FutuStories - Saku Viita-aho

You’ve said you’ve always wanted to be the link between selling and delivering, and ensuring long-term client value. How does that shape your current work?

It’s what keeps things meaningful. I’ve never wanted to be just a salesperson or a delivery person. I want to make promises, keep them, and make sure the work continues to create value. That’s what connects business development and delivery.

Right now, I’m involved in several AI-related projects, from helping a private equity firm kick off its AI journey to supporting industrial clients as they build AI programs. It’s a mix of consulting, hands-on work, and learning together with clients.

AI clearly plays a big role in how you think about the future. How do you see it changing our work and the broader business landscape?

I believe AI is reshaping some of the most fundamental human capabilities: how we listen, speak, read, write and see. When those shift, everything else will too.

On a practical level, it’s already changing how work gets done. Tasks that used to take significant time can now be done much faster, which changes not just efficiency, but how value is created in the first place. If we can combine deep expertise with more structured, data-driven ways of working, we can create something that is both impactful for clients and scalable for the company.

The key is to stay ahead while learning continuously. It’s not just about delivering AI solutions for clients, but also about using these capabilities to evolve how we work ourselves.

And personally, what do you want to learn next?

I want to deepen my understanding of both technology and people.

On the technical side, that means understanding systems end-to-end and being able to automate and build more independently. On the human side, it’s about understanding behavior and decision-making. Ultimately, I’m aiming to become a full-stack business technologist. I want to be someone who can connect strategy, systems, and people in a way that scales.

What does more systematic learning look like in practice?

It starts with making knowledge more shareable. Today, a lot of learning still stays within individual projects. If we can break transformation work into smaller, reusable components, a bit like how we structure code, we can start scaling expertise rather than just growing by adding more people. That’s where real leverage comes from.

We often talk about next-gen tech meeting human insight. What does that mean in practice?

It’s about combining human capabilities like creativity, empathy, responsibility, with the power of AI and data. At the same time, it requires more structure. As complexity increases, we need clearer ways to model and manage change, rather than relying only on ad hoc approaches.

If you think five years ahead, what would your dream project look like?

It would combine advanced technology, meaningful impact, and global reach. A context where digital maturity is high enough to enable real change — faster processes, fewer inefficiencies, and better outcomes — while also contributing something positive at a broader level.

What keeps you busy or inspired outside of work?

I spend a lot of time with my family. I have two kids, five and eight years old, and they take up most of my energy, and give a lot of it back too.

I’m also involved in a few startup boards and small businesses, mostly around property, construction, and software. That combination of business, product, and human behavior constantly teaches me something I can bring back to Futurice.

And when I manage to carve out time just for myself, there’s something about jogging at sunrise at a golf course, getting a few quiet hours before the day starts. That’s the perfect reset.