Dear friends and colleagues,
I am writing this to tell you all that I have decided to leave Satama and move towards new opportunities in Hungary, Budapest. I will join a Finnish export and international business consulting firm, Finpro (www.finpro.fi), as their business consultant for digital media and IT industries. My last working day here in Amsterdam is Friday Feb 22, 2008. After this I will have my un-kept holidays and we will leave the Netherlands during the 1st week of March.
I must say that leaving Satama is not an easy decision, after the tremendous eight years in this turbulent, evolving, fascinating and amazingly inspiring company. Moreover, it is even more difficult to write my own ”Thank you all and farewell”-letter and fitting all the great moments and feelings into it. Anyway, I owe you, all present and former colleagues, to try this out as well as I can.
Bit more than ten years ago there was something unique, special and unseen in the air – a new medium was born – the Internet. As a young researcher at the Helsinki School of Economics, I participated into a pioneering initiative to analyse the emerging business area and especially the companies creating Internet services, so-called digital media service companies. One of the leading companies in this area was Satama – the flagship of the Finnish Internet consultancy companies for years.
Satama recruited me out of research world in 1999 (having finally finished my thesis) -the year of outstanding IPOs and ever increasing expectations towards the ”new economy”. Looking back now, I have been very lucky to have had the chance to work this long in Satama, seeing all the up’s and down’s. I even had the chance to see the latest transformation from a slightly external angle - via a foreign subsidiary and its divestment. Satama’s 10 years of rollercoaster-like history has now been published as a well-deserved anniversary publication and I had the honour to participate in this effort and also in the unforgettable 10-year party (thanks Mia & Panu for the great effort!)
At this moment, I am happy to say that Satama for me has been and will always be about the great colleagues and creative ideas. Satama was formed to make a change in business, to consult Finnish and Dutch companies about the new medium and to create new services around the opportunities. We all together made it happen – Satama became something special as so many great brains contributed to the company development during the years. And so many “graduations” from this digital media university - just have a look of how many Finnish and Dutch digital media employees have “studied” in this Alma Mater.
I want to pin-point few of my greatest moments in Satama: (which at least some of you might share). This is just a selected list of the numerous great things I’ve had during the years. So many other moments and good laughs could be also listed here, yet, it is good to have at least some kind of a list to remember these also later in life J
- The inspiring atmosphere within the Satama consulting team since the beginning thanks to Kari, Seppo, Petri, Katri, Anni, Tom, Teresia, Jussi, Hannu, Vesa and all the others joining the team since then
- The over-optimistic spring of 2000 – growth, international expansion, Torsti and Heku shopping furiously companies in Europe and even in USA and boom happening that time in-house.
- The ambitious and ultra-challenging Nokia Online program with Kirsi, Timo, Sini, Lars, Matti and the rest of the close to 60 people Olari team
- Cebit’2000 – partying with new colleagues from Amsterdam, Germany and the US and naturally with the 30+ gang from Helsinki, Peter loosing and finding his Communicator through “Leevi and the Leavings”
- Summer 2000 Rock Festival party with the Satama House Band being in miniskirts
- Asta Leppä’s Image Magazine article about Satama in 2000
- Korpikonsultti Hannu’s amazing consulting trainings and his performance at Xmas party’99
- Print Europe dotcom -case with Johanna, Hannu and Jan
- Consultants training session at Katri’s cottage in autumn 2000 with legendary Teletubbies (thanks Petri) and Bush Whisperers (thanks Antti & Jari)
- Outstanding lunch buffet in Hernesaari 1997-2001 (R.I.P), it was a legend
- Seppo and his ever increasing piles of paper and reports of anything between consumer trends to latest technolgy insights and measurement reports
- Mobile Garage brainstormings with the Mobile Opinion Innovation. Thanks, Iñaki, Tero, Teresia, Teropekka, Marko, Pekka, Iikka, Peter, Sotiris, Kai, Joni, Basse and so many others!
- eBusiness University initiative with the passion to learn, thanks Leena
- The N-Gage program with the great Tampere production ”Time to Evolve”. Thanks Henri, Mika, Ilari and Antti and rest of the team
- The 5-star dinner after N-Gage launch at Taidehallin Klubi – Thanks Marja and Christian F!
- Inspiring talks of history and culture at Messi, especially thanks to Teropekka, Mark and Lars S.
- Forum Nokia consulting efforts with Kari, Nino, Jari, Niina and Tomi
- The Satama Tampere training sessions always parellel with Mindtrek
- Integrated marcom workshops with Jari and Marja for the big blue
- SIG and the passion we had for service design – thanks Minni, Jokko, Mikko, Xavier, Kai, Panu, Seppo and Riikka!
- Blogging with a passionate (but small) colleague community, thanks Henri, Sami, Jokko, Xavier, Riikka, Leevi, Steve, Martijn, Rauno, Mark
- Nokia World in Nice 2003, dinner with Jacco and Christian H
- Great entry into Amsterdam thanks to Paula, Jacco and Hans
- Learning via a crash course all about web analytics and SEM thanks to Hans and Jacco and taught by Seppo, Leevi, Xavier, Eelco, Mikko and Steve
- Vodafone metrics gigs with Seppo, Mikko, Leevi, Eelco, Martijn and Peter and overnights at “Satama Maastricht”, chez Martijn - and having after work relaxants also with Hugo
- Driving with Nicole to ABN AMRO at nearly 200 km/h on A10 - I wish I had had double seat belts, a helmet and triple air bags in the car
- Bert’s PM wine sessions of Fridays and the springy Generaal Vetterstraat balcony relaxation
- Running workshops with Jari and Martijn – what a great team to play in!
- Stimulating atmosphere at the sales and strategy room in Amsterdam, with everlasting music debate and humor in the air – thanks Nicole, Ralf, Marc, Jaap, Jona, Michael, Tammo and Sandra.
- Moving/Xmas party in the empty new premises in Amsterdam - “zipping” wine with Bert and his ongoing riddles.
- ALD workshops in Lissabon and Paris with Martijn, Jacco and Juha
- Satama A’dam summer party trip to Helsinki in 2007
- The home device program in late 2007 with the Satama Tampere team
- My farewell parties both in Helsinki and in Amsterdam
Satama, for me, has been a great place to combine learning, big customer challenges and having fun with very professional people. I have really enjoyed my years in Satama and will for sure miss you all and the great atmosphere prevailing among Satama Dockers!
I wish you all the best in the future. Please remember to keep up the good spirit and your passion for learning new things. I am sure that we will see ourselves in the future. The field of digital business is still, though grown radically since 1990s, such a small industry. And please do not hesitate to contact me later in your careers, thanks! I hope you all will also contact me if in any kind of sparring need about opportunities in the emerging European digital media and IT markets.
Thank you once more for the great moments and memories at the Dockerland !
:)
Tommi
P.S. Yes, there will be farewell and good luck drinks:
In Helsinki: William K, Thursday Feb 7, 2008 starting ~18 hours. All old and existing Satama people welcome!
In Amsterdam: Thursday Feb 21, more information follows later… Welcome!
