I met Ilmo in 2017 where I was fortunate enough to work closely with him as a colleague. Ilmo was extremely brilliant, but what made ilmo truly special was that his kindness, compassion, and ability to have a good laugh were equal to his brilliance. During our time as colleagues, Ilmo taught me about quantitative research (I will always name my data columns this_way), how to navigate big tech culture, and was a consistent source of calm, even in the biggest of fires. You could count on Ilmo to take on the most difficult and complex work, and you could equally count on him to be first in line with you at the Friday happy hours in bldg 20.

Ilmo — whether it was directly mentoring me or leading by example — I am forever grateful for the time I spent with you during our time at FB together. I would not have made it without you.

Ilmo and I kept in touch after he left Facebook. We would of course always catch up about trends in technology and research, but over the last couple of years, we would often talk about fatherhood and family. Ilmo’s love for being a dad and for his family is what stands out the most from our monthly chats over the last year.

Thank you for everything my friend. As much as you liked to measure things… your impact on your family, your colleagues, your friends, and the world is immeasurable.

Stephan Kotin