FEELMAX - Key Persons


Aki Karihtala

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Board of Directors
Aki is an experienced international professional in the sports equipment business. He has worked at Exel in a managerial position for over 20 years, being responsible for the sports business unit. Aki's background is in American football and winter sports.

Dr. Peter Pippingsköld

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Board of Directors
Peter is a highly qualified and respected surgeon, specializing in Orthopedics and Trauma. Peter is a former ice hockey player, and the trusted doctor that many top Finnish athletes consult when needing surgical care or therapy for sports injuries. For many years, Peter has widely advocated the benefits of going barefoot to his patients. He brings medical expertise and medical science to our company and to our products and product development.

Jae-hwa Hong

Job Titles:
  • Toesocks Production Manager
Mr. Hong has been involved with the production of these special toesocks since 1999.

Jarmo Vahtervuo

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Board of Directors
Jarmo is our key man when it comes to the international footwear industry. Jarmo accumulated more than 20 years experience in top management positions while at Nike Inc. Jarmo holds various degrees from prestigious international universities. When Jarmo speaks about footwear, we listen!

Juha Haverinen

Job Titles:
  • Sales
He has been with Feelmax from the very beginning, when the company introduced toesocks in the early 90s. Juha was a highly ranked fashion model, until the highly ranked barefoot-world caught his interest. He has never looked back.

Juhani Pulkka

Job Titles:
  • Customer Services
  • Founder of the Feelmax Company
Juhani is the founder of the Feelmax Company. He developed the barefoot shoe concept together with his son Jarno. Juhani is a former Air Force officer who decided to keep his (bare)feet well placed on the ground. These two are the real pioneers and front-runners in the barefoot shoe industry.

Kare Tikka - CEO

Job Titles:
  • Chief Executive Officer
Kare is one of the founders of the new Feelmax investment group along with Pentti Bruun. He has been a "barefoot freak" since childhood and is now a world championship level sailor. When hanging on the trapeze wire of his boat, Kare found the ultrathin Feelmax shoes transmit excellent feedback of what the boat was doing while improving his balance. Before Feelmax he was involved in the management of an international automobile franchise network. Kare holds a Masters Degree in Business Administration.

Pentti Bruun - Chairman

Job Titles:
  • Chairman of the Board of Directors
Pentti holds a Masters Degree in Engineering, but left his scientific calculator and headed towards business ventures. Pentti is a highly devoted karate instructor and competitor, who discovered he was able to improve his balance through Feelmax shoes. He has a long experience in Corporate Finance and Restructuring. Pentti is one of the driving forces in the new Feelmax Company. He shares the goal with our other principles of taking our products and Feelmax Company to the highest level.