The Perfect Fit: How a Corporate Veteran Found His Niche
We are incredibly proud of the talented individuals who make up the SpinDrive team, and today, we are thrilled to share the story of Kyösti, our brilliant Project Manager. His journey to becoming a cornerstone of our solution delivery process began not in a lecture hall, but on the floor of his childhood home in the Finnish city of Salo, surrounded by the intricate guts of a disassembled radio.
Kyösti was the kind of boy who looked at a perfectly functioning toy and saw a fascinating puzzle waiting to be solved. His innate curiosity was fueled by a simple, powerful question: “How does it work?” This quest for understanding usually involves a screwdriver, a period of intense focus, and—let’s be honest—more than one failed attempt at reassembly. Yet, for Kyösti, those “failures” were anything but; they were his first lessons in resilience, problem-solving, and the pure joy of discovery. While the gadgets sometimes remained in pieces, his passion for explorations was being firmly and irrevocably put together.
That relentless curiosity became the throughline of a remarkable career, leading him through the hallways of global giants like Nokia and Microsoft. Now, it is that very same spirit he brings to SpinDrive every single day, ensuring that groundbreaking ideas are not only designed but are also brilliantly engineered and delivered to the real world. This is the story of how a curious boy with a screwdriver evolved into a master of his craft, and how lucky we were enough to have him join our mission.
From Tinkering Kid to Engineering Whiz
Born in the charming Finnish city of Salo, Kyösti was the kind of kid who saw a toy or a radio and immediately thought, ”I need to know what’s inside this.” The result? A growing pile of half-reassembled treasures and a very patient family. But while those early experiments didn’t always end in success, they sparked something far more important—an unshakable passion for understanding how things work.
Kyösti visiting Tallinn
His professional journey started early after high school, with a job at a manufacturing company before he even finished his degree. As the “quality guy” for injection molding parts, he found the work fascinating—so fascinating, in fact, that he almost forgot about studying altogether. (Money? Interesting work? Who needs a diploma?) But eventually, he had a lightbulb moment: ”If I wait much longer, I’ll be the oldest student in class!” So, he packed his bags for Turku University of Applied Sciences and emerged five years later as a certified Mechanical Engineer.
And just like that, fate handed him a golden opportunity: Nokia, Finland’s mobile legend, was booming. Kyösti jumped on board and spent an incredible 25 years there, shaping his skills as a Mechanical Engineer and later taking on a role as a Subcontracting Manager in Germany. When Nokia’s Salo chapter closed in 2015, Kyösti didn’t miss a beat—he brought his expertise to Microsoft and Huawei, working with global teams and mastering the art of cross-cultural collaboration.
Today, he’s our Project Manager leading the manufacturing process and combining decades of hands-on experience with the same curiosity that once led him to dismantle his toys. Only now, he doesn’t just take things apart—he makes them better.
The Art of Balance: Wrenches, Wind, and Wellbeing
For Kyösti, the line between work and life isn’t a hard stop—it’s a graceful transition where his passion for solving problems finds a new, more personal expression. After a working day he finds his equilibrium not by disengaging his engineer’s mind, but by engaging it in the tangible, satisfying world of his own two hands.
His canvas is his home, a spacious house that he maintains. Where some might see a never-ending list of chores, Kyösti sees a series of engaging puzzles. There’s a quiet joy, he shares, in the methodical process of fixing things—the diagnosis, the solution, the final, satisfying click of a part sliding perfectly into place. This is his active meditation; a way to pour his care and skill into creating a warm, comfortable place for his family, one repaired fixture and improved detail at a time.
And when he needs to truly clear his head, his second passion calls: the open road on his motorcycle. This is where he finds pure, unadulterated freedom. He describes the feeling with a sense of reverence—the powerful hum of the engine, the landscape unfolding around him, and the wind rushing past, acting like a natural eraser for the worries of the day. In those moments, with the horizon ahead, there are no deadlines or diagrams. There is just the thrill of the journey and the serene clarity that comes with it. It’s his ultimate reset, ensuring he returns to every challenge, both at home and at work, refreshed and recentered.
Kyösti and his motorcycle
The Detour That Led to the Perfect Destination
After decades of navigating the complex structures of corporate giants like Nokia, Microsoft, and Huawei, Kyösti was actively seeking a new kind of challenge. He had developed a strong desire to contribute to a smaller, more agile environment—a place where flexibility was a strength; his impact would be directly visible, and he could actively help shape the future.
His journey to SpinDrive began with an application for a Project Manager role. His impressive background, rich with technical mastery and hands-on experience, secured him an interview. The conversation flowed effortlessly, and a clear, mutual spark of interest ignited. SpinDrive was captivated not just by his leadership vision, but by his profound understanding of engineering principles.
While his technical passion was evident, it was his unique blend of deep expertise and his strategic mindset that solidified the decision. SpinDrive saw Kyösti as the ideal candidate to bridge the gap between innovative engineering and successful project execution.
Kyösti secured a position crafted to leverage his expertise in DFMA and his lifelong curiosity for how things work. He wouldn’t just manage projects; he would guide them from a place of technical truth, ensuring that SpinDrive’s innovative energy was channeled into deliverable, superior products.
It was the perfect match: a role that placed him at the helm of project leadership, while keeping him intimately connected to the core engineering innovation that drives SpinDrive forward. Later, after great initial success, his role was extended to overview and manage active magnetic bearing manufacturing for SpinDrive customers.
For Kyösti, this was the ultimate validation. It wasn’t just a new job; it was an invitation to the exact kind of hands-on, impactful role he had been searching for in a smaller company. He didn’t just join SpinDrive; he found a place where he could truly help build its future.
Kyösti cleaning the rain gutter of his house
The Best Part of Working at SpinDrive
“For me, one of the greatest things about SpinDrive is the people and the atmosphere. It’s a very different, much less formal environment compared to my past experiences in large corporations. Here, the doors are always open—both literally and figuratively. You can freely ask anyone for help, offer your own expertise, or discuss any challenges without hesitation. I love that there’s no such thing as “that’s not my area”; if you can contribute, you are encouraged to do so. It creates a real sense of teamwork where we all succeed together.” says Kyösti.
“It’s also incredibly motivating to see the company growing and to know I have a real role in that story. I’m not just a cog in a machine; I’m helping to build the engine. A perfect example is our new Magma X100 AMB controller. Being part of its development from the ground up has been a fantastic learning journey, and I’m very proud to be one of its “fathers.” I can truly see how my own skills are growing alongside the company’s innovations. Kyösti added.
Kyösti working at the office
“Moreover, this trust translates into incredible flexibility in our daily work. We are trusted to manage our own time, whether it’s for deep-focus work or for taking care of personal errands, like getting the car serviced. There’s no micromanagement—just the freedom and professional respect to complete our tasks in the way we know best. This balance isn’t just a policy; it’s a core part of our culture, and it makes all the difference.”
Author: Meifang Xu
Interested in reading other employee stories?