Explore and follow profiles from this article to get timely updates:
LeadDesk Oyj is overhauling its leadership team, appointing Pekka Alli as chief technology officer, preparing for the departure of CFO Teemu Rautiainen, and moving VP of Engineering Jarno Tenni out of the group management team as the company enters its next growth phase.
Alli, director of engineering & architecture at Finago Group, will join LeadDesk on Sept. 15, 2026. At the same time, Tenni will step down from the group management team and continue as VP of engineering, reporting to the new CTO. Rautiainen, who joined the company in April 2025, will remain in his role until Oct. 2 as LeadDesk searches for a successor.
LeadDesk, a Finland-listed provider of cloud-based customer communications and contact center software, said Alli brings experience in software architecture, SaaS product development and technology leadership. He joins from Finago Group and previously served as CEO of workforce management software company Planier and held senior architecture roles at Accountor HR Solutions. His background includes software company integrations and platform consolidation, capabilities that have become increasingly relevant following LeadDesk's recent acquisition activity.
"Pekka brings to LeadDesk strong experience in software architecture, SaaS product development and leading technology organizations. He also has practical experience in connecting software companies and platforms from a technology perspective," CEO Olli Nokso-Koivisto said. "Our goal is to build LeadDesk into Europe's most trusted AI-powered customer interaction platform, with a particular strength in the voice channel," he added.
Alli said he looks forward to developing the company's technology, product development organization, and artificial intelligence solutions together with the existing team.
CFO exits after finance transformation
CFO Rautiainen leaves after roughly 18 months in the role, during which LeadDesk strengthened its reporting capabilities, expanded the use of SaaS metrics in decision-making and completed a broad overhaul of its finance organization.
"I am particularly proud that we have successfully carried out a major transformation of the finance function and established the organisation and operating model needed to support LeadDesk's next phase of growth," Rautiainen said.
His departure comes after a period of improving profitability. LeadDesk reported EUR 39.4 million in revenue in 2025 and achieved a record EBITDA margin of 16.9%. The company has yet to name a successor.
Management team continues to evolve
The June 10 announcements extend a broader reshaping of LeadDesk's leadership team over the past 14 months.
Former CFO Kaisa Rönkkö left in March 2025 and was succeeded by Rautiainen the following month. Saija Pouru departed as VP of operations in June 2025, while Samuel Lehtonen joined the management team in January 2026. In October 2025, Michael Ramm Østgaard, former CEO of acquired subsidiary Zisson, became chief revenue officer as LeadDesk integrated the business into its wider organization. At the same time, VP of Sales Kai Leppänen left the management team and moved into the revenue organization.
Following the September and October transitions, LeadDesk's management team will consist of CEO Nokso-Koivisto, CRO Østgaard, COO Samuel Lehtonen, CTO Alli, and a CFO yet to be appointed.
What LeadDesk is trying to achieve
The leadership changes are tied to a set of objectives that management has outlined repeatedly over the past year.
At the center is LeadDesk's ambition to build Europe's most trusted AI-powered customer interaction platform, with voice services serving as its primary point of differentiation. The company is also working to accelerate AI-driven product development, integrate technologies acquired through recent transactions, and expand its presence in regulated sectors such as healthcare.
Recent moves support those goals. The acquisition of Fluentic added multilingual AI translation capabilities to the platform, while a EUR 1.3 million contact center agreement with the Hospital District of Helsinki and Uusimaa strengthened LeadDesk's position in a compliance-intensive market. Management has also emphasized the importance of integrating acquired businesses and technologies, including Zisson and Fluentic, into a unified platform.
Alongside those growth initiatives, LeadDesk is focused on improving profitability and strengthening its SaaS operating model. Revenue from new AI solutions grew 26% year over year in the first quarter of 2026, while the company maintained guidance for a 15-20% EBITDA margin for the full year.
Against that backdrop, Alli's appointment brings architecture and integration expertise to a company increasingly focused on platform development, while the search for a new CFO will determine who takes over the financial discipline and reporting framework established during Rautiainen's tenure.
Follow moves like this on the Listeds Executive Intelligence Platform.
Stay on the pulse, catch the signals
Subscribe to Listeds Leadership Intelligence Platform:
leader and company database access
email alerts
career, boards and interim opportunities