Meet our new Product Owner, Jyri Jokinen

Jyri brings nearly three decades of experience in software and product management, with a career spanning industries from telecommunications and finance to healthcare. Before joining Yonoton, he worked at Aava. Earlier in his career, he held roles at Nokia, Elisa and OP Group.

With a background combining software development, product management, strategy and business, Jyri joins Yonoton with plenty of experience — and, judging by his answers, a healthy dose of curiosity and humor.

We asked Jyri a few questions to help you get to know him better.

What attracted you to Yonoton, and what made you decide to join the team?

I got a tip from a former colleague, Atte, and when I read the job ad, the attitude oozing from it was an instant sell. My sense of humor can be described as slightly peculiar, and I felt that this place is the exact right fit for me.

I knew nothing about the business, but I strive to be a lifelong learner, so I decided to accept the challenge.

What are you most excited about in your new role at Yonoton?

The growth potential.

As a Product Owner, I am responsible for the success of the product, and I am not one to shrink away from responsibility. I can't wait to be a part of the story in which Yonoton takes over the world!

Can you tell us a little about your career journey and what brought you to this point?

I started my career as a software developer back in 1996. After a few years, I got distracted and ended up on a product management track.

In 2008, I heard about this new thing called agile, which blew my mind, and ever since, I have been eager to learn more.

Over the years, I have worked at Nokia, Elisa in telecommunications, OP Group in finance, and, just before joining Yonoton, at Aava and Pikkujätti in healthcare.

So I'm not joking when I say I have absolutely no clue about what I'm doing here.

What experience, skills or perspective do you bring to Yonoton that you’re particularly looking forward to putting into practice?

I have two degrees, an M.Sc. in Computer Science and an MBA, so I can grasp both the technology and the business side of things.

I have also worked with smaller and larger teams and occasionally planned the work of multiple teams, so I have a wide range of experience in finding the right processes for the environment.

I am especially interested in exploiting my understanding of strategy and marketing to steer the product in the right direction.

What made Yonoton feel like the right place for you at this stage of your career?

My experience is mainly from large corporations, so I've seen that world.

While having the support of a massive organization can make life easy, it can also be limiting. A small and ambitious company such as Yonoton forces me to put my skin in the game and really show what I'm capable of.

And after 30 years in the software business, I'm quite certain I am capable of a lot.

If you could improve one thing about the way technology is used in restaurants, hospitality or entertainment, what would it be?

Make the technology invisible and leave room for human contact.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

I play video games, read a lot and, most of all, I like to see the world with my wife.

And finally: what is your secret superpower that even your closest friends or family might not know about?

I can recite long stretches of dialogue from really obscure, ancient TV shows or movies.

My wife knows about this, and it annoys her to no end.

Welcome to Yonoton, Jyri!