Proudly Estonian
I was born in Kuressaare, Estonia, on March 5, 1990, at a time when the Soviet Union was beginning to collapse and Estonia was on the path to regaining its independence through the Singing Revolution and the resolve of its leaders. Growing up in a newly free country shaped my worldview early; there was a quiet but powerful belief that anything was possible. One of my earliest memories is sitting on a fence outside with my sister at three or four years old, selling flowers to tourists and proudly spending what we earned on sweets - a small but early lesson in initiative and independence.
I was an active and curious child, often heading to school with two backpacks, one for classes, the other for everything beyond them. In 1998, I joined Kuressaare Football Club, and that same year began studying at Kuressaare Music School. I formally graduated as a pianist, but it was singing that stayed with people. By the age of fifteen, I had won every major national singing competition in Estonia, including Laulukarusell in 2004.
A Formative Chapter - Moving to Denmark
At fifteen, a change in my family’s circumstances led us to move to Copenhagen, Denmark. While I had travelled extensively before, this was my first experience living abroad, and my first time using English on a daily basis. I began attending Copenhagen International School, and although I was already conversational, immersion quickly deepened my fluency over the following years.
Academics mattered, but I found my strongest focus in what I pursued outside of the classroom. I played on both in the Junior Varsity and Varsity football and basketball teams, and was awarded Most Valuable Player at the NECIS Football Tournament held in Amsterdam in 2007. Music remained a passion. I began writing my own songs and regularly performed at school assemblies and charity concerts, singing and accompanying myself on the piano while also networking and collaborating with local artists.
A Test of Resilience: Finland
In 2008, another change in my family’s circumstances led us to Helsinki, where I transferred mid-International Baccalaureate to the International School of Helsinki, a move strongly discouraged at that stage as I had completed only the first year of the two year Diploma Program. Through extensive independent study and persistence, I pushed through and completed my studies, learning firsthand how to perform under pressure and keep moving forward when conditions are less than ideal.
Outside the classroom, I remained deeply committed to music. My days often started before dawn with studying, followed by school and evenings spent composing and recording in a local studio. On my eighteenth birthday, I founded a company to manage my intellectual property and promote events. By the time I left Finland for conscript service in Estonia, I had contributed to eight albums and organized or performed in dozens of concerts across the country, while also training MMA and continuing varsity football.
Estonian Defense Force - Discipline, Duty, and Growth
Growing up, I was taught that a boy becomes a man through conscript service. My time in the Estonian Defense Force taught me more than I ever imagined about freedom, responsibility, and the true meaning of teamwork. You are only as strong as your weakest link, and you never leave your people behind, and when the burden gets too heavy, you help them carry it.
I also discovered the lighter side of army life - living in tents, training in the forest, and laughing more than I ever had! I served in the presidential guard, participating in ceremonies including the Estonian Independence Day parade, and trained as an anti-tank. By the end of my service, I received a letter for exemplary service.
Finding Direction: The United Kingdom
The International Baccalaureate Diploma Program prepared me well for university in the UK, where I chose to study International Business and Corporate Law at the University of Greenwich in London, followed by an MSc in International Business at Leeds University Business School. University allowed me to deepen and sharpen interests I already had - business, international perspectives, and strategic thinking, and I pursued them with focus and intent. I valued the independence university encouraged, the ability to concentrate on what truly mattered to me, and the diverse perspectives I encountered along the way. While studying in Leeds, I also met my wife, Leanne, a moment that would shape my life in more ways than I have space to write here.
After graduating, I began my career at The Hut Group. Starting in an environment with high standards and real accountability from day one accelerated my learning and set a strong foundation, reinforced by leaders who led by example.
Dubai - Where Work and Life Aligned
After more than seven years in the UK, I felt the pull for change - what I missed most was having family close. My sister had been living in Dubai for years with her two young children and husband, and both Leanne and I felt drawn to being more present in their lives. Once we made the decision together, we moved to the United Arab Emirates.
Immersing myself in Middle Eastern culture was initially daunting, but quickly felt natural. It is a culture grounded in respect, family, and warmth. Shortly after arriving, I joined Majid Al Futtaim, whose values - Bold, Passionate, Together - were genuinely lived, and where I immediately felt at home. My work was meaningful and impactful: helping shape category management across more than half a billion dollars in sales, and leading the development of a promotion optimization tool that standardized leaflet selection and quantified incremental impact across sales, margin, traffic and basket value. All of this unfolded alongside a rich personal life - family dinners, weekends together, and the opportunity to explore a remarkable region.
Canada - Clarity at Scale
After nearly four years in the UAE, Leanne and I felt it was the right moment to move closer to her family. Once my permanent residence was granted, we settled nearby and quickly made Canada home - spending weekends together, traveling when we can, and building a rhythm of life grounded in family and friends. The move marked a new chapter, one defined by stability, long-term thinking, and a renewed sense of belonging.
Professionally, this transition coincided with a period of further maturity. At Staples, I initially supported and later led the product team’s efforts to migrate Staples Preferred from a legacy platform to a modern microservices architecture. Following the successful migration of more than 100,000 organizations, I went on to lead additional migrations of Staples’ acquisitions - Denis, Beatties, and Monarch - onto the Eway platform. After more than a decade in retail, my strengths are clear: bringing clarity to ambiguity, building structure from a blank slate, and navigating complex transformation with agility and discipline. Much like in my life, and not unlike music, I balance creativity with structure and adaptability with rigor - carving out a lane centered on strategy, transformation, and moving confidently into the unknown.
So, what’s next? I intend to continue on the path I’m on - creating impact at scale, exploring complex problems, and building meaningful systems. Alongside my professional work, I’ve been an active investor for nearly a decade and intend to continue deepening my involvement in this space. Whatever comes next, it will be driven by curiosity, purpose, and passion. I never want to wish my days away - only to keep learning, growing, and spending time with the people I care about most.