Nik Gowing was the main news presenter for BBC World News (1996-2014), and he has 35 years of analytical experience in diplomacy, defence and international security. In 2018 Nik Gowing, along with Chris Langdon, released the book Thinking the Unthinkable: A new imperative for leadership in the digital age.

Hélène Barnekow has 30 years of experience from the tech industry. Currently a partner of Gaia Leadership and part of the board of Directors of GN Store Nord A/S , Handelsbanken AB and the chair of Mindler AB and Storytel AB. She is also the Vice Chair of the Swedish Chamber of Commerce for the UK. Hélène has been the CEO of Microsoft Sweden, between 2018 and 2022 and prior to that she was the CEO of Telia Sweden. Before moving to Stockholm she was based in Boston USA and held the position as SVP Global Field & Partner Marketing at EMC. She has also been assigned several leadership roles at Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications. During her career she has been awarded several awards and recognitions for her excellent leadership and her impact across companies and society. In August 2019, Hélène launched her first book, Re:start, about values-based leadership in a ever changing world.” In November 2023, the book had its international launch as the book became available in English under the name “Power with Meaning”.

Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer at SAS since August 2023. Paul's areas of responsibility are Global sales and Digital sales, Distribution, Brand & Marketing, Product, Loyalty, Customer, ancillary etc. 
 
Paul has previously held positions as: deputy CEO at Iberojet Airlines 2020-2023. Senior Vice President International Sales and Commercial Strategy at Aeromexico 2016-2020. Several leadership positions at Air Berlin and Air France KLM 2000-2016. 

Nicole Melillo Shaw, Managing Director at Volvo Car UK has over 20 years of commercial experience spanning various industries, from FMCG, healthcare, pharmaceuticals and automotive.

She excels in sales growth and category acceleration and brings a laser-sharp consumer focus to steer the strategic direction of the Volvo Car business in the UK. She emphasises on a consumer-first mindset in every project.

Nicole also consistently champions the family-centric values of the brand, setting a compelling example of successfully balancing motherhood and a thriving career.

Samu Slotte serves as the Global Head of Sustainable Finance at Danske Bank, where he leads the ESG integration across the Large Corporates and Institutions unit. His responsibilities range from managing ESG risks in the bank’s credit processes to providing sustainable finance advisory services to clients. Samu has held this position since 2018, following over two decades in various roles within Debt Capital Markets, Portfolio Management and Risk Management. He holds an M.Sc. in Economics and a B.Sc. in Biological and Environmental Sciences.

Adam Portlock is President of Hult Ashridge Executive Education. With three decades of global experience, Adam has successfully led organizations across Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and the USA across diverse sectors such as education, digital, aerospace, supply chain, and professional services. His expertise focuses on strategy formulation, operational leadership, go-to-market execution, and P&L management. Adam has a proven track record of scaling public, private equity and venture capital-funded businesses, including successful M&A exits, acquisitions, and fundraising. He is passionate about the dynamics between high-performance teams in both elite sports and business, with published works on sports business, sponsorship, and ambush marketing. Adam holds an MBA from Henley Business School, further enhanced by executive education at Harvard Business School.

Ida has 19 years of experience from all of Tetra Pak’s businesses areas; Packaging, Processing and Services. She is a senior leader who has covered a lot of different areas and perspectives – food production, digitalization, Sales & Marketing, Supply Chain Development, Portfolio Management and Business development. Through her career it has been essential to drive change and development, both from an operational and a business point of view.

Ida is passionate about transforming the way we work and live our lives from a sustainability perspective. She is a multi-player with an innovative mindset and positive attitude, always ready to take on new challenges. She collaborates across geographies, organizations, and levels. In her current role as Transformation Manager New Food, she drives internal and external transformation activities, to position Tetra Pak as a key player within this area. Ida is a spokesperson for the company related to New Food.

Ida holds a Master of Science in Industrial Engineering and Management.

Professor and Chair at the Wellbeing, Welfare and Happiness Center, Stockholm School of Economics. Author, Speaker and Asktronaut in the universe of human behaviour and being.

Tom Standage is Deputy Editor of The Economist and editor of its future-gazing annual, The World Ahead. He joined The Economist as science correspondent in 1998 and was subsequently appointed technology editor, business editor and digital editor. He is the author of seven history books, including “Writing on the Wall” (2013), “The Victorian Internet” (1998) and the New York Times bestsellers “A History of the World in 6 Glasses” (2005) and “An Edible History of Humanity” (2009). His latest book, “A Brief History of Motion”, was published in 2021. Tom studied engineering and computer science at Oxford University and has written for other publications including the New York Times, the Guardian and Wired, taking a particular interest in technology's social and historical impact.

Since joining IKEA in 1998 at the Birmingham Store, Julie has cultivated a diverse and dynamic career across various functions across the organisation. Beginning in Customer Relations and Cash Office Operations, Julie transitioned to various roles in Internal Audit and Operations Matrix. Her journey continued in multiple other roles, taking on Ecommerce Operations Manager and eventually Deputy Manager. This then led onto working on projects for new formats, focusing on Order and Collection Points Operations with INTER IKEA, before taking on CMP Manager and later the Functional Manager at IKEA UK & Ireland Service Office for Fulfilment Development and Multichannel Network. In addition to professional roles, Julie proudly serves as the Co-Chair for IKEA's EmpowHER CRG, advocating for the empowerment of women within the workplace.

Karin Wessman is Head of Sustainability and Country risk at EKN, the Swedish Export Credit Agency. In addition to strong leadership skills, she has more than 20 years professional experience in practical responsible business practices in high-risk markets. Prior to joining EKN, Karin's experiences include sustainability consultancy at AFRY and nine years working for WWF, the World Wide fund for Nature based in Sweden, Switzerland and China. Karin holds a M.Sc. in Biology and B.Sc. in Business Administration. 

Patrik Liu Tran is the CEO & Co-Founder of Validio. Prior to Validio, he has served as the advisor to the top management teams of 30+ large enterprises in the Nordics on the topics of AI and data. He pursued his PhD at the age of 19 after finishing his M.Sc. in Machine Learning and M.Sc. in Business Administration.

Lauren Steadman has held the coveted title of Paralympic Triathlon Champion in the Women’s Individual PTS5 race, is a three-time World Champion, and an eight-time European Champion. Born missing her lower right arm, Lauren has consistently turned adversity into opportunity, excelling in both her athletic and academic pursuits. Lauren’s passion for swimming started when she was just four years old, and 11 years later when Lauren turned 15, she represented Team GB as a Paralympic swimmer in Beijing. Lauren also competed in London 2012 as a swimmer, but has since specialised in paratriathlon and represented Team GB in the inaugural entry to the Paralympic Games in Rio 2016, where she achieved the silver medal.
 
Five years later Lauren returned to the Games stronger than ever at Tokyo 2020 and made history as she crossed the finish line winning the Paralympic Champion title for Team GB. It was the culmination of a 16 year dream and the final medal to complete her arsenal of titles. At the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, Lauren earned another prestigious accolade, securing the bronze medal in the Women’s Individual PTS5 race. After battling an intense training period and physical health challenges, Lauren was immensely proud to make it to the start line and represent Great Britain at yet another Paralympic Games, further solidifying her legacy in the sport.
 
Lauren’s dedication and drive in all aspects of her life has also seen her attain a Psychology degree, a Masters in Business and is currently working on her next academic challenge - a PhD in Education studying Preventative mental well-being practices for Olympians and Paralympians. Outside of studying and competing at the highest level, Lauren loves to bake, salsa dance and notably reached the semi final of the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing in 2018. Lauren also was crowned joint winner on Channel 4’s SAS: Who Dares Wins in 2020 after facing a gruelling course in the challenging terrain of Scotland’s rugged West Coast.
 
Lauren is now embracing a completely new challenge as she works towards qualifying for the Milan 2026 Winter Paralympics as a cross-country skier. Lauren has proudly been a Volvo brand ambassador for over four years. 

Stefan Gullgren became the Ambassador of Sweden to the UK in August 2023 having most recently served in Warsaw as Sweden’s Ambassador to Poland. Previously, Stefan has served as Sweden’s Ambassador in Kyiv, held various positions at Sweden’s embassy in Moscow as well as different roles within the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs in Stockholm.

In her role as Vice President and Director for Saab UK Innovation Programmes, Malin is responsible for collaborations between Saab and UK universities, industry and government research representatives to identify and engage Saab UK in innovative research projects supporting Saab long term growth strategy in the UK.

Malin has a Master of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Linköping Technical University in Sweden and has many years of experience from leading marketing and sales roles in an international environment from industries with high technical and commercial complexity as well as extensive experience in strategy and market planning at Corporate Group level.

Christoph Zinsser, joined Stegra (formerly H2 Green Steel) in late 2022 as Head of Project Finance. He has nearly 20 years of experience in corporate and project finance specializing in financing of heavy industries throughout his career. Before joining Stegra, Christoph began his banking career with the Mining Finance team at UniCredit before joining Societe Generale’s Project Finance team in London as a Vice President in 2014. 

Fredrik Warneryd is the Chief Executive for the Swedish Chamber of Commerce for the UK, one of the largest and most active foreign chambers in the UK. Prior to joining the Chamber, Fredrik held many leading positions in the City of London. With more than 25 years of experience within the Nordic teams of French Banque Paribas, Dresdner Kleinwort Benson, UBS and Credit Suisse, he has earned extensive knowledge and expertise in both the UK and Nordic markets.

Fran Millar has worked in professional cycling and the wider cycling world since 2004. From 2009, she helped to establish Team Sky as a world-class force in the sport and later Team INEOS, shaping operational frameworks and engagement strategies. Prior to that, she ran a successful athlete management agency, representing British riders such as her brother David Millar, Mark Cavendish and Geraint Thomas.

In October 2020, Fran became CEO at British heritage brand Belstaff, driving transformational change for the company. In September 2024 she was appointed CEO of Rapha Racing Ltd, the industry-leading bike apparel brand.

John Neal is Head of Coaching Performance at the Welsh Rugby Union and Professor of Practice for Sports Business Performance at Hult International Business School. An exercise physiologist and performance psychologist, John works with leaders and their teams to achieve remarkable results under intense pressure. He has worked with international businesses and sporting bodies including UKSport, the British Olympic Association, the England and West Indies Cricket Boards, England Lacrosse, Tetra Pak, and Orange. He is also the Wellbeing advisor to the Royal Household. John is also Managing Director of Neal Training- a corporate health management system specialising in data-driven wellbeing using heart rate variability.

Ben is a partner in Baker McKenzie’s IP, Data, and Technology team in London, specializing in digital media and intermediary platforms. He is highly ranked in major directories, including Legal 500 UK and Chambers UK, for his expertise in Artificial Intelligence, Media, and Entertainment. Clients praise his extensive experience, strategic creativity, and deep understanding of copyright and business goals. A Rhodes Scholar, Ben has been named in The Lawyer’s “Hot 100” twice and has received multiple awards, including E-Commerce Lawyer of the Year. He also serves as Baker McKenzie’s Chief Innovation Officer, leading the firm’s Reinvent innovation arm.

Juha Jarvinen is Chief Commercial Officer at Virgin Atlantic with over 25 years’ aviation, 
travel and logistics industry experience. He leads the Commercial unit with responsibility 
for Passenger, Cargo, Holidays tour operator and Ancillary Revenues, Network planning, 
Joint Venture with Delta Air Lines and Air France KLM, SkyTeam Alliance and other airline 
partnerships, Global Corporate and Travel Trade Sales, Revenue Management and
Distribution, and in its core to become the most loved travel company. Virgin Atlantic is 
UK’s 2nd largest long-haul airline with home bases at London Heathrow and Manchester, 
with annual £3 billion revenues in 2022. The iconic airline was founded by Sir Richard 
Branson in 1984, and is owned by Virgin Group 51% and Delta Air Lines with 49%.

Juha joined Virgin Atlantic as Chief Commercial Officer in January 2019 from Finnair Plc, 
where he had been Chief Commercial Officer and Executive Board Member since 2014 
and Managing Director of Finnair Cargo from 2012 to 2016. Prior to Finnair, Juha held a 
number of senior commercial and operations positions at SAS Scandinavian Airlines 
during his 14 years at the airline.

Juha is non-exec board member at British American Business, the leading transatlantic 
trade organisation which is committed to strengthening the economic corridor between 
the UK and US, and at QOCO Systems, a Finnish tech start-up driving efficiency and 
analytics in the aerospace maintenance and engineering industry. Between 2016-2021, 
Juha acted as non-exec board member, Chairman and President Emeritus of the Airline 
Passenger Experience Association [APEX] Board, a US based non-profit association 
representing the global airline, technology and entertainment industry. 

Juha holds an MBA from Danube University in Austria and a BA Honours from London 
Metropolitan University. He resides in London with his spouse. Juha loves exploring the 
world, gym training and completely switches off at hot yoga class and when running by 
the River Thames.

Katarina Gospic, a renowned physiologist, MD, PhD, entrepreneur, and keynote speaker who is passionate about simplifying complex scientific concepts to make them accessible to everyone. With over a decade of experience working with the latest technologies in fields like education, health, and proptech, Katarina has become a sought-after expert in the intersection of digitalisation and the human brain and its potential to drive innovation and sustainability. She has worked with technologies like VR, AR and AI and explored the power of visualization to simplify advanced information. Katarina has previously worked as Head of ESG at Corporate Real estate Offices for the H&M Group, at present she works as Head of ESG AI Automation at the AI SAAS company Edsvärd.

Katarina is a prolific author, having penned eight popular science books, and has been honored with prestigious awards such as the Mensa Award, Super Talent, and Super Communicator. As a twenty-nine-year-old, she hosted an episode of Summer on P1, the most popular radio show in Sweden and in 2015 she became one of the new faces who got to adorn the "Stockholm Hall of Fame" at Arlanda airport. Her groundbreaking brain research has been featured in The New York Times, and she is frequently invited to share her insights on the latest advancements in the media.

Dan Plane is the Head of Public and Family Programmes, including the Demonstration Team at the Royal Institution and has worked in education for 25 years. He's been a science communicator for the last 18, and his interest in all areas of science is ever-growing. He especially enjoys bringing fun and excitement to the demonstrations he has created and performed in science centres and schools all around the UK and beyond. Dan is all about getting everyone, kids and adults alike, to explore the past, present, and future of science, and is especially proud to be a part of the rich history of science communication here at the Ri.

Peter began his IKEA career as a part-time self-serve co-worker in the Gothenburg store. Since then he has worked all over the IKEA world, in Trading and Purchasing in Russia followed by a move to Vietnam, joining the IKEA Asia-Pacific team. In 2000, he joined IKEA UK and Ireland and held several positions including Store Manger IKEA Lakeside, Marketing Manager, Sales and Communications Manager and Deputy Retail Manager. Prior, Peter spent nine years at Clas Ohlson AB, where he held various roles including acting CEO, Executive Vice President/COO as well as Director of Operations.

Charlotte New is the Head of Heritage & Collections at the Royal Institution. Charlotte has extensive museum and archival management and preservation experience having worked within the sector for the last 25 years. She joined as the Curator of Collections in 2010, a position she held until 2019 when she then took over as Head of Department. Charlotte has spent the last 14 years extensively researching the collections of the Royal Institution, helping to uncover and highlight the more well known as well as hidden stories of scientific development and communication which have taken place within the walls of 21 Albemarle Street, London since 1799. 

Professor Hugo Spiers is the Vice Dean for Innovation and Enterprise in the Faculty of Brain Sciences, UCL and a Fellow of the Royal Institute of Navigation. He has over 25 years of research experience in neuroscience and psychology. His research team employs cognitive and behavioural neuroscience techniques to study the neural basis of spatial cognition and memory. In 2016 he launched the Sea Hero Quest project which has tested over 4 million people world wide on their spatial navigation abilities.

Ashley Hamilton is a seasoned retail professional with over 20 years of experience in the industry. Currently serving as the Country Customer Care Manager for IKEA UK and Ireland, Ashley brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise in customer experience and consumer behaviour.

Throughout his career, Ashley has held various Customer Relations Manager roles across multiple stores in the UK. His journey then took him to Portugal, where he excelled as the Country Customer Information Manager and later as the Experience and E-commerce Manager. These roles have equipped Ashley with a deep understanding of the intricacies of customer service and the evolving landscape of retail.

In his current role, Ashley oversees IKEA’s Omni Meeting Points in the UK and Ireland, which include RCMP, E-Commerce, Customer and Consumer Insights, and Experience. His leadership ensures that IKEA continues to deliver exceptional service and innovative solutions to meet the needs of its customers.

Head of Office of Science and Innovation

Marika Amartey is the Counsellor for Innovation and Science for the Swedish Ministry of Climate and Enterprise at the Embassy of Sweden in London, building and managing strategic collaboration between Sweden and the UK in the areas of research, innovation and higher education. Marika was seconded national expert to the European Commission in Brussels at the Directorate General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology, managing multi-national research and innovation collaboration projects, as well as projects for individual researchers and SMEs. Previously Marika worked as a management and technical consultant in the private sector in the Baltic and Benelux regions, covering areas of strategic business development, market expansion and global sales growth. Marika has a seat at the bilateral working group for the MoU for the Life Sciences between Sweden and UK, is an active evaluator and reviewer for the European Commission Expert Management Team, and is an executive board member for the Society of Swedish Engineers in the UK. She holds an M.Sc. in Economics and Public Administration and speaks Swedish, English and French.