How LeadDesk built a future-ready finance engine with EY

LeadDesk, a Finnish SaaS company specializing in cloud-based customer service, provides a high-performance platform that enables customer engagement and sales teams to manage omnichannel communication efficiently. The platform supports several functions from voice calls and messaging to AI-powered automation and analytics. The solutions are used by enterprises, public sector organizations and service providers across Europe to improve customer experience and operational productivity. 

Listed on Nasdaq First North, LeadDesk operates across more than 12 subsidiaries with approximately €40 million in annual revenue. It has expanded rapidly through organic growth and acquisitions, specifically in the Nordic markets of Finland, Sweden and Norway, while also strengthening its presence in Central Europe. 

The challenge: transforming and building a stable and scalable finance foundation 

As many high-growth technology companies learn, scaling the business is only one part of the journey. Scaling the finance function — the engine behind decision-making, compliance and investor confidence — becomes equally critical as growth takes wings. 

For LeadDesk, this moment arrived as the company’s footprint expanded, financial processes grew more complex and reporting expectations increased as a listed entity. With multiple external accounting partners, varying systems across regions and a month-end closing process that had room for acceleration, the finance team was deeply engaged in managing expanding operations, leaving limited capacity to focus on faster insights, enhanced governance and strengthened financial clarity to support strategic decision-making. 

Then came another change: as the company continued its strong growth, a transition in finance leadership created a need to maintain stability and momentum. LeadDesk’s finance function needed support that could stabilize the present while building finance capabilities for the future — an engine capable of supporting large-scale, long-term growth. 

This time, the requirement was more hands-on. The EY teams did not just guide from the sidelines — the team became an integral part of LeadDesk’s finance organization, offering advisory interim support across key roles. 

The EY organization provided hands-on interim support through its Interim Services team, with roles including CFO, finance manager or PMO, and financial controller, facilitating continuity, stability and delivery confidence throughout the transition. 

LeadDesk’s finance transformation: unifying systems, processes and integrations for scale 

Alongside continuity, EY Interim Services supported LeadDesk’s comprehensive finance transformation journey, which included the implementation and migration of Oracle NetSuite, a unified cloud ERP platform selected to replace disparate systems across 13 legal entities, and the post-acquisition finance integration of Zisson, a Norwegian acquisition that expanded LeadDesk’s customer engagement capabilities and regional footprint. 

Before the transformation, each subsidiary had developed its own ways of working — a natural outcome of rapid expansion and acquisitions. It worked well in the early stages, but as scale increased, the need for shared processes, a unified financial language and broader visibility became essential. 

At the same time, the EY teams supported the integration of Zisson into LeadDesk’s unified finance model — aligning accounting practices, financial reporting and system structures with group-wide standards to facilitate seamless embedding within the broader finance framework. 

The finance transformation unified multiple systems and entities into one model, creating a clearer view of performance and control. It marked a shift from collecting numbers to using them to lead. 

Strengthening finance processes: stable, scalable and future-equipped 

Parallel to the technology transformation, EY teams focused on strengthening finance fundamentals, establishing clearer month-end structures, defining closing calendars and aligning reporting practices across entities. Collections, accounts payable and credit-control structures were also reviewed and improved to strengthen cash visibility and working-capital management. 

The month-end closing process was significantly improved, bringing greater speed, discipline and predictability to financial reporting — a critical capability for a public company serving large, mission-critical clients. 

Furthermore, EY teams collaborated closely with LeadDesk’s leadership on governance enhancements, developing a group accounting manual led by the EY FAAS Accounting and Reporting team, and aligning financial policies for future IFRS considerations. Finance didn’t just get faster — it became better controlled, more transparent and future-ready. 

The collaboration was strongly supported by LeadDesk CEO Olli Nokso-Koivisto, whose clear vision and drive for scalable growth created the foundation for change. CFO Teemu Rautiainen also ensured seamless leadership continuity and a strong forward-looking direction for the finance organization. 

A future-equipped finance function built for sustainable growth

LeadDesk now stands equipped with a scalable finance backbone, unified data visibility and strengthened governance. The finance function has become an enabler — a catalyst for growth rather than a reporter of history, ready to support continued expansion and future strategic ambitions. 

The success story of LeadDesk is not just about technology or processes; it’s about building a foundation where finance becomes a competitive advantage. With the EY organization as a trusted collaborator, LeadDesk has strengthened its finance organization — moving from fragmented systems to a unified model, from manual effort to intelligent processes, and from chasing information to leading with insight — stable, scalable and future-equipped.