About Santtu Pyykkönen

Geospatial Business Leader & Technical Expert

Transforming spatial data challenges into measurable business outcomes through strategic leadership and hands-on technical expertise.

Professional Summary

With over 10 years of progressive experience at Gispo Finland Ltd., I’ve evolved from a GIS Consultant to Sales Director and Board Member, combining deep technical expertise with strategic business leadership. My unique background spans sales management, project delivery, technical consulting, and international operations across Finland and Mexico.

Current Role: Sales Director & Board Member

Gispo Finland Ltd. | Feb 2022 - Present

• Revenue Impact: Directly responsible for 25%+ of yearly revenue through strategic B2G and B2B sales
• Strategic Leadership: Spearheaded Go-To-Market strategy enhancement as Head of Sales on Board of Directors
• Technical Excellence: Maintained hands-on consulting role with 100+ billable project days
• Process Innovation: Overhauled sales engineering processes, implementing data-driven pipeline management

Core Expertise Areas

Sales & Business Development

• Strategic Account Management: Managing broad client portfolios from engineers to C-level executives
• Solution Design & Pricing: Designing and scoping projects aligned with customer needs and budgets
• Revenue Growth: Proven track record of exceeding sales targets and driving systematic opportunity generation
• Stakeholder Management: Expert in pre-sales and post-sales customer relationship management

Leadership & Management

• Board-Level Strategy: Serving as Head of Sales on Board of Directors
• Team Leadership: Directing developer teams in enterprise-level GIS project deployments
• Project Management: Successfully managed 5+ projects with budgets €20K-€50K each
• Cross-Cultural Operations: Led international teams across Finland, Mexico, and beyond

Technical Skills

Geospatial Technologies

• Database Systems: PostGIS, PostgreSQL, enterprise spatial databases
• GIS Software: QGIS, ArcGIS, GDAL, GeoServer
• Data Processing: Advanced spatial analysis, data visualization, automated pipelines
• Standards: OGC standards, spatial data interoperability

Cloud & Infrastructure

• Cloud Platforms: AWS cloud-based GIS solutions
• Containerization: Docker for geospatial applications
• System Administration: Linux CLI tools, crontab, system-level automation
• APIs: RESTful services, OpenStreetMap API integration

Development & Integration

• Data Pipelines: Automated geospatial data processing workflows
• System Integration: RDMS integration with geospatial APIs
• Enterprise Solutions: Scalable GIS architectures for municipalities and enterprises

International Experience

Mexico Operations (2012-2015)

Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro & Government Agencies

• Executive Project Coordination: Led security and crime prevention research initiatives
• Geographic Information Systems Coordinator: Managed authoritative geospatial data for Guanajuato State
• Team Leadership: Coordinated cross-functional teams of 8+ professionals
• Government Relations: Worked directly with state secretaries and municipal authorities

Multilingual Capabilities

• Finnish: Native proficiency
• English: Professional proficiency for international business
• Spanish: Professional proficiency from Mexico experience

Notable Achievements

Business Impact

• €80K+ Direct Revenue: Generated as Senior GIS Consultant across multiple projects
• 25%+ Company Revenue: Direct contribution through strategic sales management
• High Win-Rate: Improved sales success through customer-centric solution design

Knowledge Transfer & Training

• E-Learning Innovation: Spearheaded trilingual GIS e-learning platform development
• Training Excellence: Facilitated training for 40+ client organizations and 150+ professionals
• Content Creation: Produced comprehensive training materials for multiple geospatial software packages

Technical Excellence

• Enterprise Solutions: Delivered open-source GIS solutions for waste management and urban planning
• Cloud Architecture: Built fully automated geospatial data pipelines on AWS
• Agile Implementation: Successfully promoted agile methodologies for uncertain-scope projects

Industry Recognition

Speaking & Thought Leadership

• FOSS4G Global 2023: “PostGIS and QGIS Enterprise Solutions” - Kosovo
• FOSS4G North America 2023: “Cloud-Native Geospatial Technologies” - Baltimore
• Industry Expertise: Regular speaker on open-source geospatial technologies

Learn more about my speaking engagements and explore detailed case studies and portfolio work.

Professional Network

• Government Advisory: Advised 20+ high-profile clients including ministries and research institutes
• International Reach: Project experience across Europe, North America, and Latin America
• Open Source Advocacy: Active contributor to open-source geospatial community

Why Work With Me

Unique Value Proposition

I bridge the gap between technical excellence and business strategy. My hands-on experience with enterprise GIS implementations combined with board-level strategic thinking enables me to:

• Translate Technical Complexity into clear business value propositions
• Scale Solutions from proof-of-concept to enterprise deployment
• Navigate Stakeholders from technical teams to C-suite executives
• Drive Results through both technical delivery and strategic sales

Proven Track Record

• 10+ Years of progressive responsibility and proven results
• International Experience with multicultural teams and diverse markets
• Technical Depth maintained while growing business responsibilities
• Innovation Focus on emerging technologies and methodologies

Current Focus

Seeking opportunities that leverage my unique combination of:

• Strategic business leadership with P&L responsibility
• Deep technical geospatial expertise in modern architectures
• International experience and multilingual capabilities
• Proven sales and delivery excellence in B2B/B2G environments

Open to roles in: Sales Leadership, Technical Director, Business Development, International Expansion, or Strategic Consulting positions where geospatial technology meets business growth.

Ready to discuss how my unique blend of technical expertise and business leadership can drive your organization’s success. Let’s connect and explore the possibilities.

Contact me to start the conversation.