industry and getting them to stay here. Our partnership with Women in Tech (WiT) is an important part of this work. Through our joint efforts, we can work as role models, increase awareness, and change the standard in the industry to increase social sustainability. This work may not only affect our workplaces today but can also pave the way for our future generations.
Infosys is a global leader in next-generation digital services and consulting. Over 300,000 of our people work to amplify human potential and create the next opportunity for people, businesses and communities. We enable clients in more than 56 countries to navigate their digital transformation. With over four decades of experience in managing the systems and workings of global enterprises, we expertly steer clients, as they navigate their digital transformation powered by cloud and AI. We enable them with an AI-first core, empower the business with agile digital at scale and drive continuous improvement with always-on learning through the transfer of digital skills, expertise, and ideas from our innovation ecosystem. We are deeply committed to being a well-governed, environmentally sustainable organization where diverse talent thrives in an inclusive workplace.
Visit www.infosys.com/nordics to see how Infosys can help you navigate your next.
Fluido is a leading Salesforce consulting firm that strengthens its customers’ business through the Salesforce platform. Our vision is to become the most respected partner and desired employer in the Salesforce ecosystem while maintaining our company values of trust, friendship, and customer success. We offer Salesforce consulting services in 13 European countries, and our global scalability, combined with the local expertise of our consultants, ensures a successful digital transformation for our clients. Fluido is part of the Infosys family, a global leader in next-generation AI-led digital services and consulting.
Find out more: https://www.fluidogroup.com/
Microsoft is a global technology leader at the forefront of innovation in software, services, devices, and solutions. In Finland, Microsoft employs almost 500 people in the field of sales, marketing, and product development, supporting local customers to digitally transform together with its circa 2,000 technology partner companies.
Microsoft is thrilled to collaborate again with this year’s Women in Tech Forum. Microsoft’s commitment to diversity and inclusion is integral to its business practices and corporate responsibility efforts, and these values are deeply rooted to all dimensions of its culture. Microsoft’s mission is inherently inclusive: to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. Microsoft aims to create technology that adapts to and enhances the lives of people around the world, fostering productivity, creativity, and connection.
Partners
The Tech Company with people at heart
Advania is a tech company that operates across Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Finland, Denmark, and the UK. We offer managed services, hardware, software, and professional services to clients in both private and public sectors, primarily in the mid-market. In Finland we have over 300 talented people empowering our customers to create sustainable value with the clever use of technology. With a passion for people and change we at Advania are building a community where everyone can thrive, grow, and really make a difference.
At Advania we have recognized the need for women in tech. We want to be in the front line of working towards a more diverse workplace. It is important for us to build Advania to be a desirable employer for women in Finland. We recognize that teams perform better and make better decisions when they consist of diverse people.
The cooperation with Women in Tech Finland is an important initiative for us as we are starting concrete actions inside Advania Finland to make a change. We have, for example, launched an equality group internally, where we take actions to make Advania more inclusive and diverse workplace.
Advania is “The Tech Company with people at heart”
For us it is clear that the value within the IT sector is generated by people – for people. The skills of our employees are absolutely our most important asset, and we are keen on attracting, developing and retaining our talents.
We succeed together
We always succeed together. At Advania this means low hierarchy, where all employees are encouraged to share their ideas, collaborate, and contribute to decision-making processes. This fosters a sense of ownership and empowerment among team members.
A workplace that suits your life
Our culture is based on commitment, interest and freedom under responsibility. We believe in a flat organisation with an agile approach, flexibility and a family-friendly workplace. This is the only way for a sustainable future. That is why we offer flexible working hours, hybrid and remote work possibilities & many other work benefits to support healthy work-life balance.
More about us at advania.fi
ABB is proud to announce its partnership with the WiT Forum 2024 – to empower women in tech, learn from each other and share inspirational insights within the tech industry.
ABB’s success is driven by about 105,000 talented employees in over 100 countries. In Finland, we employ more than 5 000 employees and are present in 20 locations serving customers around the country. For us, it is important that people feel being part of the company and have really the same opportunities.
We believe that diverse teams are a core strength for success and sustainable business. In line with ABB’s purpose and values – Courage, Care, Curiosity and Collaboration – we are committed to create a more diverse and inclusive working environment in which people feel respected and valued, and where everyone can succeed and develop. Together, we aim to inspire, empower and create lasting change. We hope to see you all at the WiT Forum in October.
Interested in delving deeper into our Diversity & Inclusion Dimensions? Visit our website: https://to.abb/
Amazon Web Services (AWS) is proud to announce its partnership with the WiT Forum 2024 – to empower women in tech, learn from each other, and share inspirational insights within the industry.
As the world’s most comprehensive and broadly adopted cloud platform with over million customers globally, AWS is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workforce that reflects the diversity of the customers and communities we serve. With over 200 services and solutions, AWS enables organizations of all sizes across every industry to rapidly innovate and increase agility.
At AWS, we believe that diverse teams are essential for driving innovation and delivering the best customer experiences. That’s why we have made significant investments in programs and initiatives to attract, develop, and advance women in cloud computing careers. From cloud computing training and certification scholarships, to mentorship programs and employee resource groups, AWS is dedicated to creating pathways for women to thrive and succeed in the tech industry. We’re honored to partner with the WiT Finland to amplify these efforts and inspire the next generation of female leaders and innovators.
Amazon is built upon the 16 leadership principles where “Success and Scale Bring Broad Responsibility,” is especially relevant to our diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) work at AWS. As a global leader in cloud computing, we recognize that the scale and impact of our business brings with it a responsibility to drive positive change and create opportunities for underrepresented groups in the tech industry.
We look forward to connecting with the WiT community at this year’s forum and learning from your diverse perspectives and experiences. Together, we can push the boundaries of what’s possible in technology and create a more inclusive future for everyone.
TEK @tekniikanakateemiset is a trade union and the largest organisation for academic engineers, architects and persons with other university degrees in the field of technology in Finland. We have about 75 employees and around 80,000 members: professionals and students.
TEK promotes the science and technology industry and education in Finland and aims to improve working life for the people working in these industries. We help graduate professionals reach their highest potential within their field. We do this by providing legal advice, salary advice and career coaching to our members and negotiating collective agreements.
We at TEK work for a better, more equal working life. Through her studies, our Research Manager Susanna Bairoh has found that stereotypes and masculine culture keep women in the minority in technology. We want things to change!
The change towards equity starts from acknowledging the facts: potential differences between men and women matter far less than the culture that has been constructed masculine, based on the notion that men and technology are intertwined whereas women and technology are not.
For us at TEK, one way to build a more equal working life is by partnering with WiT Forum 2024. Another is to provide data and research findings. Our latest research shows the gender pay gap in the field of technology in Finland still persists. TEK would like to see that for more employers, bridging the pay gap between men and women would become a strategic goal.
If you are interested in hearing more about our research findings, you are welcome to join our workshop. In our WiT Forum workshop “Same job, different salary?” you will get to talk about money and find out tips how to bring up your salary at work.
www.tek.fi/en
At KONE, our mission is to improve the flow of urban life. This means understanding urbanization and, together with our partners and customers, helping cities to become better and more sustainable places to live.
As a global leader in the elevator and escalator industry, KONE provides elevators, escalators and automatic building doors, as well as solutions for maintenance and modernization to add value to buildings throughout their life cycle. Through more effective People Flow®, we make people’s journeys safe, convenient and reliable, in taller, smarter buildings.
Headquartered in Helsinki, Finland, we operate in more than 60 countries around the world, employ over 60,000 people and serve close to 600,000 customers. In 2023, KONE had annual net sales of 11.0 billion.
🤍 Ensto is an international tech company creating sustainable solutions for electricity distribution networks. But we also do so much more. We want to build the world’s best connections, and help our people feel more connected with their work, each other, and the environment.
🤍 Ensto colleagues are a diverse group of people from all around the world. Even though we are different, we are all connected by the enthusiastic and encouraging culture of a family-owned business. The work we do together to enable green transition and reliable supply of electricity connects us to future generations and the well-being of this planet we all live on.
🤍 To succeed, we know that diversity, equity and inclusion will empower our people to thrive and feel more connected. We encourage women and other gender to join us in the tech industry, as we need diverse people and human touch to reshape the world for the better.
🤍 At Ensto, the desire to grow, invent, and change the world connects us all. Like a spark we all share. With a team of 800 experts across Europe, North America and Asia, Ensto is committed to making life better with electricity. Sustainably.
🤍 We want to make the best connections, and we want you to come and make them with us. Come and meet our women working towards these goals and be part of a work community that embraces diversity, curiosity, and openness.
Nordea – the largest financial services group in the Nordic region
When working at Nordea, you come as you are. We believe that great minds don’t think alike, and all perspectives are valuable to move forward for something better – for yourself, your colleagues, customers, shareholders and society at large.
Diversity and inclusion is a natural part of our daily work
Nordea has more than 30,000 employees, all with a unique story. Our employees collectively speak more than 65 different languages and come from all over the world. All of these different backgrounds, experiences and qualities give us a broader perspective and enable us to better serve our customers. They also help us to be a good corporate citizen and at the same time enable us to attract and retain a diverse and inclusive workforce. We want to stand up for everybody’s equal value and opportunities, which are some of our most important values.
At Nordea, we work with Diversity & Inclusion in a focused manner and are continuously launching activities to increase engagement and raise awareness internally. We have also signed the European Diversity Charters in the countries where we operate to show our commitment and to engage with others to learn and improve.
See other examples how we work with diversity and inclusion at Nordea:
https://www.nordea.com/en/news/diversity-and-inclusion-is-a-natural-part-of-our-daily-work
Tietoevry creates purposeful technology that reinvents the world for good. We are a leading technology company with a strong Nordic heritage and global capabilities. Based on our core values of openness, trust and diversity, we work with our customers to develop digital futures where businesses, societies, and humanity thrive.
Our 24 000 experts globally specialize in cloud, data, and software, serving thousands of enterprise and public-sector customers in around 90 countries.
We work hard to create a culture based on continuous learning, diversity, equity and inclusion. We believe employing a truly eclectic mix of people – looking beyond sex, gender identity, nationality, religion, beliefs system, race, age, disability, sexual orientation, political opinion, union membership or social or ethnic origin.
For us, diversity, equity and inclusion are fundamental in the creation of an inspirational workplace and being different is how we drive innovation forwards.
We do not see equality as something to be achieved once and for all and then forgotten. Instead, it is an evolving process. We actively work with partners in the business and wider communities to foster equality in both the workplace and society at large.
Learn more about Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Tietoevry.
Accenture is a global professional services company with leading capabilities in digital, cloud and security. Combining unmatched experience and specialized skills across more than 40 industries, we offer Strategy and Consulting, Technology and Operations services and Accenture Song — all powered by the world’s largest network of Advanced Technology and Intelligent Operations centers. Our 740,000 people deliver on the promise of technology and human ingenuity every day, serving clients in more than 120 countries. We embrace the power of change to create value and shared success for our clients, people, shareholders, partners and communities. Read more about our open positions at www.accenture.com/careers.
Digia is a software and service company that combines technological possibilities and human capabilities to build intelligent business, society and a sustainable future. There are more than 1,500 digians, and we operate globally with our international customers, but we always serve close by.
Understanding opportunities opens doors to more intelligent business. Together with our customers, Digia employees solve the most complex challenges. We create intelligent solutions by combining information and technology with our extensive professional skills and understanding of our customers’ business.
Our cultural principles are created together with the help of Digians. All of us do things every day to strengthen and improve our culture. Our cultural principles help us operate in a way that supports the ability to transform and move forward, in the direction we define together. The continuous development of culture gives us better prerequisites for success.
We believe that a company’s culture plays a crucial role in an individual’s decision-making process when selecting a workplace. That’s why we want to highlight what our culture is and the direction we are developing it.
Everything we do is based on people in our work community and network. Expertise and its continuous development plays a key role in enabling us to serve our customers based on the latest information. We want the value of Digia personnel’s expertise to increase during their term of employment.
Diversity and inclusion are part of our evolving day-to-day work, something that we encourage throughout our network. Furthermore, a good management and work culture bolsters the achievement of an excellent employee experience.
Our focus areas:
- We strengthen a safe, healthy and thriving operating environment
- We encourage diversity and inclusion
- We provide opportunities for lifelong learning in the Senior Trainee spirit
- We produce customer solutions that promote social responsibility
Our headquarters are in Helsinki and our other offices in Finland are located in Tampere, Joensuu, Jyväskylä, Turku, Oulu, Rauma, Vaasa, Lahti and Kuopio. We also have an office in Stockholm, Sweden. Our subsidiaries operates in Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands. Read more about Digia from Digia | Unlock your intelligence, and come join this journey with us!
Google’s mission is to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful. We do this by building products and services that connect people, information, and opportunities. From Search and Maps to Android and YouTube, our innovations empower billions of people around the world.
At Google, we believe that diversity and inclusion are essential to building products that work for everyone. We strive to create a workplace where everyone feels valued and respected, and where different perspectives are embraced. We are committed to fostering a culture of belonging, where Googlers can bring their whole selves to work and reach their full potential.
We are also dedicated to using our platform to make a positive impact on the world. Through initiatives like Google.org, we are working to address some of the world’s most pressing challenges, including climate change, poverty, and inequality.
Learn more about our commitment to diversity and inclusion.
We design and manufacture reliable and user-friendly DC fast-charging solutions for electric vehicles. Our vision is to create the world’s most desired EV charging solutions for everyone, everywhere. We focus on all areas of e-mobility, from electric cars, trucks, and buses to machines and marine. Our modular and scalable charging system and world-class software are designed by EV drivers for EV drivers, enabling the best user experience for our customers around the world. Kempower is listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki Stock Exchange in Finland.
We foster a positive, inclusive work culture where every voice is valued. We celebrate diversity, with a team representing over 40 nationalities, and encourage continuous learning and growth. Integrity, open communication, and collaboration are core to our culture, ensuring that employees feel heard and valued. Kempower is committed to sustainability, aiming for 100% carbon neutrality by 2035 and fossil-free electricity by 2025.
Join us at Planet Cool!
Kempower.com
Agenda
- 10:00 Event starts, doors open, networking, workshops / coffee break
- 11:30 Stage program starts
- 11:40 Keynote speech: Ursula Koski, CTO for Nordics Partners, AWS: Learn as if You Were to Live Forever
- 12:05 Panel discussion: Navigating Tech Change as a Leader
- 12:50 Lunch break
- 13:40 Panel discussion: Tech Trends and Beyond: Exploring Emerging Technologies and Their Implications
- 14:25 Keynote speech: Lulu Zhang, Head of Technology & Services, KONE IT: How to Embrace Change?
- 14:45 Workshops / networking / coffee break
- 15:30 Networking / coffee break
- 16:00 Ending of the event
Speakers
Host
Kim Oguilve
Marketing and Communications Lead, Synergi
Kim Oguilve has a background of working in tech companies and startup organizations. She loves building Marketing and communications strategies from scratch and securing press coverage to boost a company’s reputation and trust.
Prior to becoming the first full-time Marketing and communications employee at the climate tech company Synergi, she led global communications at the beauty tech firm Revieve. Kim also served as CMO of Maria O1, the Nordic’s leading startup campus, where she played a key role in building the brand by developing a vibrant and diverse community of 1,300 active members, 175 startups, 21 enterprise partners, and 20 VCs. Kim is also deeply committed to advancing DEI initiatives in all her organizations.
Keynote
Lulu Zhang
Head of Technology & Services, KONE IT
Lulu Zhang is an experienced senior leader with 20 years of experience in IT. Specializing in IT Application and Technology Management, Service Management and IT operating model development, Lulu has a proven track record of IT digital transformation. Currently, she is the Head of Technology & Services unit in KONE IT, where she focuses on global technology & platforms operations, and common service management. In addition, Lulu is also leading the KONE GenAI Lighthouse team with a mission to rapidly deliver cutting-edge MVPs that can be scaled to transform the way KONE operates with improved productivity and efficiency.
Keynote
Ursula Koski
CTO for Nordics Partners, AWS
Ursula Koski (she/her) is a technology strategist with a long career in the industry, Ursula is best known for her expertise in Enterprise Architectures, with a particular focus on database maximum availability, security and privacy. Before joining Amazon Web Services(AWS), she spent 13+ years as a transformational architect at Oracle Corporation. Ursula’s industry specialties include Banking and Healthcare. Beyond her professional role, she is an active human rights campaigner, particularly in the area of LGBTQ+ advocacy. She co-leads the Glamazon LGTBQ+ affinity group in EMEA for Amazon Web Services and Amazon. Additionally, Ursula together with Mimmit Koodaa(Women Who Code) is spearheading a Finnish project aimed at training underrepresented individuals in technology skills through a education and certification program.
PANEL 1: Navigating Tech Change as a Leader
Johannes Tervo, panel moderator
Clients, The Upright Project
Johannes Tervo is an award-winning performer and entrepreneur speciacizing in startup entrepreneurship and new technologies. By background, Johannes is an MSc of engineering, and has impacted broadly in the Finnish startup scene, organizing the startup and technology event Slush, working in venture capital, and currently building the global standard of impact measuring for companies with the growth company Upright.
Helen Chambers
Head of Solutions Unit, Knowit
Helen’s professional life has centred around user experience, product development and technology, in various management and leadership roles. With a background in humanities and business administration, she has always found herself at home with smart people working on techy stuff – it’s all about people in the end, whether it is the experts, the users, or the customers. Helen has experience in working for multinationals as well as startups in international ICT context. Presently she works for an IT consulting agency and leads an organisation of SW developers, UX/service designers and experts in test automation and quality assurance.
Riikka Uimonen
Investment Director & PhD, Fusion Ecosystems
Riikka Uimonen is the Investment Director and Co-founder of Fusion Ecosystem, where she leads co-founding initiatives and serves on the boards of various Fusion companies. With a PhD from Tampere University in business agility and strategic risk management, Riikka brings extensive expertise in leading continuous change and securing competitive advantage in uncertainty. Her background in management consulting at Accenture further underscores her experience in integrating business and technology for transformative outcomes. In addition to her professional achievements, Riikka is a dedicated sportswoman, participating in ultra marathons, marathons, and playing tennis.
Lilly Vasanthini
VP and Delivery Head – Eastern Europe, NORDICS and Switzerland, Infosys
Lilly has been with Infosys for 27+ years. As Vice President she is directly responsible for the Delivery and Operations across countries in the Eastern Europe, NORDICS and Switzerland. A seasoned veteran in Delivery and operations with over 40+ years of Industry experience, she is leading large teams and has helped incubating and growing Delivery centers globally. In addition she has Industry experience having worked across Germany, China, Australia and India with Diverse Cultural Teams.
Saji Khullar
Nordic Industry Lead, Technology Strategy & Advisory, Accenture
Saji brings 24 years of extensive experience in the technology industry, spanning technology consulting, management consulting, corporate roles, and entrepreneurship. She is an alumnus of McKinsey and has spent over a decade with Nokia Finland, where she held various leadership roles in both IT and business. Saji is an engineer, topped up with an MBA from Aalto Executive Education. Her unique blend of business and technology expertise allows her to assist business leaders in solving challenges through technology. As a seasoned leader who has spearheaded strategic initiatives in global companies, she excels at navigating complex organizations and aligning multinational teams to work towards a shared vision.”
PANEL 2: Tech Trends and Beyond: Exploring Emerging Technologies and Their Implications
Jasmine Singh, panel moderator
Product Manager, Visma
Jasmine’s experience spans international companies and global startups, underlined by a strong presence in financial discourse through a Finnish platform column (Mimmit Sijoittaa), podcasts and magazine articles. An advocate for women in tech, Jasmine combines her expertise in tech and finance to inspire and drive change. As a moderator for the Women in Tech event, she aims to champion diversity and innovation.
Erika Rintala-Dikert
Data & Strategy Expert, Brightly Works
Erika’s journey includes a transformative experience as a CEO and Co-founder of a startup GoMob Studios Finland that developed a groundbreaking product, Catcher, for customer retention, subsequently successfully sold in 2014.
Erika has lead Qvik’s US operations in Palo Alto, Silicon Valley, embodying a “yes, we can” attitude fuelled by endless curiosity for uncovering untapped business opportunities.
Currently at Brightly, Erika collaborates with a team of dynamic problem solvers who are rewriting the next generation data driven solutions playbook for companies in the Nordics. Specializing in cloud, data, and web technologies, they are at the forefront of driving innovation and reshaping the future of business.
Anu Laitila
Cyber Risk Expert, Deloitte
Anu Laitila is a Manager in Deloitte’s Cyber Team with extensive experience in cybersecurity and business development. Anu is passionate about cybersecurity and actively contributes to the community through training sessions and public speaking engagements. She also mentors emerging talent in the field. She has been featured in “Hacking Gender Barriers: Europe’s Top Cyber Women and has been chosen as a TOP100 IT influencer in Finland for 2020-2023.”
Riina Luoso
Head of Core Solutions, Fluido
Riina Luoso is a seasoned technology professional with a remarkable career spanning over two decades in the tech industry and with nearly 15 years were dedicated to leadership roles.
Riina’s career is marked by her global perspective, having worked with customers across five continents in a diverse range of industries. Her extensive experience covers both the public and private sectors, allowing her to bring a unique understanding of the varied challenges and opportunities faced by organizations worldwide.
Riina holds a Master of Science in Technology with a specialization in Industrial Engineering and Management, her academic background has provided her with a strong foundation in both the technical and managerial aspects of business. This unique combination has been important in her ability to bridge the gap between complex technical solutions and strategic business goals.
Throughout her career, Riina has specialized in consulting on performance management, business process development, and solution implementation.
In summary, Riina Luoso is a true trailblazer in technology and leadership
Vibha Deshpande
Azure Go to Market Lead, Microsoft
Vibha is the Azure Go To Market Lead at Microsoft Finland. She’s been at Microsoft for the last 15 years in various roles – starting as a support engineer, field engineer for identity and security, and most recently a partner manager. She also leads the Women’s Employee Resource group and works closely with various women’s organizations in Finland.
Workshops
* please note: the exact timing for each workshop will be announced in the confirmation email
Morning (between 10:00 and 11:30)
Topic: Creating future with different dimensions of thinking
Description: Join us for a practical workshop where we’ll explore a possible future scenario from different points of view.
In this workshop, we will:
– Choose a future scenario together and evaluate it from various perspectives.
– Decide together on the first steps to create a future-proof plan.
– Come with an open mind and be prepared to think about the future from different perspectives!
Topic: Unlocking AI: Empowering Everyone to Lead the Future
Description: Explore the limitless possibilities of AI at our Women in Tech Forum workshop in Espoo. This dynamic session will empower you with the knowledge and skills to harness AI’s potential in your everyday life and career. Engage in interactive experiments and discover how AI can drive innovation and success. Connect with fellow women in tech and be inspired to lead the future with AI. Don’t miss this opportunity to unlock your potential and make a lasting impact!
Topic: Fake news and AI – The race against disinformation
Description: When was the first time you found yourself watching content without realizing it was AI-generated? Deepfakes, robocalls and conspiracies – AI is an increasingly dangerous tool for spreading false information. Even for astute media consumers, it has become increasingly challenging to distinguish between real and fabricated. In recent years, we’ve seen several examples of how effectively AI can be used to spread disinformation, with far-reaching consequences.
Speakers:
Thomas Rosqvist, Business Development & Strategic Project Lead, Tietoevry Create
Hanna Huurinainen, CX Principal, Tietoevry Create
Welcome to learn more about fake news and how to recognize them with our experts!
Afternoon (between 14:45 and 16:00)
Topic: Career Growth for Women in Tech
Description: Join Nordea for a workshop focused on “Career Growth for Women in Tech,” where we’ll dive into opportunities, personal experiences, and essential skills for success in the industry. The session includes a short talk on skill development, interactive games on technology and payments, and practical advice on crafting job applications. We’ll finish with a fireside chat, giving you the chance to ask questions and get insights directly from Nordea’s Tech Payment professionals.
Topic: AI-Powered Business Transformation: Hands-on Workshop with AWS
Description: Learn to harness the power of AI and data with AWS to re-invent your business processes. In this hands-on workshop you’ll collaborate with AWS experts and peers to tackle real-world problems and gain practical insights into implementing data and AI to solve business problems and streamline your operations. Whether you’re new to AI or looking to expand your existing capabilities, this workshop offers valuable insights for all skill levels. Bring your toughest business challenges, laptops are welcome but optional—leave with actionable solutions and a guide for AI-driven innovation.
Topic: Same job, different salary?
Description: Let’s talk about money! In this workshop you’ll hear from research manager Susanna Bairoh the latest research findings about the gender pay gap in the field of technology in Finland. You’ll get tips how to bring up your salary at work and you also have a chance to share your tips to your peers. This workshop is organized by Academic Engineers and Architects in Finland TEK. You can participate in English or in Finnish. www.tek.fi/en
* * * * *
Sama työ, eri palkka?
Puhutaan rahasta! Tervetuloa kuulemaan, kun tutkimuspäällikkö Susanna Bairoh esittelee uusimpia tutkimustuloksia sukupuolten palkkaerosta tekniikan alalla Suomessa. Tässä työpajassa saat vinkkejä, miten ottaa palkka puheeksi töissä. Voit halutessasi jakaa myös omat vinkkisi muille. Työpajan järjestää Tekniikan akateemiset TEK. Voit osallistua suomeksi tai englanniksi. www.tek.fi
Q&A
Yes. The event venue is on the second floor, but there is an elevator available. The video instructions on how to get to Dipoli show the way that does not involve steps. If you have further questions about the venue accessibility, please get in touch with us at hello@womenintech.fi.
Yes, the stage program will be live streamed.
No, there is no dress code, come as you are! You can come, for instance, in a company-branded clothes.
Yes, there will be lunch and coffee/tea.
There will be a stage program with 2 keynote speeches and 2 panel discussions, there will be workshops (the number of spots is limited), and naturally, lots of networking.
The event is free. But as we put a lot of work into delivering you the best events, please value our effort and cancel if you cannot join. Possible cancellations are asked to be done as soon as it is known to avoid food waste and ensure your spot can be given to someone else instead. Cancellations can be done by sending an e-mail to hello@womenintech.fi.
Venue
Forum 2024 is taking place at Dipoli, Otakaari 24, Espoo.
More information about the place: Dipoli – Event and conference facilities | Aalto University
Coming by metro:
If you are coming from the center of Helsinki, you need to take the last metro cart, if from the Tapiola side – the first cart. You need to take exit A to Otaniementie. After leaving the metro turn right towards the tram stop, pass it and head towards the signle-story buildings, Dipoli is right behind them. You can use the stairs (faster) or the root without stairs bypassing the buildings on the right (accessible). See the video instructions below 🙂
Legacy
What is Forum?
Forum is the biggest event organized by Women in Tech Finland every 2 years.
By organizing these events, we aim to bring together people keen on technology and create space for networking & knowledge sharing!
Doesn’t just watching the 2022 Forum video get you excited about this year?
