Nordic Business Forum 2027 Speaker
Jacinda Ardern
The Right Honourable Dame Jacinda Ardern served as the 40th Prime Minister of New Zealand.
Assuming office at just 37, Ms Ardern championed an inclusive and empathetic leadership style that made bold policy change and successfully guided her nation through unprecedented global and domestic challenges.
During her time in office, Ms. Ardern confronted significant challenges, including a live-streamed domestic terror attack targeting New Zealand’s Muslim community, a volcanic eruption, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Responding with a people-first approach grounded in kindness, she helped New Zealand achieve one of the lowest losses of life during the pandemic among developed nations, instituted a ban on military-style semi-automatic weapons, and created the Christchurch Call to Eliminate Violent Extremism Online, for which she remains an active Patron.
A champion of women’s empowerment, Ms. Ardern saw New Zealand reach a historic 50 percent representation of women in Parliament, and on government appointed boards. Her administration also decriminalized abortion, strengthened pay equity laws, and extended paid parental leave to six months. Ms Ardern is the second woman in history to give birth while leading a country.
Today, Ms. Ardern continues to hold roles that allow her to “be useful” including as a Member of the World Leaders Circle and a Distinguished Fellow at the Blavatnik School at Oxford University. She is a member of the Global Advisory Council of LawZero, a non profit focused on developing safe-by-design AI systems, and an active advocate for climate action, serving on the board of The Earthshot Prize and as the Oceania Special Envoy for COP.
In 2024, Ms. Ardern founded Field, a first of its kind fellowship programme that fosters empathetic leadership in politics.
Jacinda at Nordic Business Forum 2027
Clear Leadership in an Unclear World
In this session Jacinda Ardern explores how leaders can make clear decisions under pressure and uncertainty, while maintaining trust and credibility when communicating difficult choices. She also shares how a sense of purpose can help leaders navigate complexity and disruption.
Learning points:
- How to make clear decisions under pressure and uncertainty.
- How to communicate difficult choices with trust and credibility.
- How purpose helps leaders navigate complexity and disruption.
More from Jacinda Ardern
Read
Jacinda Ardern’s memoir, A Different Kind of Power, about her journey from a small-town upbringing in New Zealand to becoming Prime Minister at age 37. The book follows her experiences leading through crises, balancing motherhood with public office, and proving that empathy and kindness can be powerful leadership strengths.
Watch
In this episode of ReThinking with Adam Grant, Jacinda Ardern shares strategies for closing confidence gaps, discusses the importance of compassion in leadership, and explores the phenomenon New Zealanders call “tall poppy syndrome.” She also reflects on some of the most pivotal decisions of her career, from leading New Zealand through the COVID-19 pandemic to deciding to step down as Prime Minister.
Listen
In this episode of Take 5 with Zan Rowe, Jacinda Ardern shares five songs and the music that has played an important role in her life, exploring the memories, and emotions connected to them.
Join Europe's Largest Business & Leadership Event Online
22-23 September 2027 | Messukeskus, Helsinki