Date of publication: Oct 15, 2018

Timo Mikael Vanttinen

Head of R&D: Mobile Networks, Nokia Japan

Date of birth: July 1, 1969

Hometown: Kuopio, Finland

Number of years in Japan (cumulative): 18 (as of October 2018)

Q1: What was your first encounter with Japan?

My first visit to Japan was as part of a student exchange program when I was still a university student. I had a chance to work as trainee in a Japanese company and see the country for four months. I enjoyed that time so much that it was an easy decision to move to Tokyo to work when the opportunity came later.

Q2: Please state your motto in life and why you have chosen it.

Work hard and play hard. I believe that we only get one life and we should make the most of it in all areas. I find that we rarely regret things that we have done but instead regret what we did not do or try.

Q3 : Over your career, what achievement are you the proudest of?

I have been responsible for building up a new R&D organization to meet a specific challenge a few times in my career. These all were very challenging projects in their own ways. Every time in the end it was very satisfying when the team started to function well and produce results.

Q4 : What are your goals during your time in Japan, your current position or in life?

I have been lucky to be able to work in different kinds of companies. I started my career in Nokia, then I was an entrepreneur in two startup companies for seven years, after which I came back to Nokia. Now my goal is to bring the good things I learned from the startup world into Nokia.

Q5 : What wisdom, advice or tips can you give to people living and working in Japan?

In Japan we sometimes must work long hours because of demanding customers and tough competition. I think that is just the way things are here. That is why it is important to take it easy and take time off to recover whenever the pressure lets up.

Last updated: Oct 15, 2018