Biography

[tl;dr]

Graduate from Graz University of Technology (TUG), MSc in Electrical Engineering and Economics. Senior Lecturer at FH JOANNEUM, Styrian University of Applied Sciences. Design of (mainly tube/valve) audio equipment, freelance consultant for women’s ice hockey. Regular visiting lecturer at Hochschule Bremen (Bremen University of Applied Sciences, Bremen/DE) and Metropolia University of Applied Sciences (Helsinki/FIN).

[slightly more]

Born in Graz, Austria’s second largest city, capital of the province of Styria, grew up in the town of Kapfenberg, attending the local high school. Played (ice) hockey from the age of 8 to 17, later focussed on volleyball and long distance running. Got into electronics at some point during middle/high school, started building guitar and PA amplifiers and repairing musical equipment for a local dealer. Also learned computer programming (UCSD Pascal on Apple ][ - does this ring a bell?) back then, thanks to a highly ambitious Maths and Physics teacher.

After high school underwent vocational education as a toolmaker, served the military as a combat engineer, finally satrted studying electronics, communication technologies and economics at TUG. During university attandence working as a hard- and software developer in Styria and Upper Austria. In sports, my (player and team coach) team made it to the finals of the Styrian amateur mixed volleyball championship and I became Styrian academic champion in long distance running triathlon (cross country, mountain and 5000m runs).

Graduated from TUG I started working as a hard- and software developer for ThyssenKrupp Elevators (Austria), later becoming head of their local IT department. After leaving ThyssenKrupp started out as a freelance IT consultant and finally got into part time teaching at FH JOANNEUM. Since 2010 working there full time, teaching mainly in the fields of IT basics, computer networks & IT security, electronics and (some) audio technics.

Since around 2014 acting as rookie/youth coach at DEC Devils Graz (DEBL, Austrian Federal Womens' Hockey League), became assistant coach by 2017, finally head coach by 2018. Resigned as a coach by the end of the 2021/22 season. Afterwards sports manager of DEC Devils (DEBL), then EC Graz Huskies (EWHL, European Women’s Hockey League). Since 2024 freelance consultant for women’s ice hockey.

[the whole truth]

Here’s my offical resume in PDF format…

Colophon

Often I am asked about the meaning of my first and second names, so this is the explanantion: Takashi is a tribute to my late Japanese mother, Veikko my dad’s reminiscence of Veikko Kankkonen whom he had met at the 1964 Olympic Winter Games in Innsbruck.