Eemeli Vartiainen is hands-On at FIN02 Customer Technician, atNorth

Meet the Minds: The People of atNorth

Interview conducted by Bylgja Pálsdóttir, Senior Communications Manager

Welcome back! In this edition of Meet the Minds, we’re excited to introduce one of the newest faces at atNorth: Eemeli Vartiainen. Based in Finland, Eemeli’s telecoms background and hands-on mindset has been a great addition to our FIN02 data center. We caught up with him to hear about his career journey so far, his adventures working underground, and what he’s most looking forward to in his future with atNorth.

Hello Eemeli! We’re excited to hear about you, your role, and your journey so far at atNorth.

Thanks! I joined atNorth on January 2nd this year as a Customer Technician based at our FIN02 site. It’s been such a busy time – a total whirlwind! There has been a lot to do and even more to learn, but I’ve enjoyed every moment of it.

Outside of work, I’m a proud father to two beautiful daughters – Aada, who’s four, and Isla, who’s two. They definitely keep me on my toes, so I don’t often have a lot of free time these days, but I wouldn’t have it any other way!

Tell us a bit about your career path – where it started and how it’s evolved.

I originally trained and graduated as an electrician and spent a few years working in that field. Over time, I found myself moving more into telecommunications and then making a natural lateral step into data centers, where I’ve now worked for over seven years.

Before joining atNorth, I worked primarily with Finnish internet providers – part of the job required a bit of travel. Now, at atNorth, it’s the first time I’ve had a full-time, stationary role directly in a data center, which has been a great new challenge.

What are some of the most memorable moments in your career so far?

There have been quite a few! One standout experience was working on top of the Helsinki metro trams – not something you do every day! Another was navigating the massive underground network beneath Helsinki. It’s a real maze down there – fascinating, but definitely not for the claustrophobic!

More recently, being part of the FIN02 team has been a real highlight for me. We have a great group here, and it’s been really rewarding to put my skills to use as the site takes shape. We work hard, but we have a lot of fun too.

Fast forward five years – where do you see yourself?

Hopefully still at atNorth! I’d love to develop and grow into a Senior Technician or even a Team Lead role. I enjoy what I do and really value the opportunities to learn and develop here at atNorth.

What are you most looking forward to this year?

Right now, my focus is 100% on getting the FIN02 site fully operational. Once that’s done, I’m really looking forward to supporting our customers directly and seeing the site in action.

Which of atNorth’s values do you align with most, and why?

Flexibility, for sure. I really appreciate the open, collaborative environment here. Everyone is encouraged to share their experience and have input into how we work and improve our processes. That kind of culture makes a big difference.

And finally – how would you describe working at atNorth in three words?

Fun, learning, and respect.

Thanks for your time, Eemeli – we’re excited to have you on the team and can’t wait to see the work that you and the team have been doing at FIN02 come to life!