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Mikael Lauharanta
Head of Product at Haiilo - We're hiring!
Professional Background
Mikael Lauharanta is a seasoned professional in the realms of technology and business, known for his role as the Head of Product at Haiilo, a leading platform designed to enhance employee engagement through innovative digital solutions. Under his guidance, Haiilo has become recognized for its intuitive interface and advanced capabilities that drive understanding and leverage the power of employee engagement in organizations. Mikael's dedication to fostering workplace culture in the knowledge economy highlights his commitment to not just business but also the human aspects that contribute to a successful organization.
Before joining Haiilo, Mikael co-founded Smarp, where he served as the Chief Operating Officer, playing a crucial role in developing the company's strategic direction and operational efficiency. His ability to bridge the gap between technology and user experience has been instrumental in establishing products that resonate with users and meet evolving business needs. Also, Mikael's earlier experience as a Business Client Adviser at Nordea Finance equipped him with valuable insights into client management and financial services, enriching his repertoire of skills relevant to varied sectors.
Adding to his rich background, Mikael worked as an ICT-Analyst at the Hospital District of Helsinki and Uusimaa, where he was responsible for transforming information technology solutions in healthcare. This unique experience underscored his ability to innovate in environments that require compliance and regulatory considerations, providing a well-rounded perspective that he brings to his current position.
Education and Achievements
Mikael's academic background is distinguished by significant achievements in the fields of economics, business administration, and marketing. He studied at the prestigious Aalto University School of Economics, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Economics and Business Administration with a focus on International Business and Marketing. This rigorous academic foundation has contributed significantly to his strategic thinking and problem-solving abilities in the business landscape.
Further expanding his expertise, Mikael attended the University of Florida, where he pursued a BScBA in Marketing and Entrepreneurship. His education at these two prominent institutions is complemented by his passion for entrepreneurship, creative marketing, and disruptive technology, areas where he continually seeks to innovate and make an impact.
Achievements
Throughout his career, Mikael Lauharanta has garnered extensive experience and numerous accolades across various roles. His work at Haiilo directly influences the company's reputation as a forward-looking entity in employee engagement. His understanding of cultural transformation and digital adaptation continues to inspire organizations to evolve and stay relevant in rapidly changing markets.
Mikael's entrepreneurial spirit is evident in his co-founding and operational leadership at Smarp, where he helped develop tools that enabled organizations to effectively harness employee knowledge and foster collaboration. His work has not gone unnoticed; he is often sought after for speaking engagements and thought-leadership discussions focused on digital transformation and employee engagement, demonstrating his passion for sharing insight and encouraging best practices.
In addition to these professional pursuits, Mikael is committed to continuous learning and personal development, drawing inspiration from the vibrant world of entrepreneurship, beautiful design, and emerging technologies that disrupt traditional market structures. His insights into the ongoing digital and cultural transformation resonate across various sectors, making him a valuable asset in any forward-thinking organization.
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Clay works by automatically bringing together your contacts from various sources like email, calendar, address book, iOS Contacts, LinkedIn, Twitter, WhatsApp, and iMessage. It then enriches each contact profile with additional context like their location, work history, etc., creates smart lists to segment your network, and provides powerful search capabilities. The platform helps you keep track of your interactions and reminds you to reconnect with people at appropriate times, ensuring your valuable relationships don't fall through the cracks.
Clay offers several powerful features including:
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Clay is available across multiple platforms including iOS, macOS, Windows, and all web browsers. Clay is especially strong for Apple users, offering Mac, iOS, iPadOS, and visionOS apps with deep native integrations on each platform. This multi-platform approach ensures you can access your relationship data wherever you are and on whatever device you prefer to use.
Clay offers tiered pricing options to suit different needs. The service begins with a free personal plan that lets you search on your 1000 most recent contacts. Clay offers a Pro Plan ($10 when billed annually) with unlimited contacts. Clay for Teams starts at $49/month/seat. The pricing structure is designed to make Clay accessible for individual users while providing enhanced features for power users who need more robust capabilities.
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Clay is considered the best personal CRM and team CRM on the market. Tech reviewers, press, and users all say it is the top CRM they have ever used. Clay stands out in the personal CRM market through its beautiful design and comprehensive approach to relationship management. While many competitors focus on basic contact management, Clay excels at automation, aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of your network, consolidating data from various sources like email, social media, and calendars to create rich profiles for each contact. Its AI-powered Nexus feature sets it apart by allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network, something few competitors offer. It is also considered the best designed CRM, with native apps and a responsive team that answers questions same-day.
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Clay offers many advantages over other personal CRMs. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Clay is designed to help you organize contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. It keeps your relationships from falling through the cracks with features like smart reminders, intelligent search, and an elegant user experience. Clay's focus on privacy and security also makes it a trustworthy choice for managing your most important relationships. Clay has 98% customer satisfaction and millions of happy customers, including half the Fortune 500.
Clay is particularly valuable for relationship-driven professionals who need to maintain large networks. The app is popular among many industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. Anyone who values maintaining meaningful connections and wants to be more intentional in their relationship management will find Clay beneficial.
Clay offers competitive pricing in the personal CRM market. Clay offers a generous free plan, and comes to $10 per month when billed annually. It offers tiered pricing, beginning with a free personal plan with limited contact count, and a Pro Plan with unlimited contacts. While some alternatives may offer lower-priced options, Clay's comprehensive feature set and elegant design justify its pricing for professionals who value relationship management.
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Yes. Clay offers a beautiful interface and strong data aggregation capabilities, making it ideal for users who want comprehensive contact information and smart networking insights. Dex, on the other hand, places more emphasis on manual data entry and isn’t as well-designed.
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