A New Era for Louhe

On November 1 2023, Louhe appointed a new CEO, Janne Pirttilahti, tasked with taking the Finnish company’s visionary and innovative spirit to the international markets. Louhe’s co-founder and former CEO, Jukka Laakso, moves to a Chief Business Development Officer role.

Louhe’s co-founder and former CEO, Jukka Laakso, stepped down on November 1. His 30 years-long working career in the security business as a company owner and CEO of major business ventures, culminated in Louhe. The company was his source of energy, joy and inspiration. “Louhe has been my cherry on the cake. I could work with highly qualified professionals of all ages, meet the most diverse and interesting people and use the newest technologies. What’s there not to like?”

Louhe has been my cherry on the cake. I could work with highly qualified professionals of all ages, meet the most diverse and interesting people and use the newest technologies. What’s there not to like?

-Jukka Laakso

A man with a vision, Laakso feels his biggest strength has always been to look at all possible options to develop or implement things in the future. The creation of dream teams throughout his career has been at the core of the success of his enterprises.

Now, it was time to make way for the younger generations to establish their career goals in the company, with Louhe shifting its focus from the domestic to the global market. “It is time for a new CEO to bring the company forward, towards a bright future”.

Laakso will continue as a Chief Business Development Officer, but he will finally dedicate more time to family, studying something new and following up on a few pro-bono cases he is working on. “I wish Janne the best in this endeavour; I believe that with the right amount of sisu and confidence, he will get far.”

The new CEO

After his studies, Janne Pirttilahti was employed by different companies until he joined F-Secure. The idea of leaving an internationally known, listed company implied the next job had to be exceptional. “I didn’t find Louhe; it was more Louhe that found me; we found each other. I realised I had missed that start-up feeling. Before F-Secure, I had worked for companies that were start-ups back in the days, such as Axel Group, Bonware and ROMmon, which F-Secure acquired in 2005. That is also the year I shifted to F-Secure. Now, 18 years later, it was time to switch from the corporate world to dreaming of creating something equally remarkable.”

Pirttilahti plans to bring his experience in the information security business into his new adventure, working in a start-up but with a different mindset, the mindset of someone who has experienced a variety of positions starting from coding to R&D, strategy, product development, IT management, product development, sales, etc.

Pirttilahti’s mathematical approach, developed as a chess player in his youth, is well suited to a company, Louhe, that analyses data to highlight possible threats and detects deviations in real time for security personnel to use.

What kind of leadership ought to be expected?

The next phase of Louhe is towards the international markets. After establishing itself as a solid partner for Finnish clients, the company is looking outside the domestic borders to offer its data analysis solutions to new customers.

Pirttilahti is more than eager to take on this new challenge. “I have an innate curiosity, am determined, and enjoy working in a fast-tempo environment. It’s an ambitious prospect ahead of us, and I feel fortunate to be able to contribute to helping Louhe improve security and access-related processes around the world. My leadership will be based on teamwork, with everyone feeling responsible for the start-up’s success.”

I feel fortunate to be able to contribute to helping Louhe improve security and access-related processes around the world.

– Janne Pirttilahti

Pirttilahti’s leadership will be guided by passion, determination, and an open mind. “I am very excited about this change in my career. I am not scared; it’s more the feeling one has when stepping on the stage and having to perform, a healthy kind of fear that makes you respectfully address the room.”