The innovative Finnish engineering and software development company Finlabs has announced its expansion into North America with an office in New York City. The office will provide local support for existing U.S. clients and serve as the headquarters for further expansion into new American markets.
Finlabs aims to build upon the momentum of 280% revenue growth and the doubling of its staff since 2018. The company is known for closing technology, creativity and knowledge gaps with real, actionable methodologies and solutions. The New York office will provide a direct link to Finnish innovation and a deep bench of technologists, engineers, and product builders who deliver fast results, efficiencies and strategic thinking.
Founded in 2017, Finlabs is headquartered in Oulu, Finland with additional offices in Helsinki. A tight-knit community in Northern Finland, Oulu is considered one of Europe’s “Living Labs” where residents experiment with new technology on a community-wide scale. With an expertise in AI, machine learning, computer vision, natural language processing and data science, Finlabs infuses these technologies to create intelligent products and platforms that solve problems and improve business results.
Finlabs has developed intelligent technology solutions in partnership with companies like Glaston, Greenmaster, Dosh, Nordkapp, Haltian, Suunto, and Wellmo. In the U.S., Finlabs works with CareConnect, a healthcare company, to build and design an agency management platform that facilitates more efficient communication between care agencies and their remote caregiver workforce. In doing so, they drastically simplified the often-complex shift allocation process and turned employee compliance into a smart digital solution. Additionally, Finlabs is working with a team of neurologists to develop software that will power a device using light and sound patterns to help stimulate and heal parts of the brain that have been damaged by trauma and depression.
The Finlabs expansion into North America will include the addition of John McGarry and Eric Vukmirovich; integral members of the leadership team at mcgarrybowen during its most successful years. During their tenure, the company was acquired by Dentsu International and received multiple awards including the coveted “Agency of the Year” award by both Advertising Age and Adweek. The team helped to lead mcgarrybowen’s expansion from one office with 25 employees to over 1,000 employees in five countries with revenue exceeding $200 million. And they additionally were instrumental in creating mcgarrybowen’s digital practice, which grew to over 300 in New York, Chicago, London, Shanghai and Dusseldorf.
McGarry has been appointed CEO, North America and brings more than 25 years of experience of using innovation and technology to help companies build powerful brands. He will lead client services and will spearhead Finlabs’ U.S. vision, culture, products and services for the company.
McGarry said: “I’m honored to be working with such an incredibly talented and innovative team. So many people talk about innovation and the transformative impact modern technology can on businesses – our teams in Finland are building that reality every day.”
Prior to this, McGarry started a creative, design and innovation consultancy called 2MRW that primarily focused on identifying a brand’s promise and bringing it to life through content. 2MRW was acquired by Austin Texas-based agency Drumroll, where he then served as its Chief Growth Officer.
Vukmirovich will oversee the company’s North American finance and operations division as COO/CFO, North America. He will work across the organization driving strategic prioritization with a focus on operational excellence.
Vukmirovich said: “Almost all companies know digital will disrupt their industry, but only 20% believe they’ve completed their digital transformation, and over 90% agree that technologies like AI, machine learning and IoT are necessary to reach their goals. Finlabs’ proven track record of quickly delivering intelligent products using the latest technologies perfectly positions us to fill these gaps in the U.S. market.”
Vukmirovich’s background includes 20 years of operations, finance, accounting, legal and M&A experience. He started at EY and Arthur Andersen before venturing out into more entrepreneurial roles. Most recently, he’s been an angel investor, advisor and consultant to several successful start-ups.
As Founder and CCO, David Papworth leads the creative vision at Finlabs with a firm belief that creativity can come from anyone, making it part of the fabric of the organization and not a department.
“I have witnessed first-hand the successful impact both John and Eric have had on dynamic, emerging businesses, and the critical roles they’ve played,” said Papworth. “I am excited to reunite with John and Eric. Together, we will make a big, bold, and purposeful impact for our U.S. clients.”
Globally, Finlabs is led by Afa Heikkinen, Founder and Global CEO.
Heikkinen said: “Coming from the world of motor racing, I’m very focused on building and cultivating great teams. John is a technology visionary with the perfect balance of technical expertise, business acumen and client management skills to lead our U.S. strategy and take advantage of the market opportunities there, and he has the proven ability to secure and inspire new talent. Eric brings a successful track record and extensive experience in managing growth stage companies. It was clear from our earliest conversations that John and Eric share our core values and the enthusiasm behind the organization. We are at a critical moment, and they are the ideal ambassadors to lead our global expansion. They are perfect additions to help round out our team.”
