The Facts:
I live in Finland with my family, but probably the years spent in Africa in Zimbabwe as a young boy have affected my thinking the most. That's how I learned about culture. I studied dentistry at the University of Kuopio, where a teacher gave me an article on quality to read in c.1987. He said quality thinking was going to be important and that quality, information and leadership matters would converge. We didn't understand what he was talking about. Encouraged by him I studied information management at the Helsinki University of Technology. Under Merja Karivalo we learned to look at organizations through new glasses - from an information perspective. It was really exciting! In c.1991 Pirjo Janhunen, a local consultant, introduced us to Deming. In May 2005 I had the privilege of attending the Deming Transformation Forum in the UK - warmest thanks to Hazel Cannon and Alan Winlow. It was an unforgettable experience being able to listen to people like Bill Bellows, Jon Bergstrom, Arie de Geus (the Blue Tit (Parus caeruleus)-man), and many others, live. I also attended Bill's Red and Blue Pen Companies-workshop there.

In2:IN Forum Attendance
The 2007 Forum will be my first, but hopefully not the last! Getting to attend the Forum is better than a dream come true! Inspiration - the people and the chance to learn.

Tell us about a recent "a ha" moment
I was recently struck by the simplicity and sheer truth of many of Deming's quotations: Survival is not mandatory. - There is a penalty for ignorance. We are paying through the nose. - You can not inspect quality into the product; it is already there. - Best efforts will not substitute for knowledge. - Down the tube we go! (I came up with two of my own: Some theories work much better than others. - Finnish wives are the best in the world. ;)

What book(s) are you reading now?
Lately I've been perusing dental books - I don't know if many readers would find them interesting or useful ;)

What recent book have you read that you consider both beneficial and readable?
I recently finished Kari Helin's "Yhdessa menestymisen taito" which translates as "Being successful together". It's a thin but very readable book about working together. For those hesitating, I'll try to find the reference to a book by an Englishman on why the Finnish language should adopted globally. ;)

What advice do you have for people new to In2:IN?
Thanks for making the world a better place! It's all about relationships.