“In an organisation, everything begins and ends with people.”
We are happy to announce the appointment of Henry Kattago as the new Head of Surveillance Systems department.
Henry joined Cybernetica earlier this year to work on the SDMMS project and now takes the lead of the department, bringing more than two decades of experience from both the private and public sectors. Having worked on both sides of the table, he brings a rare perspective to the department’s business development and to building the next generation of surveillance solutions.
Why did you decide to join Cybernetica?
I was invited to join Cybernetica earlier this year. It was a significant career change, so I didn’t take the decision lightly. But in the end, the reasons to say yes outweighed everything else.
For me, Cybernetica has always stood out. It’s home to deeply knowledgeable people, it takes on projects that matter for society, and it’s an accredited research institution rather than just another company. That rare combination is what I wanted to be part of.
You arrived to work on the SDMMS project. What was going through your mind when this opportunity came up so soon?
Oliver [Väärtnõu, Cybernetica’s CEO] introduced the opportunity in Tartu, “the city of good thoughts.” Fittingly, my head was full of good ideas.
Leading a department was a different challenge from the project work I had come for, but it matched what I had been doing for much of my career, and I was ready for it.
How has your previous experience prepared you for your new role at Cybernetica?
I’ve joked that my application process at Cybernetica lasted 26 years. Now I get to put all that experience to work here.
My years in the private sector gave me hands-on experience in bidding, cost calculation, project management and client work. A top executive role in the public sector then sharpened my understanding of the buyer’s side in B2G relations, a perspective I will now bring to business development at Cybernetica.
Where do you see surveillance systems heading in the next five years?
I believe that over the next five years, surveillance systems will increasingly rely on artificial intelligence, real-time data integration and stronger cybersecurity. For end users, this means smarter, more interconnected and more proactive monitoring solutions.
What have been the most defining lessons throughout your career?
If I had to choose just one lesson, it would be that in an organisation, everything begins and ends with people. How each person builds on that, I’ll leave to them.
What’s a skill or hobby that has nothing to do with work but secretly helps you at it?
That would be cycling. I’ve spent years on the bike, and one lesson carries over perfectly: to pick up speed, you need the pedals, not the brakes.