I was going to wait a few months to let folks know, but the communicative department I work in has spread the news quickly inside the company. So, it’s only fair to blurt it all out.
Yes, after 8 years living and working in Finland with Nokia, I’ve decided to leave (my last official day is a few months away, though).
Sure, some of you who know me well know that I have been toying with the idea for a long time, but this time we’re committed to a move and have put things in motion that will make this happen. We realized that if we didn’t commit and “just do it,” then we would be toying with the idea for many more years.
Of course, I am publicly discussing this, since this might open up opportunities for me, ones that I might not have been given had everyone thought I was a Nokia lifer.
Areas that most interest me now are continuing my PR and marketing work, but in different areas other than consumer electronics; doing something around molecular biology or biochemistry, such as synthbio or personal genomics; or building Web services (that might sound random, but it crops up everywhere my mind wanders).
I have a bunch of threads I am following, all very interesting. And I have a long list of things I can do if any of those threads die out. I have been very excited in the past 6 months about things that are happening around me and feel that it’s a great time to start something new – a new company, a new project, a new direction.
Geography and new adventures are also big motivators in the change. We’re looking to move to the US, preferably Boston or San Francisco areas, or London (three hot-spots for the the things I want to do).
Am I nuts? Nah. I know that the world is in its biggest slump in since the Depression. I know a ton of folks who have lost their jobs. But I have made an assessment of the folks I know, the opportunities I currently am chasing, and the skills and experience I have and concluded that I can weather this storm and be ready for the big growth times that are sure to follow.
Image from C.P.Storm
