Tuomas Fjällström appointed Managing Director of Atostek – Mika Torhola focuses on new business ventures
The board of Tampere-based software company Atostek has appointed the company’s Chief Sales Officer, Tuomas Fjällström, as the new Managing Director effective from September 12, 2024. Mika Torhola, who has steered the company as Managing Director for eleven years, will shift his focus to the development of new business operations.
Tuomas Fjällström, who has previously served as the Chief Sales Officer, will start as the new Managing Director of Atostek, a software industry company operating in Tampere, Espoo, and Jyväskylä, on September 12, 2024. In his previous role as Chief Sales Officer, Fjällström has led the development of the social and healthcare customer data archiving business into a multi-million euro venture and has been responsible for professionalizing the company’s sales organization.
“The purpose of this change is to make the most of the best qualities of each. Mika is exceptionally good at building new business and customer relations, while my strengths lie in organizational skills and developing operational methods,” says Fjällström.
Strong legacy
The outgoing Managing Director, Mika Torhola, leaves behind a strong legacy for his colleague. According to Jarkko Niittylahti, chairman of Atostek’s board, the company’s turnover, staff, and the number of offices have tripled under Torhola’s leadership.
Atostek’s position among the best software experts in the industry, healthcare, and medical devices has been solidified domestically, and the business is becoming international. As the scale grows, it becomes increasingly important to be able to invest sufficiently in both core activities and the development of new business. Torhola believes it’s important that the operational leadership has a strong mandate for top-level decision-making.
“I have the most to contribute in the field of new business, but the daily operational management now demands too much attention due to the increased scale. Therefore, it is natural to pass on the Managing Director position to someone who is known specifically for their operational leadership ability,” says Torhola.
Torhola will also continue on the company’s board.
New Managing Director initially refused a job at Atostek – Interim position as city’s IT Manager
Fjällström started at Atostek as a software designer in 2002, towards the end of his diploma engineer studies.
“At the end of a successful job interview, I announced that I wasn’t actually looking for a job because I was planning to go interrailing for the summer. However, the company called me in the fall, and I started working.”
Fjällström has also served as the IT Manager of the city of Mikkeli. His wife’s job took him to Mikkeli.
“When I was looking for a job in Mikkeli, I said that the last thing I wanted was an IT Manager position. Soon I was offered a job as an IT Manager for the city of Mikkeli, and I took it. It turned out to be a very good job in terms of developing my skills.”
In his new role as Atostek’s Managing Director, Fjällström wants to continue the development of the company’s own software products and lead sales so that product development gets enough information about what the customers need.
“In the future, Atostek will sell not only consulting services but also products aimed at international markets, an example of which is the software platform for autonomous machines, Flexbot.”
Further information:
Tuomas Fjällström
Managing Director, Atostek
+358 45 171 2005
