Oura Adds Another Apple Exec in New Chief Design Officer
Miklu Silvanto, an Apple and Airbnb vet, will oversee the visual design of Oura’s hardware and software products
Oura has hired former Apple executive Miklu Silvanto as its new chief design officer, adding another former Apple executive as the Finnish smart ring maker looks to fight off competition from new entrants in the health and fitness wearables space.
Silvanto spent nearly a decade at Apple, working under legendary designer Jony Ive. During his tenure, Silvanto played a crucial role in shaping the design of several generations of MacBooks, the iPad Pro family, the Apple Pencil and other products.
At Oura, Silvanto will lead software and industrial design teams, overseeing the smart ring maker’s end-to-end member experience and the visual design of Oura’s hardware and software products.
“Oura has built a truly unique experience in a revolutionary form factor,” Silvanto told Athletech News. “We will continue to pioneer this space. The goal is to build infrastructure and ways of working and be in a state where great art is inevitable through focus, discipline, creativity, and care. My job is to make sure that the specifics of the design are excellent and also ensure that we spend enough time deeply considering the fundamentals of interaction.”
After Apple, Silvanto worked as chief design officer at both Airbnb and audio company Bang & Olufsen, where he successfully built and led those brands’ first internal design teams. Silvanto has also founded several companies, including Aivan, Vaarnii, and Elo Health.
Silvanto grew up in a family of healthcare professionals, which influenced his interest in the health and fitness wearables space.
“Both of my parents are doctors, and I grew up curious and skeptical of a system where the goal isn’t optimizing for health, but rather the most efficient cure when sickness arrives,” Silvanto told ATN. “My whole career has included working on well-being and health. I believe Oura Ring will continue to pioneer the future of the category and will help to shift the healthcare paradigm from sick care to empowering health.”
Oura is the most exciting company in this space,” he added. “Capabilities such as Cardiovascular Age are simply game-changing. To have key health metrics measured in years, yet impacted in weeks through your choices is remarkable.”
Notably, Silvanto is Finnish-American, which could prove beneficial in helping Finnish brand Oura expand its market presence.
“I believe I can help bridge Oura’s roots with the audience Oura Ring has found in other markets, uniquely combining these different cultures and values,” he said.
Silvanto’s hiring comes after Oura hired another former Apple executive, Jason Oberfest, as its vice president of healthcare, last November.
Oura is currently the market leader in the smart ring space, but it’s gearing up for competition from Samsung, which launched its Galaxy Smart Ring last month. Oura and the South Korean tech giant are already embroiled in litigation over potential intellectual property disputes.