Gapps 10 years – The confessions of the CEO
On 20 of August 2020, Gapps celebrated its first decade in business. The official festivities were hampered by the coronavirus, and the safety arrangements caused the biggest event of the year to shrink in scale to cake and coffee, but it did not dampen people’s mood. Despite all this, the characteristically entrepreneurial Gapps spirit and desire to do cool things with the world’s best technologies pervades everything we do.
Senior Account Executive
From trainee to CEO
It was precisely this spirit of enterprise and inspiration that got me excited about this company and convinced me to get involved in building the Gapps story almost seven years ago. The shared story received a prestigious recognition when Akava awarded yours truly the Entrepreneur of the Year prize.
My path to becoming a CEO and entrepreneur is so different from the conventional concept of an entrepreneur that the recognition took me somewhat by surprise. The story that began in late 2013 in a sales trainee role (at a firm with about 10 employees and less than €1 million in net sales) has enabled the person and the company to grow commendably. My journey from trainee to CEO and shareholder took five years, but after a couple of years, I already knew that this was what I wanted to do.
The opportunity to take on such a big responsibility at an early stage and drive this growth forward has been unparalleled. I would like to thank the main owners of Gapps – Vesa, Perttu, and Antero – for showing this trust and belief in me.
The first 10 years of Gapps
The first ten years in Gapps’ history have included some great victories, as well as stinging defeats, but above all, a lot of fun and important lessons. The Gapps Alumni Association has grown, and together we have had the opportunity to learn with many top professionals.
Along the way, we have had some fantastic customer stories with companies like Yleisradio, Neste and Rovio. We have toured Europe with the Gappsians on Gapps Goes trips. We have led our sister company, Happeo, out into the world, and it has become one of the hottest SaaS growth companies. At the same time, Gapps’ net sales have grown ten-fold.
The end result is a group of brilliant, forward-looking people, both Gappsians and customers, a lot of groundbreaking achievements and a compelling growth story.
The next 10 years
The past year has underlined the fact that Gapps, with the mission of helping companies to do more efficient digital work and create more innovative solutions to support their business in an ever-changing world, will be more than relevant for the next 10 years. Very positive customer feedback in trying times has reinforced my own beliefs.
In the next 10 years, Gapps intends to spread its message outside Finland and increase its net sales another ten-fold. At the same time, the aim is to set a positive example of a sustainably built business in terms of employees, society and environment.
We want to contribute to building a world in which people are happier and businesses are more competitive without harming nature. This applies to Gappsians, our customers, partners and everyone with whom we have the pleasure of working with over the next 10 years.
When digital work is effective and the enabling technology is produced with respect for the principles of sustainable development, we can save ourselves and nature.
I would like to thank everyone involved in Gapps’ ten-year journey and Akava for this wonderful recognition. I would also like to welcome everyone on board for our next shared decade.
Update in October 2021: Kasper’s journey at Gapps continues as Partner and Strategic Account Executive. Kasper is back doing what he loves – making our customers' digital work smart and enjoyable.
