5Nov2019
Gofore has created an enviably beautiful growth curve that has been climbing steadily since 2005. CEO Timur Kärki gets the most kicks out of the fact that Gofore stands out as a company that is loyal to its basic mission and guided by a strong value base.
This article is an advertorial published at Nordic Business Report Magazine.
Gofore Plc is Tampere-based digitalisation specialist, founded in 2002, with a mission to transform the world for the better by digitalisation. The company’s services cover the entire value chain from management consultation and software development to service design and cloud. – When valuing businesses, there is often talk about explosive growth and rapidly scalable business models. Our secret to success is patience. Since the very beginning, we have stayed true to our chosen business model, believed in it and kept the game plan simple.
No sprawling
Kärki is one of the company’s four founders. He has experienced some great moments along the way. – We entered the stock exchange in 2017 and have grown our employee count close to 600.
Kärki admits that the temptation to start sprawling may be strong in a situation like this. – When you reach a certain size, your package may fall apart as the temptation arises to sell your business at the early stages of success. You may also become suspicious of your ability to manage the company in an agile way or to retain the possibility for independent decision-making by experts. We decided early on that we will continually look for ways to produce the best value for our clients but also hold on to the basics. We will renew our skills and abilities, not our business model.
Tailwind is a force for change
Gofore has been lucky enough to enjoy some favourable winds due to changes taking place on the market. – This has meant increasing demand for digital services caused by the exponential development of technology. It has also generated wonderful opportunities for our clients.
Kärki says that when the industry was heating up a few years ago, fierce competition took place for the most skilled experts. – The fact that we as founders wanted Gofore to be the best workplace for ourselves became a competitive advantage that created positive forces of attraction on employee market.
The self-management of personnel plays an important role for the company’s ability to renew itself. Kärki says that the company wants to maintain a low hierarchy to facilitate innovations. – It is our job to support people’s abilities to move towards their personal inspiration, to share their know-how, and to crystallise them into services that create added value for our clients. That might sound great in speeches, but the actual process of renewal must be actively managed every day.
Good companies are good citizens
As Gofore has been developing, the society around it has also developed in a way that sets new demands for corporate citizenship. – It is rare to hear talk about how the only role of a company is to generate profit. I’m glad people’s attitudes have been changing. We at Gofore have always felt that we’re accountable in terms of our place in society. We are a decent business when measured by sustainable development gauges, but there is still much to do. I think that one of the basic tasks of a modern company is to take boldly part in public conversation and thereby leave a positive foot mark on the surrounding society. This is an important message to our employees as well. The best thing is if they share our experience of being on the side of good.
