A while ago, I decided to step back into academic research after spending more than a decade mainly in the private sector. To be honest, I wasn't sure what to expect.

My earlier academic work dates back to the late 2000s and early 2010s. After that, my focus shifted increasingly toward business, entrepreneurship, board work, and practical development projects. Research remained in the background.

Fast forward to 2026. I've now attended my second international academic conference within a year. Even more importantly, I already have my first new peer-reviewed publication out after a long break. Not a bad start for an academic comeback.

This week, that journey took me to Ancona, Italy, for the GSSI: Global Sales Science Institute (GSSI) Conference 2026. The conference itself was a good one. We discussed topics ranging from AI in B2B sales and sales talent development to onboarding, commercial excellence, sales communication, and the future of sales education.

I also had the opportunity to present our poster on AI adoption in B2B sales, co-authored with the man & legend himself Timo Holopainen .(Turku University of Applied Sciences) In addition, Johannes Reiterer presented a paper we co-authored with several colleagues (about online negotiations).

However, what I enjoyed most was not the presentations. It was the people. It was a pleasure to meet so many great people. Like f.ex. Thomas Berger, Stefan Wengler, Jaap Feijen, Arend-jan Diephuis, Jaakko Metsola, Rasmus Kej Åradsson, Per Ivar Seljeseth Ph.D., Jarkko Niemi, Michael Skriver, Pia Hautamäki, Carl Thong, and many others. With many of you, we had inspiring discussions not only about sales, research & education, but also about life in general. Like always, the best conversations took place during dinners and coffee breaks. Based on my experience, those (more or less) informal conversations often create the most valuable ideas and future collaborations.And, naturally, sports found its way into many conversations too. Given my background, it seems to be present everywhere I go.

Looking back, the conference reinforced something I've been thinking about for a while: the most interesting questions in sales today IMHO sit at the intersection of technology and people.

My current research interests are increasingly focused on: 🔹 AI in B2B sales 🔹 Sales education 🔹 Sports business

And speaking of memorable experiences... Our journey from Turku to Ancona turned into a complete travel catastrophe. Delays, missed connections, rerouting, and far too many hours spent in airports & trains. What should have been a relatively straightforward trip ended up taking 35 hours. Fortunately, good company, plenty of laughs, and a few well-earned beers helped us eventually reach Italy. 🍺

If we met in Ancona, let's stay connected. And if you're working on any of these topics, I'd love to exchange ideas. 🤝

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