This is an English translation of a post originally published 6.9.2022 in Finnish. Quotes have been translated accordingly.
First up in our introduction series is Ari Virtanen, the inventor of the Codeax®SAFE platform and CEO of Codeax Oy. Ari orchestrates the company’s day-to-day operations, serves as a fountain of ideas, and occasionally gives his colleagues a few grey hairs with his wild innovations.
I’m Ari Virtanen, CEO of Codeax Oy – my role is to drive ideas, development and innovation. And I’m here as a support and safety net whenever someone at Codeax needs it.
Before founding Codeax, Ari had a long and fascinating career at AX-Suunnittelu, managing challenging and multifaceted projects in environmental and safety engineering. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree and is currently pursuing a Master of Engineering. In his free time, Ari lives in Teisko with his wife Merita, their dog Pulla, and their cat Miiru. Their three adult children visit often, and over the years, several other lovable dogs have also been part of the family.
My motto is: “Do it right the first time – it saves time and money.”
Years ago, Ari recognized a growing need among his clients for a tool like Codeax SAFE. Codeax SAFE platform isn’t just for those responsible for safety in a company – it’s for everyone who uses a building. In Ari’s words, “Safety belongs to everyone. It’s a right, not just a legal duty or a necessary evil.” This philosophy was the foundation on which Codeax was built.
Ari finds joy in helping clients and solving their problems. He enjoys having multiple projects on the go – it keeps his own workday interesting, and admittedly, sometimes makes his colleagues’ days more complex. Being a people person, teamwork is extremely important to him.
Ari lives just north of Tampere in the peaceful countryside of Teisko. He enjoys the quiet of the rural surroundings, the beauty of lake Näsijärvi, and the lush nature. His free time is spent on yard work, carpentry, and tinkering with various building projects. He takes great pride in maintaining and improving the family garden and property. In the winter, when snow shoveling takes over, he finds light in the dark evenings through hockey, basketball, and European football leagues.
By nature, Ari is a developer, an idea person, and open to anything new. He believes that the future around Codeax is full of possibilities. His goal is to develop the Codeax product family with features that improve property usability – always with safety as the priority. He is particularly excited about the potential of IoT technology and 3D modeling in property-related applications. Ari also wants to be an example for young people and those interested in development work, and to help as many people as possible get inspired by the world of safety.
