Juha Kurppa: What can gaming teach you about management? Quite a bit, as it turns out.

- I think I have some lingering teenage spite in me, says Juha, and tend to avoid anything my parents have done.

With my father having worked more than 40 years at Tietoevry and my mother over 30, it wasn’t my first choice to be honest.

As fate would have it, the company Juha worked for in 2016 was acquired by Tieto – later to become Tietoevry. 8 years later Juha is still here, meaning that it wasn’t that bad?

- There are plenty of reasons for why I enjoy working here, but first and foremost the opportunity to work in the intersection of people, business and technology.

During these 8 years, Juha has developed from the position as service manager to team leader, he gained business responsibilities and became a leader of multiple teams before he assumed his current position as Growth Enablement Lead at Tietoevry Create.

What Counter Strike teaches you

Juha first discovered his passion for working with teams and getting the most out of people through playing Counter Strike.

- I was a professional gamer for several years, playing a tactical game where teamwork is essential. I have also played football, basketball, floorball and cycling – where having great people working together is the key to success.

Even though there is a big difference between playing video games and working in an IT company, Juha can build on his experience.

- You learn a lot from building a team of highly passionate gamers, of which some live on a bare minimum to follow their dream. Channeling their passion in the right direction, getting people with strong personalities to work together and guide quick decision making is relevant in both e-sports and business.

The transition to being a manager “in the real world” has been made easier by Tietoevry.

- I joined an internal leadership course when I started as a team leader back in 2017, and that was very useful. I have also had close support and good people around me who I can talk to, both at the company and outside. I do believe that you need a passion and interest to learn if you want to develop, the biggest job has to be done by yourself.

In addition to trainings and support, Juha is due to finish his Executive MBA in December 2024.

- Being given the time to take the course is a big investment on the company’s part, and something I’m grateful for.

Beyond carbon footprint – how Flow Festival is using data to reduce environmental impact

Projects with purpose and impact

In addition to being able to develop as a manager, Juha has stayed at Tietoevry for all these years thanks to a combination of both interesting and impactful projects.

- With our size, we get to work with some of the biggest and most interesting companies in Finland, something you won’t find many other places.

Tietoevry also works with projects that have a positive impact on society. A project that is close to Juha’s heart, is for the Helsinki based Flow Festival.

- The people behind the festival are very conscious about sustainability, which I applaud. We helped them create a digital tool where you can calculate the carbon footprint of an event or a festival. There’s also a decision-making tool that helps you reduce the footprint by making suggested changes.

Juha used to live right next door to where this festival is held and is therefore highly invested in the project.

- That’s what I like about this job – we get to work with really cool projects that have a positive impact. We’re doing something good here. Why would I want to leave that?