The Saastamoinen Foundation Keynote in Business lecture series focuses on the critical social topics that are key to future business development on social and environmental responsibility, radical creativity, entrepreneurship, and ownership. The aim of the collaboration is to offer international perspectives and thinking to develop responsibility and a sustainable future across different areas of society. The keynote series is carried out in cooperation with Aalto University Executive Education and Professional Development (Aalto EE).
Read more about the Saastamoinen Foundation Keynote in Business lecture series from Aalto EE’s website.
Lars Rebien Sørensen
Photo: Olli-Pekka Orpo, Aalto EE.
Lars Rebien Sørensen, 2024
For the Saastamoinen Foundation Keynote in Business 2024, Saastamoinen Foundation and Aalto Executive Education were proud to welcome Lars Rebien Sørensen as the speaker. The subject of Sørensen’s keynote lecture was “A Nordic Form of Capitalism – The Novo Nordisk Story”.
Sørensen is the Chair of the Board of the Novo Nordisk Foundation. He served as the CEO of Novo Nordisk from 2000 to 2016. Harvard Business Review named Sørensen the world’s top-performing CEO for two consecutive years, 2015 and 2016.
Peter Wallenberg Jr
Photo: Olli-Pekka Orpo, Aalto EE.
Peter Wallenberg Jr, 2023
Peter Wallenberg Jr. heads the sixteen different foundations of the Wallenberg family, the Wallenberg Ecosystem, which distribute approximately 2.5 billion Swedish krona in grants annually. The oldest of the Wallenberg foundations have been operating for over 100 years.
In his keynote speech, Wallenberg Jr. spoke about active ownership and long-term commitment.
Nicolai Tangen
Photo: Olli-Pekka Orpo, Aalto EE.
Nicolai Tangen, 2022
Nicolai Tangen is the CEO of Norway’s oil fund. The oil fund, worth approximately EUR 1.6 trillion, is the world’s largest single investor.
Tangen’s keynote lecture covered the topics of preparing for history-defining moments and continuous learning. In addition to representatives from the business world, the keynote was aimed at Aalto University students.
Ioannis Ioannou
Ioannis Ioannou, 2019
Ioannis Ioannou is a professor at London Business School and a strategy researcher focusing on corporate sustainability, good governance and social responsibility. He aims to understand whether modern responsibility thinking contributes to a company’s success when measured by various criteria.
In his keynote speech, Professor Ioannou spoke about his recent research in the area of corporate responsibility and organisations that integrate ESG issues into their business model and strategy in an authentic manner.