Veikko Karimäki studied physics and mathematics in Helsinki. In 1968 he joined the Institute of High Energy physics in the University of Helsinki where he finished his PhD thesis on bubble chamber physics. In 1979 he joined CERN's UA1 experiment in which he developed track and vertex reconstruction software. The software work has continued in the CMS experiment in which he joined in the beginning of the 90'ies. His teaching activities include lectures on simulation, experimental high energy physics and statistical methods. At present he works as a Project Leader in the CMS software and physics project at Helsinki Institute of Physics.