A more customer-centric organization and new roles for executive management team members
SSH Communications Security renews its organization to foster a more customer-centric mindset, accelerate innovation and development, and improve information flow within the company.
As part of the renewal process, three new functions are introduced on the Executive Management Team level.
- Customer Experience and Products. This function’s charter is to create strong customer engagements, ensure a consistently excellent customer experience with SSH, and guide product decisions based on customer and market insight. This function which will be headed by Mr. Sami Ahvenniemi who previously served as the VP of Global Sales.
- Engineering. The operative product development function will be elevated to the Executive Management Team. This function will be headed by Mr. Timo Lilja who previously served as the Head of Development for Security Products.
- Innovations and Technology. This function’s charter is to define the future technology and innovation strategy of SSH, working closely with the Customer Experience and Products and the Engineering functions. This function will be headed by Mr. Markku Rossi who currently serves as the Chief Technology Officer.
As part of the renewal process, the current PrivX Business Program will be merged with the rest of the organization. The Business Program has been successful in launching a new product line, introducing a new sales model at SSH, and creating a new, fast-paced release planning and management system at SSH. The head of the PrivX Business program, Mr. Jussi Löppönen, will continue with SSH and take charge of the NQX Firewall business.
In connection with the renewal, the SSH's Chief Digital Officer, Mr. Simo Karkkulainen will assume the title of Chief Marketing Officer. Mr. Joe Scaff who has been responsible for US Sales and Global Customer Services will assume the role of Chief Sales Officer. The former VP Business Development, Mr. Jussi Mononen, will assume the title of VP Strategy and Business Development.
"The old organization served us well in the early stages in our strategic renewal process. Now the time has come to reshape the organization for faster growth and relentless customer orientation. The creation of the Customer Experience and Products function and strengthening of the CTO function introduce a whole new way of outside-in thinking at SSH and will enable us to better anticipate and serve current and future customer needs,” says Kaisa Olkkonen, Chief Executive Officer of SSH Communications Security. “It is also a pleasure for me to introduce as a new Executive Management Team member a long-time SSH stalwart, Mr. Timo Lilja.”
The new Executive Management Team
Starting today, the Executive Management Team of SSH Communications Security consists of:
- Kaisa Olkkonen, Chief Executive Officer
- Sami Ahvenniemi, Chief Customer Officer
- Simo Karkkulainen, Chief Marketing Officer
- Timo Lilja, Vice President Engineering
- Jussi Mononen, Vice President Strategy and Business Development
- Niklas Nordström, Chief Financial Officer
- Markku Rossi, Chief Technology Officer
- Joe Scaff, Chief Sales Officer
Helsinki, 3 December 2018
SSH Communications Security Corporation
Kaisa Olkkonen
CEO
For further information, please contact:
Kaisa Olkkonen, CEO, tel. +358 40 579 5216
Distribution:
Nasdaq Helsinki Ltd.
Major media
www.ssh.com
SSH Communications Security
SSH.COM helps organizations access, secure and control their digital core – their critical data, applications and services. We have over 3,000 customers around the world, including 40 percent of Fortune 500 companies, many of the world’s largest financial institutions, and major organizations in all verticals. We are committed to helping our customers thrive in the cloud era with solutions that offer secure access with zero inertia, zero friction and zero credentials risk. SSH.COM sells online; through offices in North America, Europe and Asia; and through a global network of certified partners. The company’s shares (SSH1V) are quoted on the NASDAQ Helsinki. For more information, visit www.ssh.com.