Juha Kurppa: From Counter Strike to leading teams in tech
- I think I have some lingering teenage spite in me, says Juha, and tend to avoid anything my parents have done.
With my father having worked more than 40 years at Tieto and my mother over 30, it wasn’t my first choice to be honest.
- There are plenty of reasons for why I enjoy working here, but first and foremost the opportunity to work in the intersection of people, business and technology.
During these 8 years, Juha has developed from the position as service manager to team leader, he gained business responsibilities and became a leader of multiple teams before he assumed his current position as Growth Enablement Lead at Tieto Tech Consulting.
How Counter Strike shaped Juha’s leadership style
Juha first discovered his passion for working with teams and getting the most out of people through playing Counter Strike.
- I was a professional gamer for several years, playing a tactical game where teamwork is essential. I have also played football, basketball, floorball and cycling – where having great people working together is the key to success.
Even though there is a big difference between playing video games and working in an IT company, Juha can build on his experience.
- You learn a lot from building a team of highly passionate gamers, of which some live on a bare minimum to follow their dream. Channeling their passion in the right direction, getting people with strong personalities to work together and guide quick decision making is relevant in both e-sports and business.
The transition to being a manager “in the real world” has been made easier by Tieto.
- I joined an internal leadership course when I started as a team leader back in 2017, and that was very useful. I have also had close support and good people around me who I can talk to, both at the company and outside. I do believe that you need a passion and interest to learn if you want to develop, the biggest job has to be done by yourself.
In addition to trainings and support, Juha is due to finish his Executive MBA in December 2024.
- Being given the time to take the course is a big investment on the company’s part, and something I’m grateful for.
Beyond carbon footprint – how Flow Festival is using data to reduce environmental impact
Leading projects with purpose, impact, and societal value
In addition to being able to develop as a manager, Juha has stayed at Tieto for all these years thanks to a combination of both interesting and impactful projects.
- With our size, we get to work with some of the biggest and most interesting companies in Finland, something you won’t find many other places.
Tieto also works with projects that have a positive impact on society. A project that is close to Juha’s heart, is for the Helsinki based Flow Festival.
- The people behind the festival are very conscious about sustainability, which I applaud. We helped them create a digital tool where you can calculate the carbon footprint of an event or a festival. There’s also a decision-making tool that helps you reduce the footprint by making suggested changes.
Juha used to live right next door to where this festival is held and is therefore highly invested in the project.
- That’s what I like about this job – we get to work with really cool projects that have a positive impact. We’re doing something good here. Why would I want to leave that?
Head of Growth Enablement, Tieto Tech Consulting
Tieto office: Espoo, Finland
Started at Tieto: 2016
Education: Executive MBA from Aalto University
Fun-fact: His parents have worked at Tieto for a total of over 70 years
Our latest positions
Salary
Location
Wroclaw, Poland
Location
Wroclaw
Job Families
Software Engineer
Job Area
Application and Product Development
Function
Tieto Tech Consulting
Type of Employment
Full-time
Work location type
Onsite
Description
Do you have C programming background, passion for problem-solving, and want to join one of the largest tech companies in the Nordics? Then this is the role for you!We are looking for a Junior Software
Reference
13a22528-55f4-4bb2-9351-0d72a9dbeae5
Expiry Date
01/01/0001
Salary
Location
Kraków, Poland
Location
Poland
Job Families
Project Manager
Job Area
Delivery, Project and Product Management
Function
Tieto Tech Consulting
Type of Employment
Full-time
Work location type
Hybrid
Description
We are looking for approachable Project Manager, who will be able to support our teams in providing software to our Client in telecommunication area. If you really enjoy working with people, you know
Reference
17065233-7fbe-418c-87f8-e9c7169a5f07
Expiry Date
01/01/0001
Salary
Location
Szczecin, Poland
Location
Szczecin
Job Families
Project Manager
Job Area
Delivery, Project and Product Management
Function
Tieto Tech Consulting
Type of Employment
Full-time
Work location type
Hybrid
Description
We are looking for approachable Project Manager, who will be able to support our teams in providing software to our Client in telecommunication area. If you really enjoy working with people, you know
Reference
3f399e67-afbd-4a5c-a881-915168a31d78
Expiry Date
01/01/0001
Salary
Location
Wroclaw, Poland
Location
Wroclaw
Job Families
Project Manager
Job Area
Delivery, Project and Product Management
Function
Tieto Tech Consulting
Type of Employment
Full-time
Work location type
Hybrid
Description
We are looking for approachable Project Manager, who will be able to support our teams in providing software to our Client in telecommunication area. If you really enjoy working with people, you know
Reference
d45c7acc-1678-4c4f-b333-21088084176b
Expiry Date
01/01/0001
Salary
Location
Brno, Czech Republic
Location
Brno
Job Families
Sales Manager
Job Area
Application and Product Development
Function
Tieto Tech Consulting
Type of Employment
Full-time
Work location type
Remote
Description
Help us grow our business in the Czech and Slovak marketWe are looking for a Senior Sales Manager who knows the Czech market, understands how large organisations buy technology and, ideally, already h
Reference
c126efa1-e964-44fd-84ea-463ddb6e5c16
Expiry Date
01/01/0001
Salary
Location
Prague, Czech Republic
Location
Czech Republic
Job Families
Sales Manager
Job Area
Application and Product Development
Function
Tieto Tech Consulting
Type of Employment
Full-time
Work location type
Remote
Description
Help us grow our business in the Czech and Slovak marketWe are looking for a Senior Sales Manager who knows the Czech market, understands how large organisations buy technology and, ideally, already h
Reference
71d498e5-2eca-486b-aa2e-7453c1705ec5
Expiry Date
01/01/0001
Salary
Location
Ostrava, Czech Republic
Location
Ostrava
Job Families
Sales Manager
Job Area
Application and Product Development
Function
Tieto Tech Consulting
Type of Employment
Full-time
Work location type
Remote
Description
Help us grow our business in the Czech and Slovak marketWe are looking for a Senior Sales Manager who knows the Czech market, understands how large organisations buy technology and, ideally, already h
Reference
02a273e0-3167-4d56-9e60-539dc2aaa1a6
Expiry Date
01/01/0001
Salary
Location
Trondheim, Norway
Location
Trondheim
Job Families
Software Engineer
Job Area
Application and Product Development
Function
Tieto Banktech
Type of Employment
Full-time
Work location type
Hybrid
Description
We are looking for an AI Engineer to join our Mobile team in Front&Advisory in Tieto Banktech. Tieto Banktech powers some of the Nordics’ most trusted banking systems with secure, reliable, and scalab
Reference
e5280e4e-14bb-4a51-a820-5bc170e1f678
Expiry Date
01/01/0001
Salary
Location
Mo i rana, Norway
Location
Mo i Rana
Job Families
Customer Support Specialist
Job Area
Technical and Functional Expertise
Function
Tieto Banktech
Type of Employment
Full-time
Work location type
Hybrid
Description
Fast stilling - Bank & Card Support 24/7 Tieto Mo i Rana søker har ledig fast stilling til avdeling Bank & Card Support 24/7. Seksjonen Bank & Card Support 24/7 leverer supporttjenester for norske o
Reference
13a84dff-696e-4fe2-a5d0-994c9737dc48
Expiry Date
01/01/0001
Salary
Location
Belgrade, Serbia
Location
Belgrade
Job Families
DevOps Engineer
Job Area
Application and Product Development
Function
Tieto Banktech
Type of Employment
Full-time
Work location type
Hybrid
Description
We are looking for two Senior DevOps Engineer (Azure Infrastructure & Cloud Operations Engineer) to join our Platform Engineering team and help us build production-ready, resilient platform foundation
Reference
b74e32c8-e678-437f-a555-3714af680865
Expiry Date
01/01/0001
Our latest stories
Teaser
Career storiesContent Type
Career StoryPublish date
07/14/2026
Summary
When Daisy Gaona first discovered computers as a teenager, she felt she had uncovered an entirely new universe. That curiosity has grown into a career spanning nearly two decades in technology. Her p
by
Daisy Gaona
Teaser
Career storiesContent Type
Career StoryPublish date
06/25/2026
Summary
For Martin Matyas, a career in technology has never been only about solving complex technical challenges. Over more than a decade with Tieto, he has combined hands-on development expertise with leader
by
Martin Matyas
Teaser
Career storiesContent Type
Career StoryPublish date
06/10/2026
Summary
In a world where “enshitification” is spreading, Dan has fortunately found an environment where people take honour and pride in delivering quality. “Enshitification” is a term coined by Cory Doctor
by
Dan Rachou