We use our own and third party cookies on this site for various purposes such as giving you a more personalized experience and adapting advertising to your interests. Read more in our cookie policy.

OCTOBER 30 14.00-19.00 2025
EPICENTER HELSINKI

VERGE |
Retail & E-Commerce: 

Retail is being rewired. What once ran on growth at all costs now depends on connection, intelligence, and trust. Every transaction tells a story. Every system powers experience. Every customer interaction is an opportunity to build loyalty.

Verge | Retail & E-Commerce explores the intersection of profit, people, and technology — and how the next generation of commerce is being built from the inside out. Hosted across Epicenter’s Nordic houses in Stockholm, Helsinki, and Oslo, the series brings together the brands, retailers, and innovators designing what comes next.

This edition dives deep into the forces reshaping retail right now. It explores how intelligent systems and connected experiences are transforming operations from the ground up. How data, payments, and customer insight are driving sustainable, profitable growth. How AI and automation are redefining forecasting, personalization, and the art of understanding the customer. And how purpose, creativity, and trust remain the ultimate differentiators.

Through bold keynotes, cross-industry panels, and live activations, Verge will unpack how intelligence, innovation, and human connection are coming together to define the future of commerce.


Welcome to VERGE by Epicenter.

Agenda

14:00

Welcome

Pastries and coffee provided at the Maropost Refuel Station. Connect with fellow retailers, partners, and innovators before we dive into the future of commerce.

Read more
14:30

Welcoming Remarks


Joey Bayer, Head of International Community, Epicenter

Read more
The Lounge - First Floor
Moderator, Joey Bayer
Head of International Community, Epicenter
14:40

Opening Keynote: To Grow or Die – Leveraging AI to Outperform in Retail

In this keynote, Riika explores why growth is no longer optional in retail, but a necessity for survival. She unpacks the mindset shift required to pursue double-digit growth and how AI can be a critical enabler—if paired with clear targets and bold leadership. Using the 4Ps framework (Product, Place, Promotion, Price), she demonstrates how AI can optimize inventory, personalize marketing, inform pricing, and support expansion. Riika also outlines practical pathways for retailers to adopt AI, from partnering with agile startups to leveraging off-the-shelf tools, while cautioning against common pitfalls like vendor lock-in or in-house talent gaps.

Read more
The Lounge - First Floor
Riika Wikberg
Co-Founder, Clair
15:02

Break

Coffee & conversations at the Maropost Refuel Station.

Read more
15:12

Panel: Retail Rewired – From Systems to Experience

Behind every seamless customer experience lies a complex system of data, integrations, and operational decisions. In this session, retail and technology leaders explore how to connect the dots between the front-end and the back-end creating unified commerce that’s not only efficient but emotionally engaging. Expect practical insights on architecture, analytics, and the human side of digital transformation.

Read more
Alexander Leppäkoski
Head of IT, Suomalainen Kirjakauppa
Hannu Ranta
Principal Enterprise Architect, Qlik
Pasi Ilola
Founder & CEO, Starcart
15:44

Break

Stretch, refresh, and meet speakers at the Maropost Refuel Station.

Read more
15:56

Keynote: Future of Payments - Intelligent Commerce

More and more, we’re using smart tools—called agents—that can search, decide, and even buy things for us. The presentation explains what this means for businesses and consumers, what challenges it can cause, and how Visa is building new tools and rules to make these AI-powered payments safe, clear, and easy to use.

Read more
The Lounge - First Floor
Juha Sillanpää
Country Manager, Finland and the Baltics, Visa
16:18

Panel: Profitability Rewired – Data, Decisions, and Margins That Last

Growth is easy when capital is cheap — profit is hard when it isn’t. This discussion brings together payments, data, and financial leaders to unpack how retailers are rebuilding their businesses for resilience. From optimizing transactions and reducing friction to rethinking pricing and returns, the panel explores how smarter systems and partnerships can turn efficiency into long-term profitability.

Read more
The Lounge - First Floor
Jaakko Turunen
Sales Director Nordics and Baltic, Market Pay
Ted Kyander
Country Manager, Finland, Qliro 
16:48

Break

One last chance to meet at the Maropost Refuel Station.

Read more
17:00

Fireside Chat: Smarter Retail – What Still Needs to Change

In this closing fireside chat, Ville Rissanen, CEO & Founder of giosg, joins us to reflect on the future of retail. From customer experience to AI adoption, we’ll explore what’s working, what’s broken, and where retailers need to focus next. A high-level, no-fluff conversation to tie it all together and send you off thinking bigger

Read more
The Lounge - First Floor
Ville Rissanen
CEO and Co-Founder, Giosg
Moderator, Joey Bayer
Head of International Community, Epicenter
17:25

Closing Remarks

Joey Bayer, Epicenter

Read more
The Lounge - First Floor
17:30

Networking

The Inner Yard- Mikonkatu 5

Meet The Experts

Riika Wikberg
Co-Founder, Clair

Riika Wikberg is the Co-founder of Clair, an AI-powered merchandising and buying platform that helps fashion and retail companies predict demand for completely new products and thus align production with true consumer demand.

Riika is driven by a deep, results-oriented understanding of the retail sector, gained over two decades mainly in fashion and home interior. Previously, she served as the Chief Business Development Officer (CBDO) at Marimekko for eight years during the company’s double-digit growth period. Riika oversaw the company’s strategic agenda, was responsible for unlocking new value, and simultaneously led Marimekko's ambitious sustainability transformation.

Earlier she also directly oversaw the merchandising strategy for Marimekko’s network of 40 stores and its global e-commerce channels.

Riika is now focused on leveraging AI to transform legacy, intuition-based buying processes into a data-driven model that benefits both the bottom line and the planet. She is committed to delivering solutions that drive sustainable, measurable margin improvement for the industry.

Alexander Leppäkoski
Head of IT, Suomalainen Kirjakauppa

Alexander Leppäkoski is the IT Leader of Suomalainen Kirjakauppa, the biggest book retail chain in Finland. He champions seamless collaboration between business and IT and people-centric leadership, driven by measurable impact on results and everyday work. His expertise spans business-driven IT, change leadership, IT procurement, and project management.

Hannu Ranta
Principal Enterprise Architect, Qlik

In his role as a Principal Enterprise Architect at Qlik for Nordics, Baltics and Benelux regions, Hannu helps organizations to utilize Artificial Intelligence and Machine learning in multiple levels and unleash the power of data. He is a top-notch data and cloud professional with a wide technical knowledge and has worked with big data, IoT and analytics solutions with the largest enterprises across the globe. While having a problem-solving mindset, he always enjoys finding new innovative solutions to help customers to deliver value. Hannu obtained his Master of Science degree with distinction in 2015 and is also a published author.

Jaakko Turunen
Sales Director Nordics and Baltic, Market Pay

Jaakko Turunen has over a decade of experience in the payments industry, working with merchants and ECR providers of all sizes across the Nordics. At Market Pay, he focuses on helping retailers simplify and optimize their payment ecosystems, creating seamless, customer-centric commerce experiences.

With a strong background in B2B sales, team leadership, and product management, Jaakko has led successful commercial launches across Europe and built high-performing sales teams from the ground up. Known for his positive energy, collaborative spirit, and results-driven mindset, he is passionate about turning partnerships into measurable growth.

Juha Sillanpää
Country Manager, Finland and the Baltics, Visa

Juha Sillanpää serves as Visa’s Country Manager for Finland and the Baltics. He has extensive experience in payments, fintech, and international business leadership, and is driven by customer growth, people and organizational development, and the creation of strong, high‑performing teams. Juha has successfully led multinational portfolios and has been a key contributor to the digital payments transformation across the Nordics and Baltics, combining strategic vision with hands‑on leadership to deliver results. He partners closely with banks, fintechs, merchants, and regulators to advance secure, innovative commerce and inclusion. Colleagues know him for clarity, accountability, and a pragmatic, human‑centered approach with empathy.

Pasi Ilola
Founder & CEO, Starcart

Ted Kyander
Country Manager, Finland, Qliro 

With over a decade of experience in Payments and E-com, Ted is currently the Country Manager for Finland at Qliro AB, where he leads the company’s Finnish market launch and merchant growth efforts. Prior to Qliro, Ted held senior commercial roles in payments & e-commerce, bringing deep expertise in merchant partnerships and digital checkout solutions. Known for his strategic mindset and hands-on execution, Ted thrives at the intersection of fintech and e-commerce, driving both merchant-centric value creation and superior consumer experiences.

Ville Rissanen
CEO and Co-Founder, Giosg

Ville Rissanen is the CEO and Co-Founder of giosg, a technology company helping retailers, banks, and service providers turn digital interactions into real business results. With over a decade of experience building customer engagement platforms, Ville is passionate about using data, automation, and intelligent UX to drive measurable outcomes. Under his leadership, giosg has grown into one of the Nordics’ leading platforms for AI-powered customer interactions.

Moderator, Joey Bayer
Head of International Community, Epicenter

Joey Bayer has been responsible for creating conversations that matter for more than 16 years.

From creating the space, to connecting key players, to driving / setting the agenda, Joey brings together individuals for moments that both transform and inspire.

Over the course of his career, Joey has hosted the world's most fascinating and influential people - from world leaders, like Bill Clinton, to iconic legends like Liza Minelli, to the CEOs of today's Fortune 500 companies.

Joey's intuitive ability to connect with others, his passion for people and dialogue, and ability to get directly to the heart of the discussion have earned him a reputation of trust and respect with leaders around the world, and made him a central figure in today's most important conversations.

ABOUT VERGE

Step into VERGE, the new global event series by Epicenter—the house of innovation.

At VERGE, we stand at the tipping point of what’s next.

Designed for those who dare to explore, challenge, and redefine the future, this is the movement that is set to amplify innovation on a global stage.

See you at Epicenter.

© MapTiler © OpenStreetMap contributors

Powered by