CEO and Co-founder
RELEX Solutions
RELEX Group CEO Mikko Kärkkäinen was the driving force behind the company’s inception in 2005. He met his co-founders Johanna and Michael at Helsinki University of Technology, where he earned a Masters, then a PhD in supply chain management.
His early research was on warehouse processes and logistics for e-commerce, but later work focused on the application of technology to supply chain improvement. Today, Mikko continues to make valuable contributions to the supply chain conversation from the private sector, having authored over thirty papers and presentations on logistics and supply chain issues.
As Group CEO, Mikko is now responsible for overseeing the company’s growth. He takes an active role in client relationships as well, and has led more than 30 projects to help RELEX customers drive significant improvements in their forecasting and replenishment processes.
Mikko is fluent in English and Swedish, in addition to Finnish. He relaxes by playing sports, and is especially keen on cycling and running. His most time-consuming “hobby” is spending time with his family.
Monday Jan 12
11:45am - 12:15pm
Exhibitor Big Ideas Stage 2
AI in retail has moved from theory to practice and now, it’s about results at scale. Tractor Supply Company, the nation’s largest rural lifestyle retailer, is leveraging AI to transform operations end to end, from hyper - localized assortments and demand forecasting to empowering store associates with actionable insights.
In this session, Glenn Allison, VP, Enterprise AI Platforms and AI Solution Engineering at Tractor Supply, and Mikko Kärkkäinen, CEO of RELEX Solutions, will discuss how AI is powering Tractor Supply’s resilience and growth. Glenn will highlight how Tractor Supply is already scaling AI across merchandising, supply chain, and customer experience, while also pioneering what’s next, from agent-based AI that automates complex workflows to innovations that unlock agility in both digital and physical operations.
Mikko will provide perspective on how RELEX’s AI platform is becoming part of this transformation, enabling Tractor Supply to translate insights into smarter, faster, and more localized decisions. Together, they’ll explore what it takes to move from proof-of-concept to enterprise-wide impact.
