About me

Marketer. Dad. D&D nerd.

I'm Otso Karvinen, currently the Head of Growth at Quru, a digital marketing and analytics agency based in Helsinki, Finland.

I've spent 15+ years in digital marketing. I've tried most things, failed at some and gotten pretty good at the rest.


Otso outdoors

How I got here

I didn't plan any of this. I was a broke student who accidentally stumbled into freelance marketing, right as social media was becoming a thing. Good timing, as it turned out.

I started as a copywriter and freelancer, moved into social media marketing and advertising when those were still new, then became a marketing manager at a hospitality company. From there I moved into running marketing operations and large digital development projects for a tourism board. Eventually that work pulled me into the agency world, where I've been ever since.

The thing that has driven me throughout all of it is curiosity. I'm always learning something new, always running some side project, always trying to figure out how to do things better or more efficiently. It's less of a habit and more of a default setting.

Right now that curiosity is pointed squarely at AI. I genuinely believe it will change marketing for good. Not just the tools and tactics but the entire way marketing and sales work together. And I want to be at the front of that change.


Otso in winter

The human stuff

I live in Helsinki with my wife, two kids, and two cats. My family is the most important thing in my life, full stop.

Outside of work I'm a Dungeon Master. I run my own D&D campaigns, build stories, paint miniatures, all that stuff. I'm also a lifelong video gamer. I've put in more hours into World of Warcraft and League of Legends than I'm comfortable sharing with almost anyone. Music is and has been a big part of my life too. I used to play guitar and drums and sing. Nowadays my music hobby is more listening, mostly heavy stuff. Currently on a Lorna Shore rotation that shows no signs of stopping.

Want to connect?

LinkedIn is my main channel. Come say hi.

Find me on LinkedIn