From elite athlete to architect: mastering both the boardroom and the command line

A capable architect discusses business strategy with executives as naturally as diving into code with the team. Antti Everi is both a coder and a former top-level athlete who understands how to coach high-performing teams.

At Nitor, where he works as Principal Architect, Antti has recently focused on developing the company’s e-commerce technology offering. His responsibilities include evaluating technology solutions and ensuring Nitor’s digital commerce offering meets clients’ evolving business challenges.

Shaping the product strategy for a service that combines ready-made e-commerce platforms with custom software development has been an interesting challenge.

“Employee growth and learning require organisational support, flexible structures, and opportunities to experiment. Developing our offering has brought strategic thinking into my work and expanded my expertise,” Antti says.

Recent client project took the architect back to hands-on coding

Antti graduated as a Master of Science in Technology from Tampere University of Technology and has worked with companies like Stockmann and Kesko – first as a general systems architect and later deeply involved in building e-commerce solutions.

At Nitor, client projects have increasingly taken him from architecture planning into practical development work. With his latest client in the retail business, team changes brought him in as an architect who also handles coding. Recently, he feels he has strengthened his skills, especially “in the engine room.”

“I’m doing a lot of actual coding and core development right now. It’s a good balance: I understand both the strategic big picture and the practical implementation. I’ve been rolling up my sleeves quite often lately,” says Antti, who draws on his programming skills in his work.

What he enjoys about coding is problem-solving and the immediate feedback it provides.

“You learn best by doing – and even better by doing together. Pair programming, for example, is a great way to code because watching someone else work always teaches you something new, regardless of skill level,” he says.

A modern architect must move between high-level business strategy and technical realities. Understanding programming and system development has helped Antti communicate naturally with all the stakeholders in the client project. Sharing a common language enables him to guide the team better on technology choices and structured decision-making.

“By deepening coding skills, an architect’s value grows because you can contribute meaningfully to technical development. In my latest engagement, I’ve been equally involved in business discussions and writing code in the engine room,” Antti explains.

Continuous learning keeps the architect elevator moving

Antti is an excellent example of the so-called architect elevator in practice. It means operating credibly across different layers of business and IT, which requires an active culture of professional development.

“Before Nitor, I worked closer to business, technology, and strategy – on a higher level, in terms of the elevator analogy. I already had some technical implementation skills, but in recent years I’ve significantly expanded them. At the same time, I’ve grown a lot as an architect,” Antti reflects.

Throughout his career, Antti has deliberately sought roles that challenge him and foster learning almost by stealth. He believes architects must continuously develop their skills to stay relevant.

“If you want to be a good consultant five years from now, you have to keep learning. Luckily, Nitor encourages this. Our 10 per cent Nitor Core Time, internal forums, courses, and above all, skilled colleagues – both at clients and at Nitor – offer plenty of opportunities to learn.”

He especially values workshops that dive into a theme with a larger group:
“They provide structure and time to focus on one topic. In a busy life, that’s often easier than independent study, and sparring with colleagues strengthens the sense of belonging,” Antti says.

Sports taught resilience and teamwork

Antti is a former world-class weightlifter. He ended his competitive career at the Beijing Olympics in 2008 and later served for several years as the national head coach.

After competitive sports, Antti got into cycling. In summer 2025, he rode to Paris with Team Rynkeby. He says it was a significant experience, especially praising the team. For him, the most important part was charity: the team raises money for organisations that help children with severe illnesses. Nitor has sponsored the initiative for years.

Sports taught Antti the importance of teamwork at his day job as well. No matter how skilled an architect or developer is, they need a functioning, aligned organisation behind them.

Beyond team coaching experience, his athletic background shows in his work style.

“Both in work and in competitive sports, you need persistence, goal-setting, mental resilience, and, of course, grit. I apply these every day as a consultant,” he concludes.

The article series highlights the experiences of Nitoreans in continuous learning as part of their daily customer work. At Nitor, professional growth builds on training, collaborative learning, mentoring, Nitor Core time, and interesting customer projects. This article series stems from a desire to show appreciation for learning while working, the fundamental pillar of everyday professional development.