From your comfort zone to your growth zone — a senior advisor helps make the move possible
When Jussi Vuokko started at Sofigate 13 years ago, artificial intelligence (AI) was not yet a prevalent topic. Fast forward to 2024, and AI has become a source of anxiety and discomfort for many. Jussi, Senior Advisor at Sofigate, however, sees this as an opportunity to foster personal and professional growth within oneself and the broader work community through the use of AI.
A career driven by intrinsic motivation
Jussi has been working in the IT sector for 24 years. His journey began in the early 2000s, when he immersed himself in the dot-com bubble while pursuing his studies. During this period, he engaged in diverse roles such as IT infrastructure management, software development for customers and r&d of the online shopping platform.
Upon graduating in 2003, Jussi’s career progressed through a series of roles within the industry. His focus mainly encompassed leading initiatives in IT management, IT service management and software projects for the customers. The twists and turns of his professional life ultimately led him to join Sofigate in 2010.
“When I started, I was employee number 60 or 70. Back then we were only in Finland, and we had not yet expanded into the rest of the Nordic countries. Today, we have not only established ourselves in the Nordic region—we are also present in Hungary and Poland. While we did have international customers in those early days, the team was relatively small and worked primarily in Espoo and Tampere.”
In his 13 years at Sofigate, Jussi’s career has evolved from service management and related projects to business automation and management consulting. At present, he works in Senior Advisor role. According to Jussi, he has followed a direction that felt right for him and this professional development has not been linear at all.
“If an opportunity piques my interest, I always pursue it with minimal hesitation.”
That is also what happened when AI emerged in the industry.
AI is an important part of the job
Although many things have since changed, Jussi’s values have remained more or less the same: self-directedness, an entrepreneurial spirit and a passion for work continue to define his daily endeavours. These become apparent especially when he tackles his current responsibilities. Nowadays, AI is a part of his job, where he is engaged among his customer assignments also leading Sofigate internal taskforce focusing in training others to use the technology.
“It is important to keep up with the times” he says. “In this case, the primary objective of our change management is to enable 800 Sofigators to effectively utilise AI. Artificial intelligence is already a part of what we do on a daily basis, which is creating artificial intelligence solutions. It is imperative that we implement AI-related processes because customers inevitably demand new technology and opportunities. AI allows us to eliminate mundane routines from our to-do lists and make way for a more efficient workflow. Our starting point involves getting the whole team involved in using artificial intelligence.”
Low-key organisation, high job satisfaction
During Jussi’s tenure with the company, Sofigate has grown into an organisation with a diverse workforce, spanning individuals from various competence backgrounds and experience levels, ranging from juniors to seniors. Nevertheless, the company’s core values Dare, Care and Grow have remained consistent.
“Processes and business support have developed – as we have grown, so have our business support needs. At the same time, we have deliberately steered clear of excessive bureaucracy. We have managed to keep the organization low-key, where the leadership is visible in the workplace, and anyone can approach and talk to them,” sums up Jussi.
When you ask Jussi why he has spent a large part of his career at Sofigate, he mentions the entrepreneurial spirit, among other things.
“Staff turnover in our business is low and many choose to stay,” he says. “Employees are free to develop new projects with customers and there are various opportunities within the company.”
According to a personnel survey published in 2023, another important aspect that contributes to job satisfaction, identified by 90% of Sofigators, is the flexibility in daily work.
“The greatest advantage is having control over your own work—each day brings something new. We can choose to work in the office or at home, depending on our own schedules and on project needs. Receiving positive feedback from customers is also rewarding, especially when you have achieved something together.”
As AI continues to pave the way for unprecedented advancements, the synergy between technological innovation and the evolving demands of both companies and its customers places us on the brink of a new era. Jussi Vuokko’s career at Sofigate perfectly illustrates this intersection, where adaptability and efficiency seamlessly intertwine.
Want to join Jussi and work at Sofigate? See our open positions!
Facts about working at Sofigate
93 %
of Sofigate employees identify with Sofigate values (Dare, Care, Grow).
94 %
of Sofigate employees agree that their team lead offers support and advice when needed.
90 %
of Sofigators identify flexibility in daily work as an important aspect that contributes to job satisfaction.
Source: Sofigate personnel survey, 2023
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