Forum 2024 Role model blog: Elina Vihriälä, Knowit - Women in Tech Finland (2024)

I am the Lead Analytics Consultant and Tableau Technical Lead at Knowit, a Swedish IT company based in Finland. Although my responsibilities are various, my primary role is managing Knowit’s customer delivery. Basically, my most important tasks are helping our clients find the best tech solutions for their sustainable business, use their data, and find value from it to support their goals.

I have been in the software business for roughly half my professional life and half with data and analytics. I studied economics and computer science at the University of Helsinki and started my career doing Java coding. I have worked in various roles as an application architect, a team lead, and a product manager. I started working with data over 12 years ago, and my focus is now on how to get the best value out of the data: not just building reports but analytical solutions that support operations and help customers do their business better.

It was not a coincidence that I was driven to technology, but several pieces played a role in growing my interest. For example, I have always had a passion for numbers. However, there is one large piece in the puzzle that I can thank my high school mathematics teacher for, who helped me become even more keen on mathematics than I used to be. I believe that he made me love mathematics, and that’s probably one of the reasons why I’m here in this career.

Whether one has an inspiring or discouraging teacher along the road can have an enormous impact on one’s interests. Some teachers are exceptional at encouraging learning. I really think my high school teacher has had a big impact on why I ended up working with numbers.

Another important factor in my interest in technology was getting my first computer, a Spectravideo SVI-738 MSX, when I was fourteen in 1986. I was the only girl who had a computer in the neighborhood where I grew up. Soon after that, Finnish schools got their first computers. During my high school years, I immediately attended a voluntary computer class that was, by chance, taught by the same great teacher who taught me mathematics.

With my first computer, I also got the technology magazine Mikrobitti, which contained instructions on writing your own code with your computer. I did some experiments and made e.g., a program to make lottery numbers. At that time, there was no Internet or books on this because everything was so new, so the magazine’s role was crucial.

I think that games have an essential role in driving people to technology. I enjoyed playing digital games, like Nintendo Game & Watch, which was my first “electronic game” back in the 1980s, even though I didn’t have too many games or friends to play with.

Nowadays, I think many boys play together in small groups, making it natural for them to enter the technology field. I have tried to ensure that my two daughters get the same experience and show them how fun technology can be. We quite often play together and have fun; currently, Brawl Stars is our favorite. In my opinion, an encouraging community is very important since it is quite difficult to get engaged in something alone.

I think it is of most importance to keep up with the constantly changing fields such as technology. My tip is to embrace technology’s permanent change and use it as a superpower.

To stay ahead, I simply google a lot. The Internet is full of advice when needed, only if one knows how to search for it. Additionally, to keep myself ahead and constantly learning, one of my most important sources is networking, the global Internet communities, and my peers at work. I find it valuable to be a part of different communities that write about the topics I am working with, and I enjoy being a part of my community at work. I also run the Finland Tableau User Group to gather people with similar interests and share lessons learned and inspiration.

In addition to this, adaptation is essential for me while navigating a constantly changing environment – I see adaptation as a way to live with technology. One can learn many new things by adapting, being curious, and trusting oneself. To keep my brain adaptable to learning, I use multiple strategies. For example, I learn languages using Duolingo, which makes it easy to ensure that I have at least a little time to practice and learn something daily.

The fact that there is always something new keeps my passion for technology alive. Thanks to ever-changing technology, there are always things to keep one’s mind stimulated. This suits my curious mind and passion for learning and researching. I like being challenged with new things to solve.

Beyond my love for technology, I enjoy walking in nature, cycling, and spending time with my family. I am an enthusiastic reader, and one of the latest books I read and highly recommend is the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Overstory by Richard Powers for those interested in sustainability and the environment. A TED Talk I suggest watching is Hans Rosling’s “The Best Stats You Have Ever Seen.” In that speech, Hans Rosling uses data and numbers to dispel some common myths.
To conclude, I want to share my favorite quote to encourage youngsters to follow their passion: “When there is a will, there is a way.”