Reimagining Growth, Innovation and Competitiveness in a New Era. The Nordic Board Summit 2026 is here!
SelectionF, in collaboration with the Confederation of Finnish Industries (EK), brings together board professionals, CEOs and business leaders to explore one of the defining questions of our time:
Where will growth come from and what must boards do differently to create it?
In a world shaped by geopolitical uncertainty, technological transformation and intensifying global competition, Nordic and European companies must rethink how they innovate, create value and compete. AI is accelerating this transformation, but it is only one part of a much bigger shift. The Summit focuses on growth, innovation, competitiveness and the board’s role in building the business of tomorrow.
Through keynotes, CEO conversations and boardroom discussions, we will explore how to turn innovation into growth, strengthen capabilities and build more ambitious, globally competitive companies.
From protecting the present to creating the future. What future are we willing to build?
Board Summit moderator is Kristiina Helenius. She is a seasoned co-author, leader and transatlantic connector with more than 25 years of experience in journalism, diplomacy, business, and geopolitics. Based in Washington, D.C., she serves as President and CEO of the U.S. arm of the Nordic consulting group Miltton, supporting Nordic companies’ expansion in America.
The summit event speakers and topics:
The Growth Imperative by Minna Helle, CEO of the Confederation of Finnish Industries (EK). With extensive experience in labour markets, business policy and leadership, Helle brings a broad perspective to Finland’s competitiveness, growth and future of work.
Why the next decade will be different. A high-energy opening setting the context for the Summit.
With geopolitical fragmentation reshaping global competition, growth can no longer be taken for granted. This session unpacks the "Nordic paradox" our strong societies coupled with insufficient growth and explores why productivity and innovation are now absolute strategic imperatives. Join us to uncover what will ultimately determine which companies and economies win the next decade.
KEYNOTE - Pursuing growth you can´t forecast. Henri Noste is Chief of Staff to the CEO and Corporate Strategy Lead at Supercell, the Helsinki-based maker of Clash of Clans, Clash Royale, Brawl Stars and Hay Day. He works with the CEO and the leadership team on group strategy, board work and company-wide projects.
In games, nobody can reliably predict the next hit, and growth rarely arrives where the plan said it would. Consumer behavior keeps shifting and AI is changing how products are made and used. Drawing on his work in games and strategy, Henri shares a personal view on how to pursue growth in a creative business when you can't forecast it - and how to actively create best conditions for it.
Questions for boards:
- Are we investing enough in our next growth engine - or mostly protecting the current one?
- When did we last stop something that was doing fine but wasn't great?
- Do we really understand how our customers' preferences are changing?
FIRE SIDE CHAT - How Technology and AI is challenging the present Board thinking?
Taina Susiluoto, CEO, Technology Industries of Finland and Karoliina Partanen CEO, AI Finland
Taina Susiluoto previously served as CEO of the Finnish Olympic Committee and has held senior roles at the Confederation of Finnish Industries (EK), the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, the Ministry of Defence, the United Nations and the OSCE. Susiluoto brings a broad perspective to industrial policy, competitiveness and Finland's export-led growth, along with extensive experience in leading change and high performance.
Karoliina Partanen previously worked at Sulava in several roles. She is caring about turning technology shifts into shared national progress. Building bridges between research, business, and policy. Making complex ideas land - on stage, on paper, and in boardrooms.
How do we make the Nordics and Europe better at creating – and scaling – innovation?
Technology and AI are reshaping business and competitive advantage. How must boards rethink strategy, accelerate innovation and turn emerging technologies into scalable growth? And how can Nordic and European companies move from creating great innovations to building global market leaders? The key question: Are boards preparing today’s businesses for the future – or building the businesses of tomorrow?
KEYNOTE - FUTURE SESSION: Reinventing organisations and workforce in the age of AI. Eva Tuominen is a Partner at EY Consulting and a leading advisor on workforce, organization, and leadership transformation. She helps organizations navigate the profound changes driven by technological changes and AI, exploring how AI is reshaping work, workforce models, operating structures, and the role of leaders.
What happens when technology fundamentally changes the way we think, work, and create value? This session explores the critical shift from mere technology adoption to total business reinvention. We will examine how AI is reshaping the workforce blending human employees with AI agents, while transforming organizational structures, essential skills, and the daily impact on employee wellbeing. The keynote will also redefine the roles of leaders and managers in an AI-first reality. Ultimately, this session addresses the board's defining challenge for the next decade: moving past basic AI adoption to build organizations that can continuously create, access, and scale the capabilities required for growth.
CEO TALK SHOW: Inside the Growth Engine with Mikael Nylund and Nermin Hairedin.
Mikael Nylund is CEO at Gofore. He has worked extensively at the forefront of society’s digital transformation. He is an experienced and forward-thinking leader with more than 20 years of experience in the IT industry.
Nermin Hairedin is entrepreneur, strategy advisor, lecturer and board executive. Her board member positions include VR Group, Ruka and Pyhä (Rukakeskus Ltd), Delipap Ltd and an AI startup Tai.ga. Hairedin has proven track record of digital transformation, successful turnarounds and growing businesses exponentially, both greenfield and M&A. Her business experience covers services, telecom, media, retail, sales, data, analytics, and marketing.
A highly practical, presentation-free conversation about how growth is actually created today. In this honest dialogue, business leaders will explore the real sources of current growth, detailing where they are investing, what they are choosing to stop, and which experiments or AI applications are genuinely creating value. The discussion will also tackle executive-board dynamics, uncovering what CEOs truly need, where boards can create bottlenecks, and what real courage looks like in the boardroom. This session gives the Summit a strong, real-world business perspective.
BOARDROOM PANEL: The 2030 Board Challenge – From Oversight to Foresight with Anne Berner & Cecilia Edström.
Anne Berner is an international board chair, non-executive director, and former government minister with extensive experience across listed companies and global industries. Her current board portfolio includes Grifols S.A., SEB, Kuehne + Nagel International AG, GETEC Group, Medicover AB, Foundation for Children´s Trauma Hospital and Institution Nadija where she contributes to governance, strategic direction, and long-term value creation.
Cecilia Edström is an experienced executive and board professional, with a broad international background from various management positions in the Life Science, telecommunications, and automotive industries. She is currently a Board member of BioArctic, A3P Biomedical, Flerie Invest and Perspetivo.
Fast forward to 2030: Some companies have reinvented themselves and built entirely new growth engines, while others merely optimized existing operations and lost ground. In this candid conversation, top board leaders explore what the winners did differently five years earlier.
We will uncover which early signals they acted on, what assumptions they challenged, and the new capabilities they built. Designed to bring genuine boardroom energy to the Summit's close, this panel tackles the ultimate governance challenge: How does a board ensure the company is actively building its next business, rather than just protecting its current one.
NORDIC COURAGE: From Protecting the Present to Creating the Future with Liisa Suvikumpu and Mikkel Birn.
Liisa Suvikumpu, CEO of the Association of Finnish Foundations. She is an experienced CEO, board professional and philanthropy expert with a strong record in governance, strategy and long-term value creation. She knows how to connect private capital and public value.
Mikkel Birn, CEO at Birn+Partners, Chair of SelectionF. He has more than 30 years of experience in executive search, board education, and leadership development. He is an experienced trusted advisor to many executives. Over the years he has gained knowledge and network from helping various executives in different industries.
In this concise closing reflection, we bring the Summit's core themes together with a powerful call to action. Moving beyond merely protecting today's operations, this session emphasizes three critical takeaways. First, growth requires ambition, we cannot build tomorrow's competitiveness by optimizing yesterday's business. Second, innovation requires courage, demanding that boards actively create the conditions for experimentation and long-term value creation. Finally, the future requires action. While AI and geopolitics accelerate the pace of change, the ultimate strategic question remains profoundly human: What future are we willing to build?
EVENT REGISTRATION: We completely understand that plans sometimes change. At the same time, last-minute no-shows can lead to unnecessary costs and food waste. Therefore, we will introduce a no-show fee if you are registered but do not attend and have not informed us beforehand.
In the event of a no-show we will charge you 50 euro. Please e-mail contact@selectionf.com no later than three days before the event if you cannot attend. Please register via this page.
Seats are limited.
Event address: Eteläranta 10, 00130 Helsinki.
For SelectionF Members - Pre-Summit Meet & Greet at EK.
Let's meet up early! Join us in Helsinki for a relaxed pre-summit mingle at EK, together with SelectionF, Birn+Partners and EK. Come by to meet, greet, and network with fantastic peers before the main program starts. Looking forward to seeing you! Please RSVP to the Meet & Greet to Satu Yrjänen, Chair of SelectionF Finland at sy@selectionf.com
Staying in Helsinki after the summit? If you are passionate about the future of Nordic board recruitments and cross-border cooperation, we would love for you to join us. Together with our partner Birn+Partners, we are hosting an intimate and welcoming Post-Summit Nordic Chat on the 24th of November led by Managing Director Mona-Maria Ilola who is also an Advisory Board member at SelectionF Finland.
With over 20 years of experience shaping leadership across the Nordics including six years living in Denmark and fluency in Finnish, Swedish, and Danish, Mona-Maria brings insight into building dynamic, cross-cultural boards.
This is a fantastic opportunity to share your perspectives, expand your network, and discuss the future of leadership in a relaxed setting. We want to keep the conversation meaningful and allow everyone to participate, so seats are limited.
Secure your spot by RSVP to: mmi@birn-partners.com
