Growth Accelerator

Jari Kukkonen is the Head of Lifelong Learning and Professional Development at Estonian Business School.

He has over 20 years of international experience as a trainer, manager, and entrepreneur in strategic management, change and innovation management, LEAN management, and product and service development. His clients have included major international corporations as well as fast-growing local companies. In the public sector, Jari has advised ministries, their agencies, and constitutional institutions in Estonia and abroad. In the healthcare sector, he has advised ministries, hospitals, and healthcare service funders.

Kukkonen has served as an assessor for the Management Quality Award in Finland and at the European level, and as a trainer of Management Quality Award assessors in Estonia.

Jari holds a Master’s degree in Innovation and Change Management from St John York University. He is the author of “Breakthrough – Continuous Improvement of Business Processes” (Äripäev, 2012), editor of the Organisational Self-Assessment Handbook (EAS), and founder of Äripäev’s Manufacturing Information Resource.

Kaarel is a seasoned practitioner with extensive international experience in leading logistics, manufacturing, supply chains, factories, and industrial operations. His background includes managing complex supply chains and projects, as well as driving strategic development, growth, and investment decisions within companies. He did not start at the top but reached it through consistent effort, progressing from specialist to senior executive – a journey that also earned him the Young Manager of the Year award.

For Kaarel, it is essential to align teams around shared goals and achieve sustainable results while keeping the process engaging and enjoyable. He is an Executive MBA alumnus of Estonian Business School, a lecturer, a leadership development partner for executives. In August 2025, Kaarel was also awarded the title “Best Guest Lecturer 2024/2025” based on student feedback.

Marko Rillo (PhD) is the Head of the MBA Programme and an IT and consultancy entrepreneur. He has advised companies, the European Commission, the EBRD, and the UN on business model renewal, innovative initiatives, and strategic development.
Marko earned his PhD in Management from the University of St. Gallen, focusing on how managers balance innovation and efficiency (Organizational Ambidexterity). He is also known for researching workplace playfulness and advancing the LEGO Serious Play methodology. He holds a master’s in economics from TalTech, a bachelor’s in business from EBS, and has studied strategy and innovation at INSEAD, IESE, and other renowned institutions. He teaches innovation, strategy, and change management and leads Helge Kool, a social initiative promoting happier school days for students.

Merle combines extensive leadership experience with a deep interest in people. She has spent 20 years serving on the management boards of some of Estonia’s largest media companies, leading strategic transformations, modernising and renewing media business models, and developing marketing strategies for several organisations.

In recent years, Merle has focused on coaching and works as an executive coach, mentor coach, and lecturer. As a coach, she has worked with more than 130 leaders, and as a lecturer she has shared coaching skills and mindset with nearly 500 participants.

Merle holds an Advanced Practitioner Diploma in Executive Coaching (AoEC, UK) and a Gestalt Practitioner Diploma (GIS, Denmark). She is a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) and a member of both the Estonian and the International Coaching Federation (ICF). She is also a columnist for the publications Eesti Ekspress and Edasi.

Kiur Lootus is a trainer in EBS coaching programmes and a PCC-level executive coach. He has completed several coaching programmes at AoEC, as well as training in conflict coaching and basic mediation. His particular interest lies in neuroscience and its application in leadership; accordingly, he has also completed team coaching training at the NeuroLeadership Institute. He holds higher education degrees in architecture and management.

Kiur has been actively involved in entrepreneurship and leadership for more than 25 years and participates in the work of several non-profit organisations, where he primarily supports the development of teams and the maximisation of their members’ potential. In doing so, he mainly applies a coaching-based approach and shares these experiences and insights in his training sessions, helping participants create connections and insights that elevate their leadership capabilities to the next level.

Margit has more than 30 years of entrepreneurial experience, during which she has developed into a trusted partner for leaders – a thinking partner, listener, and reflective counterpart in complex business relationships and leadership situations. She supports leaders in shaping strategic choices, strengthening clear and impactful self-expression, and managing conflicts consciously within organisations. She also helps develop learning organisations by applying the principles of teaching leadership and personalised learning journeys.

Margit has contributed to EBS Executive Education since 2014. She is the founder of the consulting and training company Miski (established in 2007), where she focuses on the development of leaders and organisations.

Raimo is a practising expert in the fields of business management and leadership psychology in Estonia. He graduated from Estonian Business School with a degree in Business Administration and has further developed his expertise through the Executive MBA programme. He has a strong interest in psychology and human behaviour and applies these practical insights in entrepreneurship and leadership.

Raimo is an active trainer and mentor who brings practical leadership experience, reflection, and a strong emphasis on values-based leadership into his teaching. He helps participants consciously connect their personal values with organisational goals.

Kristiina Tuisk is a consultant at Productory AI Agency who combines extensive public sector experience with practical expertise in artificial intelligence. Her areas of expertise include AI training and consulting, managing complex projects, and strategic planning in the public sector.

Kristiina is the Head of AI Programmes at Estonian Business School and a lecturer in artificial intelligence at Tallinn University of Applied Sciences, demonstrating her strong commitment to advancing AI education. She has trained more than 10,000 participants, reflecting her ability to communicate complex AI concepts in a clear and practical way.

Kristiina holds a bachelor’s degree in Pedagogy from the University of Tartu and a master’s degree in Business Administration from TalTech.

Jarmo Tuisk is a recognized AI expert with international experience in product management and strategic planning. His extensive knowledge and skills cover the development of AI technologies, strategic planning, management of innovation projects, UX/UI design, and AI design.

Jarmo is the Head of AI Programs at EBS and the founder of the Productory AI Agency. He has delivered AI training to more than 10,000 participants.

In addition, Jarmo is a Product Manager at Agrello and has international product management experience from companies such as WePower and OPnGO.

His diverse background in the public sector, including experience at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications and KredEx, gives him a unique perspective on implementing AI across different sectors.

Anneli Veispak

Associate Professor of Technology Enchanced Learning

Anneli Veispak is the Associate Professor of Technology Enhanced Learning at the Estonian Business School, focusing on optimisation of learning experiences, as well as on course/lesson design that considers cognitive learning mechanisms and aligns with the way people learn. She is implementing educational technology solutions both in the university and in the entrepreneurial context at a start-up related to EBS.
Anneli defended her Ph.D. at University of Leuven (KU Leuven) in 2012, where she subsequently worked as a researcher investigating the learning mechanisms, the cognitive and perceptual foundations of reading ability as well as speech perception. Between 2016 and 2019 Anneli worked at the School of Educational Sciences of Tallinn University being the head of Special Education BA curriculum, leading the Inclusive Education line of study and teaching the cognitive foundations of learning to diverse groups of students.