Meet Antti Jurvelin- Country Manager, Finland. Antti has been in the public transport industry for almost 30 years and knows the Finnish industry by heart, something that helps add tremendous value in his work.
1. Can you please tell us a little bit about yourself and your role at FARA?
I joined FARA in 2007, the year FARA acquired Buscom, a ticketing system and equipment supplier. I started my career as Project Delivery Manager at Buscom back in 1994. Today, I am the Country Manager for FARA in Finland, where my main focus is sales and customer management, ensuring we nurture our existing customer base in the best possible way. Additionally, I am also looking after for the team that works from our office in Oulu and want to make sure everyone has what they need to work efficiently and comfortably.
2. As Country Manager, how do you ensure FARA brings the best value to its customers?
Our customers are at the forefront of everything we do. We find it invaluable to ensure constant communication with our existing customers, and we are also in regular talks with our potential customers. By doing so, we are continuously up to date with our customers’ and industry needs, and can evaluate what we can offer and deliver, in order to meet – and exceed – their expectations.
3. What have you been most proud of during your time at FARA?
FARA has a good reputation in Finland, and I feel proud of my contributions. I enjoy having a strong network and being at the forefront of bringing new innovations to the public transport industry in Finland. We have been able to offer our solutions to the marketplace since 1997, providing new generations of systems and services. I am also proud that we have been able to deliver the ITxPT network and TFT displays to local PTOs, and support PTAs in building out their information systems.
4. What do you think is next for FARA?
Right now, we are working to offer and provide new Passenger Counting systems build, on top of the ITxPT network architecture for operators in the Helsinki area. This solution is of great importance post-Covid. Also, we have continuous dialogue with HSL (PTA in Helsinki) on how to renew their existing systems. This is something that really excites me.
6. And finally, if you could take a long bus journey with anyone famous, who would it be and why?
Well, I’ve been reading some of Paulo Coelho’s books. He has written, among others, some fascinating travel stories and I think he would be a nice and inspirational travel companion.