12.10.2026 | Complex problems do not intimidate Kitta Kongas. Quite the opposite. She enjoys situations where something that initially seems unclear gradually begins to make sense. That same curiosity has guided her career as a data management professional and, outside work, led her to study social sciences.
A common thread runs through Kitta’s working days: helping customers make better use of their data. As a Senior Consultant at Sparta Consulting, she works with data management, data architectures and the effective use of data.
In practice, this often means understanding where data originates, how it moves through an organization and how it can be used to support better decision-making. Her work ranges from enterprise architecture design and data analysis to implementing technical solutions. She also leads a project team and ensures smooth collaboration between customers and experts. Her varied role also includes sales initiatives, service offering development and other internal development work.
Curiosity draws Kitta into many different areas, and one of the things she particularly values at Sparta is the freedom to shape her role around her own interests and strengths.
“I appreciate the fact that you have a lot of freedom to shape your own role. Roles here aren’t narrowly defined. You can influence the kinds of assignments you work on and the direction in which you develop your expertise. Experts are trusted, and no one is micromanaging you.”
A shared way of looking at the bigger picture
Over the course of her career in data management, Kitta has worked in a wide variety of roles, from developer to project lead and from specialist positions to more commercially oriented roles. Over the years, her perspective has expanded from individual solutions to bigger questions: How does data flow through an organization? How do people use it? And how is the business ultimately built around data?
When Sparta Consulting approached Kitta during her parental leave in 2023, the idea of making a new career move felt natural. She was already familiar with Sparta through former colleagues and previous encounters, but one thing in particular had stayed with her.
In many organizations, discussions around data management tend to focus primarily on technology. At Sparta, the perspective seemed broader.
“Here, we look at things more broadly and very much from the customer’s perspective. We want to understand the customer’s overall situation and architecture: what kinds of processes, systems, operating models and responsibilities exist around data, and how they should be developed while taking the different contexts into account.”
This way of thinking resonated with Kitta’s own outlook. She has always been interested in understanding how different things are connected. In 2025, Sparta became part of the Efima Group, opening up opportunities to participate in even broader business development initiatives where data management and business processes are developed side by side.
When the unclear starts to take shape
Taking a holistic approach to a customer’s data management needs requires expertise across many different areas. That is why Kitta does not believe in lone heroes.
“There are many areas of data management where I’m still learning, too. That makes you appreciate having experienced and highly skilled colleagues around you, people you can learn from and solve challenges with.”
The best results emerge when expertise is shared, different perspectives are brought to the same table and solutions are built together. What particularly motivates Kitta is the moment when something that initially seemed complex and unclear gradually begins to fall into place.
One of the most challenging aspects of the work is that real change often takes time.
“Technology can be developed quickly, but changing ways of working takes time. You don’t get to see the results of your work in a single day.”
In the end, however, long-term work to solve customers’ challenges pays off. In the spring, a project led by Kitta received excellent customer feedback, and the collaboration has since expanded into new projects.
“Positive customer feedback is always rewarding. It shows that we have succeeded in building trust with the customer and creating genuine value for their business.”
According to Kitta, successful customer work is built above all on open and honest collaboration. Rather than looking at the customer’s goals from the outside, the team works alongside the customer to solve challenges together, adapting flexibly to everyday needs. What matters most is that the customer feels their priorities are genuinely being taken forward.
Success comes down to people
Alongside her work, Kitta studies social sciences at an open university, with a particular focus on social psychology. The connection between data architectures and social sciences may not be immediately obvious, but for Kitta, it has become increasingly clear through years of experience.
The more she has been involved in developing data management with customers, the clearer one thing has become: ultimately, change is always about people.
Her studies in social sciences have offered new perspectives on why some development initiatives move forward quickly while others encounter resistance. Creating lasting change in customers’ everyday work requires an understanding of ways of working, responsibilities and organizational culture as well.
“Success depends so much on how people embrace the change.”
The same applies to the ongoing AI transformation, which is affecting both Kitta’s own work and the everyday operations of customers.
AI puts the foundations in the spotlight
AI is part of Kitta’s daily work. It helps with processing information and speeds up many stages of her work. As routine tasks decrease, the problems that remain become increasingly complex, which suits her well.
For customers, AI has brought renewed attention to a question that data management professionals have been working on for years: How high-quality, reliable and accessible is the data within organizations, really?
“AI makes the state of data management visible across the entire business.”
Developing data architectures, data models, data quality and operating models has long been part of the work of data management professionals. Now these foundations are becoming even more important as organizations seek to build business value from AI on top of them.
In Kitta’s view, the use of AI is still relatively fragmented in many organizations. The transition towards gaining genuine, organization-wide benefits from AI is only beginning.
“Many companies are only now beginning to realize how much work it actually takes to make effective use of AI.”
Curiosity keeps you moving forward
When Kitta is asked what kind of person is likely to thrive at Sparta, her answer returns to a familiar theme: curiosity.
When working with data and data management, the starting point is rarely completely clear. Solutions usually emerge through investigation, discussion and bringing different perspectives together.
“This isn’t assembly-line work. There’s rarely a ready-made model that can simply be replicated from one customer to another. Often, you start with a situation that is still quite unclear. You need to be genuinely interested in finding things out, understanding the customer’s context and gradually identifying the connections on which the solution can be built.”
That is exactly why the work suits someone who wants to understand things beyond the surface. Constant uncertainty and figuring out new situations are not for everyone, but for Kitta, they are precisely what has kept her interested in data management year after year.
Outside work, Kitta looks at the world from a slightly different perspective together with her spouse and their 4- and 13-year-old children. “We spend a lot of time outdoors as a family, exploring nature and playing all kinds of games.” Cross-country skiing, running and badminton provide a counterbalance to expert work, and every now and then there is time for a long yoga session, too.
Sparta Consulting is a specialist company in data management and data leadership, providing comprehensive and impactful data management services. In spring 2025, Sparta became part of Efima.