{"id":29288,"date":"2026-02-10T08:50:13","date_gmt":"2026-02-10T06:50:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fira.fi\/news\/datakeskuksien-monitoimimies-ari-kurvi-tyoskentelen-50-vuotta-alalla-sitten-katson-mita-teen-isona\/"},"modified":"2026-02-25T14:23:15","modified_gmt":"2026-02-25T12:23:15","slug":"ari-kurvi-data-center-all-rounder","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fira.fi\/en\/blog-en\/ari-kurvi-data-center-all-rounder\/","title":{"rendered":"Ari Kurvi, data center all-rounder: \u201c50 years in the industry\u2014then I\u2019ll decide what I want to do when I grow up\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n
\n
\n \n\n
\n
\n \n\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n \n

<\/h2>\n\n
\n
\n \"\" <\/div>\n
\n

Olli Urpela<\/p>\n

Communications manager<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n \n \n

<\/h2>\n\n
\n
News<\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n <\/main>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n <\/main>\n<\/section>\n\n\n
\n
\n \n\n

Senior Advisor Ari Kurvi<\/strong>, who joined Fira in January, brings broad, end-to-end expertise in data centers. His career has taken him to many sides of the table, and he always finds new angles. But why does the first slide of Ari\u2019s presentations say: I am not a dead fish<\/em>?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen you ask who Ari is, the answer is simple: I\u2019m extremely interested in absolutely everything,\u201d he begins.
 
His interests range widely from society and construction to life at the summer cottage. But above all, he is passionate about data centers.
 
\u201cIn my work, I focus on data center infrastructure, design, operations, societal impact, jobs, and how we can build data centers optimally with Finnish expertise and domestic resources.\u201d
 
Ari strengthens Fira\u2019s competence in data center projects. He truly is a veteran. He is trained as an electronics technician and computer technician. His career began with IT-systems work, but step by step he moved into server rooms and data center \u2011related tasks.
 
\u201cSystem integrations, data centers, moves, design\u2026 I\u2019ve been involved in almost everything. And eventually, one phone call took me to Google in Hamina, and later also into datacenter property development,\u201d he says.
 
He has massive experience in data centers and their development. At Fira, he supports all teams in anything related to data center projects.
 
\u201cFrom project development to sales and production development. I know what clients care about, and how we can best bring Fira\u2019s expertise to them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Work that is meaningful<\/a> and serves customer needs \u2013 and good colleagues \u2013 are what keep Ari motivated.
 
\u201cSo much so that at the turn of the year I officially retired. Or actually, let me correct that. I didn\u2019t retire \u2013 I just started withdrawing my pension. There\u2019s a big difference. The mortality rate of retirees is 100 %, but for people who work it\u2019s much lower, and people who work have weekends off,\u201d he laughs.
 
For Ari, joining a company where he can learn something new every day felt natural. At the same time, he can teach younger colleagues flexibility, passion for the work, and deep industry know\u2011how.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How does Fira look through the eyes of a veteran?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFira feels extremely positive and innovative, with the energy and enthusiasm of a young company, even though it has been operating for over 20 years. In that time company has developed very effective processes for construction management and hour to hour work execution.\u201d
 
\u201dAnd the way of working here is great. Communication is very open, and everyone is allowed to talk with everyone. Your position doesn\u2019t matter \u2013 what matters is what you do and what you know.\u201d 
 
The compliments just keep coming, and finally he gives an example:
 
\u201cThe way people work is positive, and everyone challenges themselves and each other. On my very first visit, a topic I raised sparked a lively discussion where no one thought about personal benefit \u2013 only how the organisation and the client would benefit. That tells a lot.\u201d
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

During the interview, the conversation jumps between data centers, summer cottage projects and boating, but before we finish, Ari sums up his working style:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m not a manager by nature \u2013 I\u2019m a leader. I like to look at the big picture while holding a microscope in my hand. As they say, the devil is in the details. My job is to clear the sand from the railway tracks. And \u2018that\u2019s not my job\u2019 is not part of my vocabulary.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So why are you not a dead fish?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBecause only dead fish go with the flow,\u201d Ari answers with a smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
Read more about data centers and industrial construction<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n <\/main>\n<\/section>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n

Share<\/h2>\n \n