Speaker Contest - Nordic Business Forum

What is the Speaker Contest?

We at Nordic Business Forum host an annual Speaker Contest in which we hope to discover ingenious talent, innovative concepts, and intriguing perspectives from professionals and first-timers alike.

The themes of the 2019 contest were leadership, innovation, and marketing.

The final round took place on Thursday 23 May 2019, from 17:30 to 20:30 at Congress T2 at Helsinki Airport.

The audience was by invitation only, but anyone could participate online with a live stream pass.

The winner of the final round won a spot in the speaker lineup for Nordic Business Forum 2019 and earn €30,000 for the speaking engagement.

Meet the finalists

“It was an incredible honor to win among
a fantastic group of competitors, and
a great privilege to have the
opportunity to speak at such a
high-impact event.”

– James Hewitt, winner of the 2018 Speaker Contest

Meet the Finalists

Find out more about the six finalists who made it through our qualifying rounds in Oslo, Stockholm, and Helsinki, and competed on May 23rd for the winning spot on stage at NBForum 2019.

Marketing

Anssi Rantanen

Finland CEO at Growth Tribe Academy

Why we need to fall in love with learning

Leadership

Bita Yazdani

Corporate Philosopher and Culture Strategist at SelfLeaders

Human Growth Arena

Leadership

Christina Dahlblom

Managing Director of Miltton Sparks Oy

Three Ts of Tomorrow’s Leadership

Leadership

Kathrine Aspaas

CEO of The Emotion Revolution

The Emotion Revolution

Leadership

Micael Hermansson

Lecturer and Author at M Hermansson AB

The ABCs of Creative Communication – from Micro-Lessons to Macro-Changes!

Innovation

Vegard Jørmeland

Head of Behavioral Design at DNB

Behavioral Design: Getting people to click (…by understanding what makes them tick)

Helsinki Airport on 23 May 2019,
from 17:30 to 20:30 (EET - UTC +02:00)

17:30	Event begins + introductions
17:40	Presentations
	Vegard Jørmeland, head of behavioral design at DNB Topic: Behavioral Design: Getting People to Click (… by Understanding What Makes Them Tick) Theme: Innovation
	Anssi Rantanen, Finland CEO at Growth Tribe Academy Topic: Why we need to fall in love with learning Theme: Marketing
	Christina Dahlblom, managing director of Miltton Sparks Oy Topic: Three Ts of Tomorrow’s Leadership Theme: Leadership
	Kathrine Aspaas, CEO of The Emotion Revolution Topic: The Emotion Revolution Theme: Leadership
	Bita Yazdani, corporate philosopher and culture strategist at SelfLeaders Topic: Elevate Wisdom to Lead Next-Gen Organizations Theme: Leadership
	Micael Hermansson, lecturer and author at M Hermansson AB Topic: The ABCs of Creative Communication – from Micro-Lessons to Macro-Changes! Theme: Leadership
19:20	Evaluate the speakers
19:35	Networking break with snacks and refreshments during jury deliberation
20:05	Winner is announced + closing words
20:30	Event ends with continued networking and refreshments

Radisson Blu Plaza on 12 March 2019,
from 17:30 to 20:30 (CET - UTC +01:00)

	Stella Bida, leadership, performance, productivity, and project management consultant Topic: Make Customer Retention King Theme: Marketing
	Mike Steere, managing director (Europe) of SaferMe Topic: The Mental Wellbeing Manifesto Theme: Leadership
	Antesa Jensen, human-centric innovation & emotional intelligence expert Topic: Innovation is the Opposite of Knowledge Theme: Innovation
	Kathrine Aspaas, CEO of The Emotion Revolution Topic: The Emotion Revolution Theme: Leadership
	Terence Mauri, managing director of Terence Mauri Ltd. Topic: How To Lead In The Age of Disruption Theme: Leadership
	Erlend Bakke, founder and director of 3sixty Topic: Total Human Empowerment Theme: Leadership
	Claus Raasted, director at The College of Extraordinary Experiences Topic: “A Thousand Heroes with a Thousand Faces” – How Participatory Fiction is the Future Theme: Innovation
	Vegard Jørmeland, head of behavioral design at DNB Topic: Behavioral Design: Getting People to Click (… by Understanding What Makes Them Tick) Theme: Innovation

Hotel Hasselbacken on 13 March 2019,
from 17:30 to 20:30 (CET - UTC +01:00)

	Sesil Pir, founder and principal consultant for SESIL PIR Consulting GmbH Topic: Reconnecting Business to its Purpose: Building Cultures of Trust and Wellbeing One Human at a Time Theme: Leadership
	Antoni Lacinai, trainer at Lacinai AB Topic: The 5 Secrets of Communication That All Leaders Should Know Theme: Leadership
	Johan Åberg, founder and CEO of Next State Topic: How to Grow Your Personal Brand If You’re Not George Clooney Theme: Marketing
	Ritu Mehrish, founder of Leader’s Block Topic: Leader’s Block: How Great Leaders Recover After They Stumble Theme: Leadership
	Bita Yazdani, corporate philosopher and culture strategist at SelfLeaders Topic: Elevate Wisdom to Lead Next-Gen Organizations Theme: Leadership
	Gustaf Tadaa, consultant/partner with Metamodern Consulting Topic: Digital Self-Leadership Theme: Leadership
	Micael Hermansson, lecturer and author at M Hermansson AB Topic: The ABCs of Creative Communication – from Micro-Lessons to Macro-Changes! Theme: Leadership
	Anna Jois, founder and CEO of Business Brilliance Topic: How to Stand Out and Be Remembered Theme: Marketing

Congress T2 at Helsinki Airport on 14 March 2019,
from 17:30 to 20:30 (EET - UTC +02:00)

	Mika David Rubanovitsch, CEO of Imperial Sales Topic: The Future of Sales Leadership Theme: Leadership
	Timo Kiuru, creative director of The Unthinkable Oy Topic: Business Magnetism – Let’s Think nurin kurin, mullin mallin! Theme: Marketing
	Jarkko Rantanen, partner and Human Advisor at Emergy Topic: Building a Winning Emotional Climate at Work Theme: Leadership
	Antti Niittyviita, CEO of Prove Expertise Oy Topic: Revenue is a Byproduct of Quality – How to Create Awesome Products? Theme: Leadership
	Priyanka Banerjee, communications lead at Innovative Education Council Topic: Cultural Diversity: A Catalyst of Innovation Theme: Innovation
	Christina Dahlblom, managing director of Miltton Sparks Oy Topic: Three Ts of Tomorrow’s Leadership Theme: Leadership
	Anssi Rantanen, Finland CEO at Growth Tribe Academy Topic: What Do We Always Forget When Aiming for Growth? Theme: Marketing
	Camilla Tuominen, Emotion evangelist, author and illustrator at F8 Helsinki Oy Topic: Emotion Leadership – the core competence of the future? Theme: Leadership

Want to watch?

The Speaker Contest events are invitation-only, but anyone can watch the qualifier live stream broadcasts and evaluate the speakers remotely. The final round is a paid event broadcast that is part of our live stream season pass. Learn more by selecting one of the options below:

More about the Live Stream Pass Attend NBForum 2019

Partners

Looking for opportunities to partner with Nordic Business Forum? Find out more here.

Speaker Contest 2019

What is the Speaker Contest?