Director Nina Nissilä of Kela recognised as CIO and Digital Director of the Year
Nina Nissilä has been recognised as CIO and Digital Director of the Year. The criteria for this year’s award prioritised the management of sustainable development and resilient practices. In charge of digital development at Kela, Nissilä leads a major programme titled Eepos, whose aim is the wholesale overhaul of Kela’s benefit systems over the coming years.
Director Nina Nissilä of Kela has won recognition as CIO and Digital Director of the Year. Issued by Tivi magazine, the award was presented today on 4 October 2023 at CIO 2023, an event for IT administration and digitalisation leaders held in Helsinki.
Inaugurated in 2022, CIO and Digital Director of the Year is a new award combining two separate recognitions issued by Tivi magazine (CIO of the Year and Digital Director of the Year). This year, the award emphasised contributions to leadership in sustainable development, green transition and resilient business practices.
The award criteria prioritised the ability to lead strategic and operational development through IT and digital management. The award panel looked for evidence that the nominees had created sustainable change and continuity, delivered inspiring leadership, and showed an ability to lead their organisations through an evolving business environment and cybersecurity landscape.
An evolving business environment drives the search for new solutions
Nina Nissilä joined Kela in October 2018 and was appointed to her current position as the Director in charge of Kela’s IT and shared services in February 2019. Previously, she was the lead of the D9 Digital team at the State Treasury and a director at Tieto Finland and CGI Suomi.
In her current role, Nissilä leads a number of significant projects, including Eepos, a development programme at Kela that aims to rebuild all of Kela’s benefit systems. The programme will streamline the application review process and lead to tangible everyday benefits for Kela’s clients and staff.
“Kela has a key role in sustaining and strengthening the Finnish welfare society, a role that we want to protect by boldly seeking new digital solutions that would allow us to serve our clients even better”, Nissilä says. “The rapidly evolving environment in which we operate keeps us attuned to potential threats. More than ever, managing digital leadership requires a proactive and anticipatory approach”, she adds.
Leadership is first and foremost teamwork
With more than 900 IT professionals on its staff, Kela is a major player in the Finnish IT industry and can offer its staff the opportunity to do a wide range of meaningful work with a social impact.
“This recognition would not have been possible without the quality work that our IT services have done over a long period of time. Good leadership cannot exist without an accomplished and professional staff, and I am proud of my team and everyone at Kela. Leadership is first and foremost teamwork. Success is not a solo performance but a team effort. The support I get from Kela’s senior management, Board and communications team is invaluable as well”, Nissilä says.
The list of nominees for CIO and Digital Leader of the Year included Lars Husberg, Deputy CEO and Executive Vice President for Business Development at Lappset Group, Rashmi Kasat-Majakorpi, Head of Digital Technologies at Metso, and Mikko Lantto, Executive Vice President for Technology and Development at Ilmarinen. The 2022 award for CIO and Digital Leader of the Year went to Timo Rinne, Vice President for Digital Development at Sanoma Media Finland.