Kieran Gilmurray

Kieran Gilmurray, CEO, Kieran Gilmurray & Co, is an internationally renowned AI expert and the world’s first Chief Generative and Agentic AI Officer. He is the author of three books, including Agentic AI: A Business Leader’s Guide to the Future of Work, which provides practical insights into agentic AI and the evolving digital workforce. With over 30 years of experience, Kieran has led award-winning AI and digital transformation programmes for IBM, Intel, PEGA and others, delivering significant business impact.

In the CX Masterclass, he will explain how generative and agent-based AI are shaping customer encounters, expert work and leadership. In his keynote presentation, Kieran will introduce the audience to the world of AI agents and the impact of technological disruption. You will also learn practical ways to effectively leverage AI agents, SEO, and GEO, and integrate them into the development of customer encounters.

Katja Forbes

Katja Forbes is a fearless CX innovator and award-winning leader who consistently challenges the boundaries of customer experience and AI.

Named one of Westpac/AFR’s “100 Women of Influence” and ranked among CX Network’s Top 20 CX Leaders in AI and Financial Services, she boldly transforms traditional corporate cultures into dynamic, client-centric powerhouses.

As an Executive Director at Standard Chartered Bank, Katja expertly blends human-centered design with cutting-edge technology, establishing her organisation as a global thought leader. An outspoken advocate for women in leadership, her compelling voice, sharp insights, and magnetic on-camera presence make her an industry standout.

Her upcoming book (to be published in November), Machine Customers: The Evolution Has Begun, represents her mission to position CX professionals and customer-centric leaders at the forefront of this transformation, ensuring they drive the change rather than react to it.

In her CX Masterclass keynote, Katja will talk about machine customers and explain how they represent the next frontier of CX and business growth.

Don Scheibenreif

Don Scheibenreif is Vice President, Distinguished Analyst with Gartner’s Customer Experience research group and a leading expert on customer experience and digital business. He has been with Gartner for over 14 years and previously spent over 20 years in marketing leadership roles at Coca-Cola and Quaker Oats (now PepsiCo), among others. Don drives Gartner’s research on machine customers and is the lead author of When Machines Become Customers. He is an experienced international keynote speaker who helps business and IT leaders navigate the future of CX in the age of AI and automation.

Don Scheibenreif’s keynote will show us how machine customers are revolutionising business and what organisations need to understand to keep up with the change.

Sirte Pihlaja

Sirte Pihlaja is an internationally renowned customer experience and AI expert who helps companies develop AI-enabled, customer-centric business models and AI strategies. As CEO of Shirute and head of team at CXPA Finland, she is a trailblazer in the use of Agentic AI to develop customer and employee experiences, and has published three global best-sellers as well as a groundbreaking study on machine customer experiences.

The playing field of customer experience is changing as customers increasingly become machines. Sirte Pihlaja believes that CX professionals need to renew their thinking and update their skills in the era of AI agents, as well as understand the practical implications of this change.

In their Hands-On AI Masterclass session, ”Winning in the World of GEO and AIO”, Sirte Pihlaja and Mika Berglund will show how Partu AI brings Conversational Commerce to life – helping companies create better customer experiences, serve AI agents, and gain visibility in AI-powered search and transactional environments beyond their own digital channels.

Sirte will also discuss the possibilities of talking products and AI twins, and co-facilitate a hands-on workshop where you can create your own AI twin.

Additionally, you will meet her as the chairperson for the CX Masterclass during the full length of the event.

Pia Aaltonen-Forsell

Pia Aaltonen-Forsell (M.Soc.Sc. Econ., MBA) is the Chief Financial Officer and member of the Executive Board at Finnair.

She is a strategic finance leader with a passion for transforming global businesses and creating long-term value. With a career spanning industries from manufacturing to energy and technology, Pia brings clarity and direction to complex environments. She is eager to help shape Finnair’s future with a strong focus on enhancing customer satisfaction and trust. Aaltonen-Forsell is a member of the Board of Directors and Chair of the Audit Committee of UPM-Kymmene Corporation.

She will contribute her insights to a forward-looking panel discussion on the role of AI in redefining strategy, decision-making, and the future of customer engagement.

Hanna Kivelä

Hanna Kivelä is the Managing Director of Fujitsu Finland and a member of Fujitsu’s European leadership team.

Prior to her current role, Hanna held various management positions at Google, both in Ireland and Finland.

Over the years, Hanna has worked in board and advisory roles and as a private investor in numerous companies. She promotes the digital transformation of Finnish society e.g. as a chair of the digital resilience organisation Digipooli, and ICT sector in Technology Industries of Finland.

In 2023, she was awarded with the first ever Finnish Power Woman in Tech award by Microsoft.

At CX Masterclass, Hanna will bring her perspective to a thought-provoking panel on how Finnish leaders are navigating the opportunities and obstacles of AI in transforming business and customer value.

Juhani Mykkänen

Juhani Mykkänen is an AI communicator, AI advisor, and a Helsinki-based startup tech entrepreneur. He currently helps organisations, leaders, and the public navigate the opportunities and challenges of AI through pro bono advisory work. Juhani also hosts the Juhani Mykkäsen podcast for Helsingin Sanomat, the largest news media in the Nordics.

As a co-founder of the e-commerce platform Wolt, which was acquired in Finland’s largest-ever deal for €7 billion by DoorDash in 2022, he has a strong background in the tech industry. Juhani is also the founder of WOD-liiga, Finland’s largest functional fitness competition, and actively participates in writing and public speaking.

He joins the CX Masterclass discussion panel to share insights as a startup founder and his current mission as an AI advisor, helping decision-makers understand, adopt, and navigate the rapidly evolving landscape of AI.

Sari Nevanlinna

Sari Nevanlinna is Chief Strategy Officer at Veikkaus.

She is an experienced service business executive with a strong background in strategy and business transformation initiatives across customer-centric domains.

Veikkaus is focused on strengthening digital capabilities to ensure competitiveness in a changing landscape. Leveraging data and AI plays a key role in this transformation.

Sari will bring her perspective to the panel discussion on how customer understanding and new companions, such as AI, support achieving strategic goals by renewing and developing capabilities.

Teemu Vidgrén

Teemu Vidgrén (M.Sc. Econ.) is the General Manager of Microsoft Finland. 

A seller at heart, Teemu is known for his ability to bring clarity, simplicity, and structure to complex topics. He began his career as a software startup entrepreneur and has since held several senior sales and business leadership positions within the ICT industry. Outside of work, Teemu enjoys life with his wife, two children, and a dog. He spends his free time pursuing photography and challenging himself as an ultra-distance athlete.

At CX Masterclass, he will join an inspiring panel exploring real-world lessons, challenges, and opportunities as AI reshapes customer experience and organisational growth.

Mika Berglund

Mika Berglund is a seasoned IT professional with nearly 30 years of experience working with Microsoft technologies, from Microsoft 365 to Azure and advanced AI solutions. His passion for computing started in the 1980s when he wrote his first program on a Commodore 64.

Mika specialises in scalable Azure AI solutions that seamlessly integrate with modern business environments. His broad industry background in construction, energy, and retail gives him valuable insight into solving real-world challenges through technology.

As CTO and Head of AI at Partu AI, he leads the design and implementation of Partu AI’s cloud-based artificial intelligence offering.

As Lead Cloud Architect at Integrata, Mika designs and implements intelligent, cloud-based systems that simplify operations, enhance decision-making, and improve efficiency – especially by automating payroll and HR related processes.

In their Hands-On AI Masterclass session, ”Winning in the World of GEO and AIO”, Sirte Pihlaja and Mika Berglund will show how Partu AI brings Conversational Commerce to life – helping companies create better customer experiences, serve AI agents, and gain visibility in AI-powered search and transactional environments beyond their own digital channels.

Mari Eklund

Mari Eklund is Vice President in B2B at DNA, a results-oriented leader who thrives at the intersection of people, processes, and AI-powered innovation.

Mari is inspired by human-centric services that leverage advanced automation and intelligence. She believes that the future of customer service is not just faster or cheaper, but smarter. To her, this translates to AI augmenting the human touch, enabling teams to anticipate needs, personalise interactions, and deliver outcomes that matter. The ultimate goal is always to empower organisations to evolve their service operations into strategic growth engines.

Mari explains in her talk how to drive human-centric service with advanced automation and AI.

Mark Hayton

Mark is a leadership expert, podcaster, and coach with over a decade of experience supporting leaders from Wolt to Nokia (with many more in between). He is an experienced People professional with deep expertise in organisational change, transformation and workforce enablement.

His perspectives are based on experience of people and leadership practices from 120 countries and cultures, and an appreciation for the Finnish way. Mark is a firm believer in robust data, meaningful facilitation, and that people don’t always think as much as they think, they think.

Juhani Honkala

Juhani Tuomas Honkala is a Finnish technology pioneer and entrepreneur, currently the CEO of Ikon AI and Executive Chairman of Return Entertainment.

He founded one of the world’s first free-to-play game studios in Seoul—an early breakthrough in global gaming—and later helped drive the rise of Angry Birds at Rovio. An expert in free-to-play and ad-driven business models, Juhani has worked with major global brands throughout his career.

Today, through Ikon AI, he is building next-generation AI systems that make intelligence accessible, practical, and transformative across industries.

In his keynote at CX Masterclas, Juhani reveals how agentic interfaces will transform both customer engagement and employee workflows.

Kimmo Ihanus

Kimmo Ihanus is the Co-Founder and CTO of Superlines, a Helsinki-based startup pioneering tools that detect growth signals in AI search and deliver accurate data for generative engine optimisation. With a long background in building AI-powered marketing tools, Kimmo was among the first marketers to fully adopt AI-driven workflows well before the rise of ChatGPT.

In his Hands-On AI Masterclass session, “AI Search Optimisation Today”, Kimmo will demonstrate how Superlines uses data to drive growth and visibility across LLM-based platforms such as ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google’s AI Overview.

Iiris Lahti

Iiris Lahti leads Customer Success and Services operations at Saidot, enabling AI scalability with governance automation. She has worked for over 15 years in leading consumer & digital analytics functions, as well as data & AI development projects and services, across different industries.

In her talk at CX Masterclass, she will discuss how to govern your AI agents.

Teemu Linna

Teemu Linna serves as the Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer and Chief Information Officer at Sitra, Finland’s leading future-oriented think tank. He is responsible for artificial intelligence, development, and IT, spearheading the organisation’s transformation into an AI-native one. His work focuses on enhancing AI capabilities across business units and aligning business technology, governance, and value creation.

Teemu leads the modernisation of work processes, value streams, and core systems. He integrates AI into decision-making processes, promotes secure infrastructure and digital sovereignty. His leadership combines strategic foresight with agile execution, enabling institutions to adapt rapidly while maintaining accountability.

With nearly three decades of experience in leadership, automation, and digital service development across both the public and private sectors, Teemu brings deep expertise and a visionary approach to the fast-paced digital transformation era in which we currently live.

Valto Loikkanen

Valto Loikkanen is an internationally experienced entrepreneur who has worked in technology and innovation for more than 20 years. He is the co-founder of Prifina and serves as the company’s Chief Experience Officer, responsible for user experience and system architecture design. Valto believes in individual data ownership and solutions that combine privacy and AI capabilities.

Valto will present the possibilities of talking products and AI twins, and run a hands-on workshop where you can create your own AI twin.

Joonas Loueranta

Joonas Loueranta is the Senior Director, AI & Agentic Commerce at Nexi Group, Europe’s leading payments company. The group serves over 3 million merchants and operates multiple payment service providers across the region, including Paytrail in Finland.

Joonas brings a unique 360-degree perspective to the intersection of payments and customer-centric commerce. He is an experienced commercial leader who has driven complex platform partnership strategies at Nexi, but also possesses a deep, ”merchant-first” understanding from his hands-on experience as an e-commerce business owner. This practical-yet-visionary approach, which includes guiding national strategy as a founding board member for Digital Commerce Finland, grounds his work in creating real-world value for both businesses and their end-customers.

At the CX Masterclass, Joonas will bring his perspective on Agentic Commerce as the next frontier of customer experience.

Susanna Mäkelä

Markku Pelkonen

With over 30 years pioneering digital learning for both educational institutions and global corporations, Markku Pelkonen brings unparalleled expertise in transformation and growth resilience. His passion for literacy, life skills development, and the digitalisation of learning has shaped educational practices worldwide.

As an executive leadership coach for school leaders and a culture transformation specialist, Markku facilitates the development of a growth mindset for both leaders and individuals. His core expertise includes leadership culture development, pedagogical leadership, life skills transformation design, and educational transformation.

Markku holds a master’s degree in education from the University of Eastern Finland and founded his first digital learning company in the early 2000s.

His purpose: to grow and be brave and courageous every day.

“I want to enable others to learn the skills and mindset needed to thrive in our changing landscape. For the next 20+ years, I’m committed to supporting the mindset change required for success in the AI era.”

Miikka Rahikainen

Miikka Rahikainen has over ten years of experience in digital marketing and marketing technologies. As a consultant, he focuses on leveraging technology and artificial intelligence to drive business impact. Miikka believes that personalised customer experiences emerge from the seamless fusion of technology, data, and human insight. His unique skillset in orchestrating AI, marketing, and technology sets him apart in the industry. Miikka is passionate about delivering customer-centric solutions that generate measurable value in a rapidly evolving business landscape.

In their talk, Sirpa Toljander and Miikka Rahikainen reveal the five most common gaps in customer experience, often emerging from the rapid pace of AI development.

Sirpa Toljander

Sirpa Toljander brings over a decade of experience in marketing and customer experience development. She is currently pursuing doctoral research focused on advancing customer experience through design methodologies. Her academic foundation lies in consumer economics, marketing, and service design—disciplines she seamlessly integrates into practical development work.

Sirpa specialises in customer experience and change management, areas she is deeply passionate about. She helps organisations build and evolve measurable competitive advantage through strategic CX initiatives.

In their talk, Sirpa Toljander and Miikka Rahikainen reveal the five most common gaps in customer experience, often emerging from the rapid pace of AI development.

Espen Varrone

Espen Varrone is the Founder and CEO of Venli, a Copenhagen-based AI startup pioneering the use of AI to transform the hospitality industry. With a background spanning sales and business development roles at international companies including Salesforce, Brandwatch, impact.com, and Angi, he combines deep expertise in technology, customer experience, and growth. A graduate of Boston University’s Hospitality & Tourism Management program, Espen has lived and worked in both the United States and Europe, building a career at the intersection of hospitality and innovation.

Espen will lead the Hands-On AI Masterclass “Beyond Chatbots”, showcasing FelixOS, Venli’s AI concierge platform and how AI agents are reshaping hospitality — from solving staffing shortages to reimagining guest experience. Participants will build their own voice-based AI agent and see how intelligent agents can transform CX.

Reidar Wasenius

Reidar Wasenius is an AI researcher at the Aalto University Department of Computer Science, where he is developing memetics as the next paradigm in artificial intelligence. Since 1989, his career in the tech sector has included roles at Nokia (twice), Samsung, Telecom Finland, Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC), and the Finnish innovation agency Tekes (now Business Finland).

An educator, trainer, and reporter since 1984, he has helped people understand and harness new digital technologies. The current wave of AI is the fifth major technological revolution in which he is playing an active role. It follows his involvement in the popular adoption of microcomputers in the 1980s, the internet in the 1990s, mobile phones in the 2000s, and social media in the 2010s.

Reidar was the founding Programme Director of the Bachelor’s programme in Media and Communications at Arcada University of Applied Sciences. His most recent book, Personal Brainer (WSOY, 2016), co-authored with neurobiologist Tiina Huttu, reflects his interdisciplinary work on human and digital minds alike.

As his contribution to the CX Masterclass, Reidar presents the thought-provoking idea of a billion-euro business built by a single person and helps each participant understand how they might actually build such a business themselves.

Pasi Örn

Pasi Örn is AI & Automation Manager at Visma Amplio and Founder of PodStudio. Known to many as “Pörni”, he is a creative AI influencer and voice artist who helps people and organisations embrace the power of artificial intelligence. Last year, he won the Elisa AI Vision Challenge (Professional Category) for his innovative work combining creativity and technology.

With a background spanning technology, storytelling, and hands-on experimentation, he regularly speaks at events and inside organisations, inspiring teams to kickstart their AI journey with practical tools and a human-centred approach.

At CX Masterclass, Pasi will demonstrate how practical AI tools can be applied to enhance creativity, communication, and customer experience to make AI approachable, actionable, and human-centred.

Sirte Pihlaja

Sirte Pihlaja on Suomen ensimmäisen asiakkuuskokemusten suunnittelutoimiston, Shiruten toimitusjohtaja ja maailmanlaajuisen Customer Experience -ammattilaisverkoston (CXPA) toiminnanjohtaja Suomessa. Kansainvälisesti tunnettu alansa huippuasiantuntija, valmentaja, designer ja strategisti neuvoo jo 25 vuoden kokemuksella asiakkuuskokemuksen, myynnin ja brändien kehittämistä isoille kansainvälisille ja kotimaisille yrityksille eri toimialoilla (mm. Elisa, Arabia, Hackman, Iittala, Fiskars, Marimekko, Nokia, Nordea, Rovio, S-Ryhmä, TeliaSonera, Veikkaus, VR ja YLE).

Sirte tuottaa luovia ratkaisuja asiakkuuskokemusten tutkimiseen ja suunnitteluun, asiakkuuskokemusten johtamiseen, tiedolla johtamiseen, asiakaskuunteluun ja maineenhallintaan sekä ratkaisujen konkretisoimiseen palvelumuotoilun keinoin.

Hanna Kortström

Hanna Kortström toimii kehityspäällikkönä Keskon päivittäistavarakaupassa ja vastaa mm. erilaisista tutkimuksista sekä kehitysprojekteista asiakaskokemuksen kehittämiseen liittyen.

Noora Lindholm

Noora Lindholm, Customer Interactions Manager, vastaa KONEen globaalissa asiakaskokemusyksikössä asiakasuskollisuuden mittauksesta, analysoinnista ja tulosten hyödyntämisestä. Aikaisemmin hän toimi asiakaskokemuspäällikkönä Suomen johtavalla lääke- ja terveystuotteiden jakelijalla. Työkokemusta Nooralle on kertynyt erilaisista myynnin ja markkinoinnin tehtävistä sekä asiakaskokemuksen, asiakkuudenhallinnan ja digitaalisten palveluiden kehitysprojekteista jo lähes 15 vuoden ajalta.

Matti Airas

Matti Airas on toiminut Etuman toimitusjohtajana aina tähän vuoteen saakka ja toimii nykyisin yhtiössä tekstianalyysin evankelistana. Matti on tehnyt useita vuosia töitä asiakaskokemuksen parantamiseksi eri toimialoilla. Hänen erityisosaamistaan on korkealaatuisen tekstianalyysin hyödyntäminen asiakaskokemuksen parantamisessa. Matilla on yli 20 vuoden työkokemus ICT- ja telekommunikaatioliiketoiminnasta sekä myynnissä että tuotekehitys- ja liiketoimintajohtamisessa.

Puheenvuoron kuvaus:

Olof Hoverfält

Sirte Pihlaja

Sirte Pihlaja (Certified Customer Experience Professional) on Suomen ensimmäisen asiakkuuskokemusten suunnittelutoimiston, Shiruten toimitusjohtaja ja maailmanlaajuisen Customer Experience Professionals Associationin (www.cxpa.fi) toiminnanjohtaja Suomessa.

Kansainvälisesti tunnettu alansa huippuasiantuntija, valmentaja, designer ja strategisti neuvoo jo 25 vuoden kokemuksella asiakkuuskokemuksen, myynnin ja brändien kehittämistä isoille kansainvälisille ja kotimaisille yrityksille eri toimialoilla (mm. Elisa, Arabia, Fiskars, Hackman, Iittala, Marimekko, Nokia, Nordea, Rovio, S-Ryhmä, TeliaSonera, Veikkaus, VR ja YLE). Hän on kysytty kouluttaja, puhuja, puheenjohtaja ja blogikirjoittaja, joka on totuttu näkemään alan vaikuttajaseminaareissa.

Sirte tuottaa luovia ratkaisuja asiakkuuskokemusten johtamiseen, tutkimiseen, mittaamiseen ja suunnitteluun, asiakaskuunteluun ja maineenhallintaan, tiedolla johtamiseen sekä ratkaisujen konkretisoimiseen palvelumuotoilun keinoin.

Puheenvuorojen kuvaukset:

Antti Brunni

Antti Brunni on digistrategi, joka kehittää digitaalista asiakaskokemusta työssään yleisötutkimukseen ja muotoilun menetelmiin nojautuen. Nyt hän suunnittelee Tietotalon startupissa paikka- ja tilannesidonnaisen markkinoinnin ja viestinnän ratkaisua, Likiä.

Puheenvuoron kuvaus:

Kontekstisidonnainen mobiilipalvelu ja asiakaskokemus – Case Terveystalo & Case Rovio & Case Muumimaailma

Antti Brunni esittelee kontekstisidonnaisen markkinoinnin ja viestinnän mahdollisuuksia. Miten ollaan asiakkaan kanssa oikeaan aikaan, oikeassa paikassa? Miten digitaaliseen asiakaskokemukseen yhdistetään reaalimaailman tilanne ja paikka? Miten mobiililaitteiden ja sovellusten uusia ominaisuuksia hyödynnetään hyperpaikallisessa markkinoinninssa? Esityksessä kuullaan kokemuksia mm. kontekstisidonnaista markkinointia hyödyntävän Terveystalon mobiilisovelluksen suunnittelusta.

Micael Buckle

Micael Buckle is the founder and CEO of consulting company IntHRface. He has worked in numerous projects and development processes for his clients developing strategy, organisational, team and leadership skills both in Denmark and globally (e.g. AstraZeneca, Danfoss, GN Resound, Grundfos, Health Care Regions in Denmark, LEGO, Leo Pharma, Maersk, Municipality of Copenhagen, Novo, Nycomed, Mærsk, Siemens, Siemens Wind Power, SOBI, Takeda and TORM ). 

Buckle has been certified in LEGO® Serious Play® at LEGO Company in 2003. Micael has lead more than 500 workshops around the world using the LEGO® Serious Play® methodology. He is the leading trainer of LEGO® Serious Play® in Europe, and is responsible for facilitator training and certifications at Hotel LEGOLAND in Billund, Denmark and Windsor, UK.

Micael used to work as an officer in the Armed Forces in Denmark. Thanks to his background, he has high experience in strategy and leadership. He has commander experience both in his home country and abroad, and has been in charge of officers training in the Armed Forces in Denmark. He has studied educational science and organisational psychology at the university in Denmark.

Sirte Pihlaja

Sirte Pihlaja (Certified Customer Experience Professional) is the founder and CEO of Shirute, the first Customer Experience Agency in Finland. She heads the activities of Customer Experience Professionals Association (CXPA) in Finland (www.cxpa.fi).

Sirte is a CX expert with solid coaching skills, who has been internationally recognized for her thought leadership in the field. For over 25 years, she has advised businesses around the globe in strategy, experience design, sales and brand development to differentiate their brands by radically improving their CX. Sirte is a sought-after designer, speaker and facilitator, who advises large international and domestic companies in different industries (e.g. Elisa, Arabia, Fiskars, Hackman, Iittala, Marimekko, Nokia, Nordea, Rovio, Sanoma, S-Group, TeliaSonera, Tikkurila, Veikkaus, VR and YLE Finnish Broadcasting Company).

She is a sought-after coach, keynote speaker, chairperson and blog writer, who is a familiar face in international influencer seminars.

Sirte produces creative solutions to revolutionize customer experiences, and helps her clients in creating memorable, profitable customer experiences through CX optimisation, research, measurement and design, voice of customer and reputation management, data-driven business and transforming businesses through service design and digitalisation. She guides decision makers in developing their customer understanding, and is known for transforming customer insight into actionable results quickly and cost-effectively. Previously, she worked as a business manager, senior strategist and service design lead at Accenture, Tieto and Fjord, as well as over 10 years in international media.

Antti Harjuoja

Antti Harjuoja is an advocate and a driver of customer-centered business. Currently, he works as a Culture Designer and NLP Associate Trainer. Antti has over 10 years of experience from various customer-facing roles in different industries. He believes that customer thinking must be at the core of developing customer experiences. Antti is also an active social media manager who shines in identifying the most effective new digital channels and practices.

Ian Golding

Ian Golding is Customer Experience Specialist, Certified Customer Experience Professional and Certified Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt. He has spent over twenty years in business improvement, working hard to ensure that the businesses he works for are as customer focused as possible.

A highly influential freelance Customer Experience consultant, Ian advises leading companies on Customer Experience strategy, measurement, improvement and employee advocacy techniques and solutions.

Sirte Pihlaja

Sirte Pihlaja (Certified Customer Experience Professional, Trained LEGO(R) Serious Play(R) Facilitator) is the founder and CEO of Shirute, the first Customer Experience Agency in Finland. She heads the activities of Customer Experience Professionals Association (CXPA) in Finland (www.cxpa.fi).

Sirte is a CX expert with solid coaching skills, who has been internationally recognized for her thought leadership in the field. For over 25 years, she has advised businesses around the globe in strategy, experience design, sales and brand development to differentiate their brands by radically improving their CX. Sirte is a sought-after designer, keynote speaker, facilitator, blogger and chairperson, who is a familiar face in international influencer seminars.

Sirte produces creative solutions to revolutionize customer experiences, and helps her clients in creating memorable, profitable customer experiences through CX optimisation, research, measurement and design, voice of customer and reputation management, data-driven business and transforming businesses through service design and digitalisation. She guides decision makers in developing their customer understanding, and is known for transforming customer insight into actionable results quickly and cost-effectively. Previously, she worked as a business manager, senior strategist and service design lead at Accenture, Tieto and Fjord, as well as over 10 years in international media.

Sirte Pihlaja

Sirte Pihlaja (Certified Customer Experience Professional) on Suomen ensimmäisen asiakkuuskokemusten suunnittelutoimiston, Shiruten toimitusjohtaja ja maailmanlaajuisen Customer Experience Professionals Associationin (www.cxpa.fi) toiminnanjohtaja Suomessa.

Kansainvälisesti tunnettu alansa huippuasiantuntija, valmentaja, designer ja strategisti neuvoo jo 25 vuoden kokemuksella asiakkuuskokemuksen, myynnin ja brändien kehittämistä isoille kansainvälisille ja kotimaisille yrityksille eri toimialoilla (mm. Elisa, Arabia, Fiskars, Hackman, Iittala, Marimekko, Nokia, Nordea, Rovio, S-Ryhmä, TeliaSonera, Veikkaus, VR ja YLE). Hän on kysytty kouluttaja, puhuja, puheenjohtaja ja blogikirjoittaja, joka on totuttu näkemään alan vaikuttajaseminaareissa.

Sirte tuottaa luovia ratkaisuja asiakkuuskokemusten johtamiseen, tutkimiseen, mittaamiseen ja suunnitteluun, asiakaskuunteluun ja maineenhallintaan, tiedolla johtamiseen sekä ratkaisujen konkretisoimiseen palvelumuotoilun keinoin. Shirute auttaa yrityksiä kehittämään asiakasymmärrystä mm. suositussa Asiakas Ensin -valmennuksessa (www.asiakasensin.fi).

Micael Buckle

Micael Buckle (Chief Executive Trainer, LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® ) on konsulttiyritys Inthrfacen perustaja ja toimitusjohtaja. Hän konsultoi kansainvälisesti strategian, johtajuuden, organisaation ja tiimin kehittämistä.

Micael on LEGO® Serious Play® -sertifioitu LEGO Companyssä vuonna 2003. Hän on ohjannut yli 800 työpajaa LEGO® Serious Play® -menetelmällä ympäri maailmaa. Micael on johtava LEGO® Serious Play® -valmentaja Euroopassa, ja vetää fasilitaattorikoulutuksia ja sertifiointeja Hotel LEGOLANDissa Tanskassa, Englannissa ja Yhdysvalloissa.

Micael on useiden vuosien ajan toiminut yhteistyössä  LEGO® Serious Play® metodin luojan, professori Johan Roosin kanssa tutkien ja kehittäen metodia ja sen uusia sovellutuksia. Hän toimii myös osa-aikaisena dosenttina Hult & Ashridge International Business Schoolissa.

Aiemmin Micael työskenteli armeijan upseerina ollen vastuussa upseerien kouluttamisesta Tanskan armeijassa. Hänellä on johtamisen, taktiikan ja strategian maisterin tutkinto sekä kattavasti johtamiskokemusta niin armeijasta, yritysmaailmasta kuin konsultoinnista.

Ian Golding

Ian Golding on asiakaskokemuksen asiantuntija, Certified Customer Experience Professional ja sertifioitu Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt. Hän on viettänyt yli kaksikymmentä vuotta kehittäen liiketoimintaa ja työskennellyt ahkerasti varmistaakseen, että yritykset, joissa hän työskentelee, ovat mahdollisimman asiakaskeskeisiä.

Golding on yksi maailman tunnetuimmista ja vaikutusvaltaisimmista asiakaskokemuskonsulteista. Hän neuvoo johtavia yrityksiä asiakaskokemusstrategiassa, mittaamisessa, asiakkuuskokemuksen kehittämisessä ja työntekijöiden hiljaisen tiedon hyödyntämisessä sekä näihin liittyvien ratkaisujen hyödyntämisessä.

Alec Dalton

Alec Daltonin intohimo viiden tähden palveluun ruokkii hänen työtään poikkeuksellisten kokemusten luomiseksi – erityisesti majoitus- ja matkailualalla sekä turismissa. Alec on tehnyt merkittävän uran alan johtavissa yrityksissä, kuten The Ritz-Carltonissa ja Disneyllä, ja nyt hän neuvoo niin isoille brändeille kuin boutique-yrityksille lähestymistapoja, joilla ne voivat kehittää operatiivista huippuosaamista. Hän myös tutkii ja opettaa Bostonin yliopiston ja Florida International Universityn hospitality-puolen tiedekunnissa.

The International Hospitality Institute on nimennyt Alecin ”maailman 100 inspiroivimman ihmisen joukkoon vieraanvaraisuudessa ja matkailussa”. Konsultoinnin, opettamisen ja tutkimuksen lisäksi Alec jakaa näkemyksiään menestyksekkääseen asiakaspalveluun bestseller-kirjailijana, globaalisti kysyttynä keynote-puhujana ja useiden kansainvälisten kilpailujen tuomarina.

Valto Loikkanen

Valto Loikkanen on kansainvälisesti palkittu yrittäjä, tekoälystrategi ja tuotearkkitehti, jolla on yli 25 vuoden kokemus tekoälypohjaisista liiketoimintamalleista, alustataloudesta ja ihmiskeskeisestä tekoälystä. Visionäärisistä innovaatioistaan – mukaan lukien Agentic AI – tunnettu Loikkanen on erikoistunut yhdistämään syvää teknologiaa käytännön sovellutuksiin ja varmistamaan, että tekoäly toimii käytännöllisesti, skaalautuu ja on saumattomasti integroitavissa liiketoimintastrategioihin.

Hän on toiminut EU:n, hallitusten ja suuryritysten neuvonantajana tekoälyyn, digitaalisiin ekosysteemeihin ja innovaatiopolitiikkaan liittyen. Johtaessaan tekoäly- ja datavetoisia aloitteita yli 33 kaupungissa kaikilla mantereilla Valto on kehittänyt fintech- ja tekoälyratkaisuja maailmanlaajuisesti sekä mentoroinut satoja yrittäjiä, PK-yrityksiä ja UX-suunnittelijoita. Hänen erityisosaamisensa alueita ovat tekoälynatiivit liiketoimintamallit, AI-agenttien verkostot (multi-agent AI networks) ja datavetoiset ekosysteemit, joiden keskellä hän auttaa yrityksiä ja päättäjiä navigoimaan tekoälyvetoisen muutoksen seuraavaan aikakauteen.

Antti Harjuoja

Antti Harjuoja on asiakaslähtöisen liiketoiminnan puolestapuhuja ja edistäjä. Tällä hetkellä hän työskentelee kulttuurimuotoilijana ja NLP Associate Trainerina Milestonella. Antilla on yli 10 vuoden kokemus asiakasrajapinnasta eri rooleista ja eri toimialoilta. Asiakaskokemuksen kehittämisessä Antin mielestä tulee aina olla ihmiskäsitys ytimessä. Antti on myös aktiivinen somettaja ja tuntee tehokkaimmat digitaalisen näkyvyyden kanavat ja keinot.

Jari Auranen

Jarno Malaprade

Krista Östman

Kristalla on lähes 20 vuoden kokemus markkinointiviestinnän maailmasta toimien mainostoimistoissa mm. tuottajana, suunnittelijana sekä asiakkuuspäällikkönä.

Markkinoinnin stateginen suunnittelu yhdistettynä luovaan viestintään, tapahtuma- sekä konseptisuunnittelu ja ennen kaikkea asiakaskokemuksellinen markkinointi ovat lähellä Kristan sydäntä. Haasteet ja tiukat aikataulut motivoivat toimimaan, projektijohtaminen ja tiimien vetäminen mm. vastaamalla Hullujen Päivien tuotannosta useiden vuosien ajan Stockmannilla.

Oman mainostoimiston lisäksi Krista vastaa toiminnan johtamisesta Tapiolan keskuksen markkinointipäällikkönä. Kohdennettu viestintä, asiakaskuuntelu sekä luova markkinointi yhdistettynä elämyksiin ovat avaintekijöitä, joilla lujitetaan asiakasuskollisuutta.

Karri Pulkkinen

Karri Pulkkisen erityisosaamista ovat informaatioteknologian ja analyyttisten menetelmien hyödyntäminen kuluttajaliiketoiminnan kasvattamisessa, kannattavuuden parantamisessa ja asiakkuuskokemuksen kehittämisessä.

Karri on suunnitellut ja toteuttanut kymmeniä miljoonia kuluttajia palvelevia teknologiaratkaisuja kuluttajaliiketoimintaa harjoittaville yrityksille ja tuntee perusteellisesti big data -teknologiat, perinteiset tiedonhallintateknologiat ja ennustavan analytiikan menetelmät. Hänellä on kahdenkymmenen vuoden informaatioteknologia-alan kokemus asiantuntijana, konsulttina ja linjaorganisaation johtajana.

Ilona Lahtinen

Ilona Lahtinen on asiakaskuuntelun asiantuntija Etumalta, joka on erikoistunut tekstianalyysin hyödyntämiseen asiakkaiden toiveiden ja tarpeiden ymmärtämisessä.

Automatisoiduilla analyysiratkaisuilla asiakkaiden ääni jalostetaan liikevaihtoa kasvattaviksi toimenpiteiksi reaaliaikaisesti ja kustannustehokkaasti. Ilona työskentelee Finnairin, Keskon, Veikkauksen ja monien muiden yritysten kanssa, jotka saavat asiakaskuuntelun työkaluista selkeitä hyötyjä päivittäisessä toiminnassaan.

Joona Kallio

Joona Kallio on visualiseen kommunikaatioon ja käyttäjäkokemukseen keskittyvä luova suunnittelija. Yli 15 vuoden intensiivinen kokemus markkinoinnista, konseptisuunnittelusta ja graafisesta suunnittelusta takaa sen, että Joona tuottaa visuaalisesti näyttäviä, helposti ymmärrettäviä konsepteja ja lopputuotteita visuaalisesta identiteetistä, käyttöliittymistä ja liikkuvasta grafiikasta muun muassa paketointiin, mainontaan ja sosiaaliseen mediaan.

Joona asui lapsuutensa Japanissa, jossa häntä ympäröi kehittynyt kommunikaatio ja visuaalisesti vahva viestintä. Joona on koulutukseltaan mainosgraafikko (MG) ja on valmistunut Helsingin Markkinointi-instituutista.

Diane Magers

Diane Magers is known as a passionate experience transformation executive and change agent, sherpa for new and developing experience obsessed organizations, and as a thought leader and innovator for ways of engaging associates, customers and partners. She believes sustainable change requires embedding customer and experience capabilities into all parts of an organization.

Diane is skilled in creating Experience Management business value and systematically changing organizations to align around experience and drive financial impact. She specializes in enabling brands with skills and competencies like design thinking, journey management and value mapping to drive sustainable shifts in how organizations work to achieve results. With over 25 years of experience in transforming experiences, she has worked in and with brands such as Sysco, AT&T, State Farm, Dale Carnegie, CommScope, Invisalign, Ciena, Freeman, Cisco. Sodexho, Equifax and MoneyGram.

Diane is the Emeritus Chair and recent CEO for the Customer Experience Professionals Association. She speaks and conducts workshops all over the world to help transform Experience Management strategy into action. Diane earned a Master’s in Clinical Psychology and a Masters of Business Administration. She is a Certified Customer Experience Professional (CCXP), and holds certifications in Voice of Customer, Customer Experience Management, Net Promoter Score and CX Design and Innovation LUMA certified.

Sirte Pihlaja

Sirte Pihlaja (Certified Customer Experience Professional CCXP & Trained Facilitator of LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY®) is the founder and CEO of Shirute, the first Customer Experience Agency in Finland. She heads the activities of Customer Experience Professionals Association (CXPA) in Finland (www.cxpa.fi). She is one of the first Europeans to have been certified as a CCXP.

Sirte is an internationally respected CX/EX expert, coach, designer and strategist with over 25 years of experience advising large international corporations and brands in different industries, globally. She is known for translating customer understanding to concrete actions and results in a fast, fun and cost-efficient way. Sirte was recently recognised as a TOP 150 Global Customer Experience Thought Leader. The CXPA has also awarded her the Extra Mile Award.

At Shirute, Sirte delivers creative solutions in customer experience management, research and experience design, CX culture, data analytics, voice of customer, and through omni-channel CX & service design. She is excited about using creative methodologies, such as LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY®, in creating great CX and EX. Sirte is passionately championing CX in the Nordics, South-East Asia and beyond and is a familiar face in international CX Awards juries and conference stages. She is especially fond of creative methodologies and regularly plays with LEGO bricks together with her clients to create a better future for all of us.

Customer Experience 3, an international bestseller, is her third book on people experiences. The previous one, Customer Experience 2, was also a global bestseller on three continents.

Ian Golding

Ian Golding is Customer Experience Specialist, Certified Customer Experience Professional and Certified Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt. He has spent over twenty years in business improvement, working hard to ensure that the businesses he works for are as customer focused as possible.

A highly influential freelance Customer Experience consultant, Ian advises leading companies on Customer Experience strategy, measurement, improvement and employee advocacy techniques and solutions.

Sirte Pihlaja

Sirte Pihlaja (Certified Customer Experience Professional, Trained LEGO(R) Serious Play(R) Facilitator) is the founder and CEO of Shirute, the first Customer Experience Agency in Finland. She heads the activities of Customer Experience Professionals Association (CXPA) in Finland (www.cxpa.fi).

Sirte is a CX expert with solid coaching skills, who has been internationally recognized for her thought leadership in the field. For over 25 years, she has advised businesses around the globe in strategy, experience design, sales and brand development to differentiate their brands by radically improving their CX. Sirte is a sought-after designer, keynote speaker, facilitator, blogger and chairperson, who is a familiar face in international influencer seminars.

Sirte produces creative solutions to revolutionize customer experiences, and helps her clients in creating memorable, profitable customer experiences through CX optimisation, research, measurement and design, voice of customer and reputation management, data-driven business and transforming businesses through service design and digitalisation. She guides decision makers in developing their customer understanding, and is known for transforming customer insight into actionable results quickly and cost-effectively. Previously, she worked as a business manager, senior strategist and service design lead at Accenture, Tieto and Fjord, as well as over 10 years in international media.