Pasi Toivanen

SVP, Strategic Government & Industry Initiatives at Nokia

Speaker

Pasi Toivanen is the Senior Vice President (SVP) Strategic Government & Industry Initiatives at Nokia, based in Finland. In this capacity, he leads Nokia’s engagement with major government bodies and industrial consortiums, acting as a primary bridge between public sector initiatives and technological innovation. His current primary focus is orchestrating Nokia’s and its ecosystem’s strategic approach to the EU’s AI Gigafactory initiative, spearheading multi-billion-euro collaborations to build world-class sites for AI-driven innovation in Europe.

Pasi brings a unique perspective to his current mandate, operating on the belief that ecosystem collaboration is the primary driver of AI competitiveness. His approach leverages years of experience scaling partnerships where technology meets business to ensure AI initiatives deliver security and long-term growth.

A recognized thought leader in driving ecosystem-led growth, Pasi previously served as the Head of Network Infrastructure (NI) Strategic Partnerships. He executed partner strategies working closely with technology providers, system integrators, and industrial partners. Pasi has been driving force behind Cloud RAN (now AI RAN) where success is hinged not on technology alone, but on creating an open ecosystem for innovation to flourish through strategic alliances. This partner-first, trust-based method underpins his approach to aligning cross-border government and industry consortiums.

Pasi’s career reflects a truly global perspective. Having joined Nokia in 1998, he has held various senior roles across program, portfolio, and partner divisions. Beyond Nokia, he held senior leadership roles at Juniper Networks and Ericsson, where he served as Global Head of IP Solutions and Global Head of Service Delivery. He has worked extensively across several countries, including China, Germany, and the United Kingdom.

In his spare time, Pasi has a passion for motorcycling and good wine, though he is careful not to pursue these interests simultaneously.