CTO & Co-founder, Brillian

Languages: Finnish & English

Tarmo Pajunen is the CTO and Co-founder of Brillian who has been at the forefront of AI-adoption in various key roles. With a strong track record of driving AI adoption in both strategic and technical roles, Tarmo brings deep, hands-on expertise to the AI 1000 program. He previously played a pivotal role in scaling Europe’s largest private AI company, Silo AI, and has since led dozens of AI initiatives across sectors—ranging from industrial manufacturing to digital services.

With a unique ability to bridge technology, data, and business strategy, Tarmo is a trusted advisor to C-level executives at publicly listed companies and ambitious growth firms alike. His work focuses on helping organizations identify high-impact AI opportunities, develop internal AI capabilities, and navigate the transformation from early experimentation to measurable business value. 

Tarmo brings his experience from previous digital transformation waves, having served as Head of IoT Cloud Solution Architecture and as a lead advisor in cloud, data, and IoT rollouts.

In the AI 1000 program, Tarmo supports executive participants in understanding the basics of AI and Gen AI, how to embed AI into core operations, build resilient AI strategies, and harness emerging technologies to drive sustainable growth. Known for his practical coaching style, Tarmo blends real-world case studies with strategic frameworks in his sessions.

As your educator, Tarmo will:

• Help you imagine the possibilities of AI for your business in concrete steps
• Provide many helpful examples of his previous work and vast experience with AI
• Be able to benchmark and provide market knowledge about AI

Chief AI Architect, Brillian

Languages: Finnish & English

Tuomas Ropponen is the Chief AI Architect at Brillian and one of Finland’s most seasoned applied AI leaders. With over a decade of experience developing and deploying cutting-edge AI solutions, Tuomas brings a uniquely practical and multidisciplinary perspective to the AI 1000 program.

Before joining Brillian, Tuomas served as CTO of Aiforia Technologies Plc, where he led the company’s AI strategy and product development for medical diagnostics and healthcare imaging. His leadership helped transform AI research into widely adopted clinical tools, and his work has been published in leading scientific journals, including Nature Report.

Tuomas is also an advisor at the nutrition startup Metabite, where he applies large language models to digitize coaching services, and has previous experience from the industrial sector at Outotec (now Metso), building optimization and simulation tools. This rare breadth—from healthtech to industrial AI—gives Tuomas a deep understanding of how to build scalable AI products across domains.

Known for his calm, analytical approach and ability to translate complexity into clarity, Tuomas helps organizations harness AI not just as a technology, but as a strategic capability. He has authored numerous international patents and publications and continues to shape how AI is applied in real-world, high-impact contexts.

In the AI 1000 program, Tuomas guides participants through the practical realities of adopting AI: from model development to deployment, and from business alignment to scaling.

As your educator, Tuomas will:

• Help you understand what it takes to move from AI experimentation to production-level impact

• Share deep technical and strategic insight from building AI for regulated industries

• Offer concrete lessons from a decade of AI product leadership in health, industrial, and consumer sectors

AI Business Designer, Brillian

Languages: Finnish & English

Pauliina Alanen is an AI Business Designer at Brillian who brings over a decade of experience in the intersection of AI, design, and technology business. With a career spanning both Silicon Valley and Finland, Pauliina has helped growth companies and global organizations identify and seize digital opportunities to build competitive advantage.

With a strong background in design thinking and strategic business development, Pauliina specializes in bridging the gap between emerging technologies and human-centric transformation. She works closely with leadership teams to uncover opportunities in their offerings, structure AI initiatives for long-term success, and embed the right human elements to ensure adoption and impact.

Pauliina’s work is grounded in clarity, creativity, and business relevance—helping companies move from AI confusion to confident execution. In the AI 1000 program, Pauliina supports executive participants in understanding the basics of AI and Gen AI, how to frame AI opportunities from a business perspective, design and prioritize actionable use cases, and structure transformation journeys that connect people, processes, and technology. Known for her collaborative energy, she aims to build a common ground in the room to form a shared understanding and vision about AI.

As your educator, Pauliina will:

• Use design thinking to identify and scope high-impact use cases

• Share practical tools and methods to keep the transformation moving forward

• Create a safe space to learn and build a common ground for AI development