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Futurice's new subsidiary Way Interim flexibly provides top leaders and experts for companies

Futurice and long-time digital transformation experts Mika Repo and Riikka Tanner have founded a new company, Way Interim. It is a next generation network of experts who support clients in their transformation needs by providing experienced interim leaders and experts for demanding business development needs.

The founding duo brings with them a diverse set of skills from a range of industries including technology giants, banks, retail, telecommunications, media and consultancies. Most recently, Repo was Chief Digital Officer at Stockmann and Tanner was Business Director at Frankly Partners, part of the Hasan Group.

Way Interim's network of leaders and experts work on digital transformation, generative AI, data-driven business and digital customer experiences. Their mission is to create new business models and growth as well as accelerate customer business transformation and strategic renewal.

As a term, interim differentiates from the traditional expertise and consulting business. Through Way Interim, transformation projects are carried out by independent experts and entrepreneurs who work in client companies as client representatives, on a temporary contract basis. An interim partner is therefore often an alternative to recruitment.

In a fast-changing business environment, it can be slow to bring the necessary talent capital into a company through recruitment. For growth companies, there is often a mismatch between the needed skills and the business realities. A company may need help at a certain stage of the business life-cycle, but the need for skills is not permanent. In that case, the solution may be a temporary or part-time manager instead of recruitment”, says Mika Repo, CEO and co-founder of Way Interim.

"The future labour market requires flexibility, innovation and – above all – the ability to adapt to rapidly changing circumstances. This may also mean new, temporary management roles. Around the world, these interim and fractional managers are already becoming more common”, Repo continues.

Way Interim CEO Mika Repo
Mika Repo, the CEO and Co-founder of Way Interim

The founders of Way Interim have worked on transformation with companies across a range of industries and sizes. Simultaneously they have seen a growing need for a new way to lead strategic change in organizations, combining the experience and skills of change leaders with agile and flexible forms of employment.

The working life of the future will no longer be limited to traditional wage jobs. More and more professionals will build their careers independently, using platform companies and services that offer a sense of community, development opportunities and – most importantly – the freedom to define their own work. We want to be part of this work revolution rather than just reacting to what comes along”, said Riikka Tanner, co-founder of Way Interim and responsible for the company's talent network.

The Futurice Family of companies, made up of Futurice subsidiaries, are pioneers in digitalization across Europe. Way Interim is Futurice's sixth subsidiary. Establishing new companies will continue to be one of Futurice’s ways of providing opportunities for both business development and personal success, as well as accelerating the Group's growth organically.

Flexible working models such as freelancing have become more common in specialist jobs. However, the predominant model in management is still salaried employment. The rapid changes in our clients’ businesses require new skills and matching leadership personalities. We believe that by leveraging interim leadership more widely, we can increase the competitiveness of our client companies by bringing the right skills to the right place at the right time. Mika and Riikka share with us a vision for the future of work, so starting a new Family company with them was a very natural fit”, says Olli-Pekka Saksa, Futurice VP and Family Lead.

About Way Interim

Way Interim aims to change the world by leading the way in transforming work, enabling more and more leaders and top professionals to have a career of their own. Way Interim operates in Tampere, Helsinki and location-independently. Way Interim was founded in 2023 and is part of the Futurice Group. Join our network at www.wayinterim.com

Authors

  • Portrait of Mika Repo
    Mika Repo
    CEO & Co-Founder, Way Interim
  • Portrait of Olli-Pekka Saksa
    Olli-Pekka Saksa
    Vice President, Family Lead