SysOpen Digia establishes Senior Advisers Team for executive management strategic consulting

SysOpen Digia Plc Press release 25.1.2007


SysOpen Digia Plc has established a new expert unit to consult companies’ executive management in ICT strategy selection and business development through new technologies. This unit started operations as a workgroup of six experts of various business sectors.

”SysOpen Digia has recognised a prominent customer expectation for executive management consulting services. Companies’ executive teams are especially looking for in-depth business sector expertise and expertise in business operations development – these are critical to executive decisions concerning information technologies,” says SysOpen Digia CEO Jari Mielonen. ”The Senior Advisers Team expert unit was established to combat this need.” Team members are highly experienced experts in their own business fields who also appreciate the value of modern ICT solutions to competitivity and efficiency,” Mielonen continues.

This consulting team provides extensive services for developing customers’ business, ICT strategy consulting, data administration management, supervision of customer interest, and architecture and technology services.

”We wanted to create a team that will be able to assume practical responsibility for our largest customers’ strategic consulting and business development through the latest technologies, and, especially, one that will support their change management,” states team leader Harri Kreus. ”The things that often are especially challenging are the management, control, communication and deployment of changes. Unfortunately, this perspective is often overshadowed by other issues. Our management consultants’ special added value derives from the personal experience gained in seeing through large change projects,” Kreus adds.

At the start of its operations, the team includes the following persons:

Harri Kreus, Vice President, M.Sc., ICT strategies

Harri is the VP of SysOpen Digia Consulting and the Adviser team’s leader. Before coming to SysOpen Digia, Harri held the post of Development Manager at WM-data’s Government division, and was in charge of the development of solutions and services for the safety and security authorities. Prior to that, Harri was Senior Consultant at WM-Data / Novo Group / HM&V Research. Before moving to the employ of the private sector, Harri enjoyed a long career in the Naval Forces, where his last post was data administration sector manager for the Gulf of Finland naval defence area. Harri has over 20 years’ experience of developing and operating information technology, and of data administration management. As a former naval officer, he also has extensive experience of public administration and cross-office co-operation, such as METO and VIVA co-operation. In addition, Harri has several years’ experience of international standardisation gained as the chairman of the Object Management Group’s C4I DTF.

Sakari Lehtonen, Senior Adviser, M.Sc, CMC, Architectures, Finance and Trade

Sakari Lehtonen has worked as a management’s consultant since 2000 at SysOpen Digia. Prior to working at SysOpen Digia, Sakari was a consultant at Fujitsu Services since 1995 (then known as ICL Data), spending most of his time there working for the international organisation. Before that, Sakari worked from 1978 in a variety of positions in the Kesko IT unit; his work areas included technical architectures, databases and data storage. Sakari has close to 30 years’ experience of IT development in the public and private sectors, consolidated by 10 years of theoretical study at university. At SysOpen Digia, Sakari is in charge of EA and SOA architectures and their service development. His architecture and work method expertise are first-rate. Sakari also has a solid background in training.

Risto T. Nieminen, Senior Adviser, M.Sc. (Eng.)
ICT strategies, corporate data administration, telecommunications

Risto Nieminen acts as a management’s consultant and telecommunications industry expert in the SysOpen Digia consulting unit. Prior to being employed by SysOpen Digia, Risto held the position of Vice President for five years at TeliaSonera Finland Oy, where he was in charge of network operators’ product development and the development of data administration. He simultaneously served as the head of data administration and product development at Sonera Carrier Networks Oy, as well as a member of its management team. Before this, Risto worked more than ten years in the product development of telephone exchanges and their related auxiliary IT devices at Sonera Systems Oy and Nokia Yritysviestintä Oy. Risto came to Nokia from the VTT telecommunications laboratory where he had worked as a senior researcher. Risto’s particular expertise is supporting customers in their ICT acquisitions. Risto is a battle-tested negotiator who has experience of negotiating acquisition agreements with both ICT organisations and international system manufacturers. Examples include Siemens, Nortel, LG Electronics and Matra.

Sauli Savisalo, Senior Adviser, Lic.Sc.(Eng.) LtCol (GS). ICT strategies, corporate data administration, information society

Sauli Savisalo acts as a management’s consultant and information society expert in the SysOpen Digia consulting unit. Before coming to SysOpen Digia, Sauli made an extensive career in the defence administration, working in telecommunications, management systems and data administration. His last post was Data Administration Director for the Ministry of Defence. Sauli played a significant role in the Armed Forces’ data administration rationalisation project TIERA. Sauli has also been a member of numerous workgroups and committees, helping develop the new operating methods and work modes of a networking administration; examples include the SecNet concept and ValtIT activities. Sauli’s special areas of expertise are the development of data administration strategies and organisation as well as operational and economic efficiency.

Jorma Haapanen, Senior Adviser M.Sc (Agr.), Trade and logistics value chains

Jorma Haapanen acts as a management’s consultant and trade value chain and logistics expert in the SysOpen Digia consulting unit. Before coming to Sysopen Digia, Jorma made an extensive career for himself in trade and logistics companies, including jobs as Tradeka’s Private Label brand manager and chain manager for the Sesto and Etujätti retail chains. Jorma’s analytical problem-solving skills in order to achieve logistics efficiency are one of his most valued assets. Moreover, Jorma has a solid, experiential understanding of the development of people management and the operations of virtual organisations.

Ilkka Kohonen, Senior Adviser, M.Sc.
Corporate Strategies, Corporate Information Management, Finance

Ilkka Kohonen is employed as an independent consultant in the SysOpen Digia Plc Finance unit. Before his current assignment, Ilkka worked for more than 30 years in the management of planning, development and data administration, and as a line manager in an insurance company. Prior to becoming a consultant Ilkka was development manager at Varma Mutual Pension Insurance Company, where he was in charge of management system and data administration development. During his career, Ilkka has participated in the creation of several co-operative projects in the insurance sector.


Contact information:

SysOpen Digia, Harri Kreus, Vice President, Consulting
Tel. +358 40 568 7635, email: harri.kreus@sysopendigia.com

SysOpen Digia, Jarkko Virtanen, Director, Communications
Tel. +358 40 7593 603, email: jarkko.virtanen@sysopendigia.com


SysOpen Digia in brief
SysOpen Digia Plc is a modern, agile software company providing and implementing ICT products, services and technologies for its customers to improve their competitive advantage – solutions for the needs of a transforming world. The company is based in Finland, operating globally and employing over 1,100 professionals. SysOpen Digia is listed on the Nordic Exchange. Additional information at www.sysopendigia.fi.