Ikonen joins Polarnode at a pivotal time for the company and the broader industry, amid surging demand for data center capacity across the region. With a proven track record in hyperscale data center operations and site management in Finland, Ikonen brings unparalleled technical leadership and domain expertise to support Polarnode’s ambitious expansion plans.
Prior to his new role at Polarnode, Ikonen served as Chief Strategy and Operating Officer at UpCloud (2023–2025), overseeing, among other things, the company’s strategic management, service reliability, and overall operations across 13 global data center locations.
From 2016 to 2023, he held multiple leadership roles at Google’s Data Centers organization, including Site Lead and Site Operations Manager of the Hamina data center, leading a campus of six data centers and employing approximately 400 people daily. During this time, Google invested in Hamina, and the data center’s operations expanded significantly.
Earlier in his career, he served as VP and Local Division Service Manager in ABB’s Power Division (2013–2016), further strengthening his deep experience in industrial-scale infrastructure. Over his approximately 25-year career, Ikonen has accumulated diverse experience in mission-critical industries, data center infrastructures, and in the areas of back-up power systems and cooling technologies. His wide-ranging expertise will now support Polarnode’s growth.
“We are thrilled to welcome Lauri to the team. His deep experience in managing and scaling hyperscale data center infrastructure will be instrumental as we accelerate our development strategy and respond to the growing market need for high-performance, sustainable, and resilient data center solutions,” comments Mikko Toivanen, Chairman of the Board for Polarnode.
Ikonen’s appointment reflects Polarnode’s commitment to strengthening its technical capabilities and delivering exceptional value across the full data center infrastructure value chain.
“I’m excited to join Polarnode at such a dynamic time. The Nordic region is rapidly becoming a global hub for digital infrastructure, and Polarnode is uniquely positioned to lead that transformation with its forward-thinking approach. I look forward to contributing to the next phase of its growth,” says Lauri Ikonen.
Ikonen’s role will focus on guiding Polarnode’s next steps within the data center ecosystem to design and implement full scope of data center projects for our clients. His experience is perfectly aligned to lead technology strategy, ensuring operational excellence, and overseeing the deployment of new sites in line with the company’s vision. Ikonen’s arrival provides a solid foundation for the company to also develop and operate as a colocation provider in its future development phases.
Polarnode continues to build momentum as it scales operations in cutting-edge data center infrastructure, to meet the demands of the digital economy, and strives to deliver the cleanest data centers in the world. Polarnode is a 100% Finnish-owned company, which has so far announced major data center projects in Lappeenranta, Nokia, and Pori.