Alasdair RossModerator & The World Ahead Countries Editor
At The Economist Intelligence Unit, EIU, Alasdair Ross has long experience in editorial responsibility for Risk Briefing and a range of publications on themes of global interest. His experience and responsibilities give him a strong insight into global economic and political trends, their implications for multinational corporations, and the strategies those companies use for managing risk. He brings these insights to high-level audiences around the world in an engaging and stimulating manner, bringing complex issues to life in bright and straightforward language.
Alasdair is a psychology graduate and has a master's degree in economics.
Tom StandageDeputy Editor The Economist & Editor The World Ahead 2026
Tom Standage, 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 “A History of the World in 6 Glasses” (2005). He studied engineering and computing at Oxford University and has written for other publications including the New York Times, Daily Telegraph, Guardian and Wired, taking a particular interest in technology’s cultural and historical significance.
Ebba BuschDeputy Prime Minister & Minister for Energy, Business and Industry, Sweden
Ebba Busch is one of Sweden’s most prominent political leaders and serves as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Energy, Business and Industry. As party leader of the Christian Democrats since 2015, she has been a key figure in shaping Sweden’s energy transition, industrial policy, and competitiveness agenda. Known for her clear communication and pragmatic leadership, Busch plays a central role in advancing collaboration between government and industry to strengthen Sweden’s position in a changing global economy.
Joakim PaasikiviSenior Geopolitical Advisor, Mannheimer Swartling
Joakim Paasikivi is a Military expert and Senior geopolitical advisor at Mannheimer Swartling. A former lieutenant colonel in the Swedish Armed Forces, he became widely known to the public during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, when he frequently appeared in Swedish media to analyze and comment on the war. Paasikivi has served in both Sweden and Finland and held several senior positions in military intelligence and security. He previously taught military strategy at the Swedish Defence University in Stockholm and has also lectured at the Baltic Defence College in Estonia.
Johan NorbergHistorian & Author “Peak Human”
Johan Norberg is senior fellow at the Cato Institute, an internationally recognized writer on globalization, progress, and ideas. He is the author and editor of more than 20 books, translated into over 30 languages. His works include In Defense of Global Capitalism, Progress: Ten Reasons to Look Forward to the Future (Economist Book of the Year, 2016) and Open: The Story of Human Progress (Economist Book of the Year, 2020) and Peak Human (2025)
Ruth Kvarnström-JonesAuthor & Historian
Ruth Kvarnström-Jones is a British-Swedish author and historian, celebrated for her compelling narratives that illuminate the lives of pioneering women in Swedish history. Drawing from her background as a copywriter, Ruth crafts richly detailed stories that blend historical accuracy with engaging storytelling.
Her acclaimed works include: De fenomenala fruntimren på Grand Hôtel, Väninnorna på Nordiska Kompaniet & Halleholm series.
Samantha JobHis Majesty’s Ambassador to the Kingdom of Sweden
Her Excellency Samantha Job CMG MVO appointed British Ambassador to Sweden in September 2024. Prior to her current role, she was Director of Defence and International Security at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office from 2019 to 2022.
Anna WieslanderDirector for Northern Europe & Head of the Stockholm Office Atlantic Council
Anna Wieslander chairs the Institute for Security and Development Policy (ISDP) and serves as Secretary General of the Swedish Defence Association. Dr. Wieslander is a lifetime member of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences and the Swedish Society for International Affairs, an Adjunct Professor at the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies, and a member of both the Alphen Group and RUSI’s European Security Advisory Group.
Jessica RosencrantzSweden’s Minister for EU Affairs
Jessica Rosencrantz is Sweden’s Minister for EU Affairs, leading the country’s work on EU and Nordic cooperation. With over a decade in the Swedish Riksdag, she has held senior roles including Chair of the Committee on EU Affairs and Deputy Leader of the Moderate Party Group. She previously served in key committees on social insurance, environment, agriculture and transport. Rosencrantz holds a Master’s degree from the Stockholm School of Economics and brings deep experience in European policymaking.
Anton OsikaFounder & CEO, Lovable
Anton Osika is the co-founder and CEO of Lovable, the Swedish AI startup that enables anyone to build apps and websites simply by chatting with AI. Founded with the mission to democratise software creation and unlock human creativity, Lovable has rapidly become one of Europe’s fastest-growing tech companies.
The company reached a $1.8 billion valuation following its $200 million Series A round in July 2025, earning unicorn status.
Before founding Lovable, Anton worked in particle physics at CERN, was the first engineer at Sana Labs, helping improve learning outcomes for millions worldwide, and later co-founded Depict.ai, which scaled to billions of product recommendations and raised over $20 million from leading investors.
Alexander NorénSenior Business & Tech Correspondent, SVT
Alexander Norén is a Swedish journalist, television host, and author, and currently serves as Technology Correspondent at SVT. He was part of the team that launched Ekonomibyrån in 2020, which he also hosted. With extensive experience in economic and technology journalism, he has worked across SVT’s major news programmes, including Gomorron Sverige and Morgonstudion.
He has worked with the Nobel Prize since the mid-2000s, interviewing many of the Nobel Prize laureates in Economic Sciences and hosting at the Nobel Prize Award Ceremony and Banquet. He studied at the Stockholm School of Economics, where he began his journalism career in student radio. He is the author of several non-fiction books on economics and behavioural science.
Charlotta SundCEO of Swedish Space Corporation
Charlotta Sund, vd för Swedish Space Corporation sedan oktober 2023. Innan dess vd för Tekniska verken i Linköping. Haft flera ledande positioner inom Ericsson, bland annat chef för regionen Norra Europa och Centralasien. Charlotta Sund har också flera styrelseuppdrag.
Johan NylanderAsia Correspondent, Di
Johan Nylander, Asienkorrespondent för Dagens Industri och prisbelönt författare. Hans arbete publiceras av CNN, National Geographic Travel, Forbes och många andra internationella medier.
Svitlana ZalishchukAmbassador of Ukraine to Sweden
Svitlana Zalishchuk is the Ambassador of Ukraine to Sweden. She previously served as Foreign Policy Advisor to the Prime Minister of Ukraine and as a Member of Parliament (2014–2019), where she headed the Subcommittee on European and Euro-Atlantic Relations. Her background also includes senior advisory roles in government and state-owned companies such as Naftogaz and Ukrzaliznytsia. She is an experienced leader in foreign affairs, security, anti-corruption policy, and gender equality, and was among the civic leaders of the EuroMaidan movement.
Emanuel SideaUS Correspondent, Di
Emanuel Sidea is Dagens Industri’s U.S. correspondent, based in New York. A journalist since 2001, he has previously worked for Veckans Affärer and Fokus. He is also the author of the non-fiction book The Man from Harem (2016), which documents the true story of a jihadi smuggler who transported foreign fighters to ISIS and Jabhat al-Nusra during the Syrian war.
In addition to his reporting, Emanuel serves on the board of Grävfonden, a Swedish foundation supporting investigative journalism. He teaches journalism and international reporting at the University of Gothenburg and has previously taught at Stockholm University.
Sofia WallströmCEO, LiF & member of the Board of EFPIA
Sofia Wallström is the CEO, Lif – The Research-Based Pharmaceutical Industry in Sweden, and a member of the Board of EFPIA.
A seasoned executive with extensive leadership experience across Government and the Life Sciences sector. Former Director General of the Dental and Pharmaceutical benefits Agency (TLV) as well as the Health and Social Care Inspectorate. Senior official at the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs and the Ministry of Finance, and as Special Government Investigator on national healthcare and pharmaceutical policy. Brings a deep understanding of market access, pricing and innovation policy within the Nordic and European healthcare and business landscape. Passionate about fostering collaboration between industry, government and healthcare to ensure prosperity and health.
Daniel SackManaging Director & Partner, BCG
Daniel Sack leads BCG X in the Nordics and co-leads BCG’s generative and agentic AI initiatives. He builds digital products with a focus on AI and machine learning, and co-leads Plan AI, applying advanced analytics to planning processes. Daniel holds an MBA from Stanford, a BE in mechanical engineering from Dartmouth, and a summa cum laude BA in mathematics and physics from Colby College, where he won the Marston Morse Prize for top achievement in mathematics.
Maria HåkanssonCEO, Swedfund
Maria Håkansson is the CEO of Swedfund International, Sweden’s development finance institution, driving sustainable investments that create impact and inclusive growth. With a career spanning over two decades at Ericsson, she has led global, multi-cultural teams across finance, M&A, IoT, and strategic business development. A strong business acumen and a deep commitment to sustainability and innovation define her leadership.
Maria has served on the boards of the European Development Finance Institutions (EDFI), the Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN), and the Stockholm Sustainable Finance Centre. She is passionate about transforming strategy into tangible results and fostering partnerships that contribute to sustainable economic progress.
Christina BacklundCEO, Shibuya
Christina Backlund is the CEO of Shibuya, a Swedish hybrid cloud service provider. Christina has a proven track record of driving growth, sales performance, and organizational excellence by aligning technology with business value. With nearly two decades within tech and IT industries, Christina has held executive roles at Ericsson, Schneider Electric, and IBM. She has led major transformations that accelerated growth, strengthened customer value, and built high-performing global teams.
Christina holds an MSc in Engineering and Management of Technology from Chalmers University of Technology and has also studied at École Polytechnique in Grenoble. She is passionate about leadership, innovation and the intersection of technology and business.
Jan LarssonCEO, Business Sweden
Jan Larsson has been CEO of Business Sweden since May 2021. He brings broad experience from business, government, and politics, having held senior positions at McKinsey & Company, Brunswick, YrkesAkademin, Nordea, and Handelsbanken, and served as State Secretary and Chief of Staff to the former Swedish Prime Minister. He holds a degree in Economics and Theoretical Philosophy from Uppsala University and pursued research studies at the University of Ljubljana.
Alan WoodsDirector Strategy and Business Development Rolls Royce SMR for Rolls-Royce’s SMR business
Alan Woods is the Director of Strategy and Business Development at Rolls-Royce SMR, where he is responsible for global market development, customer engagement, commercial strategy, programme partnerships, and securing financing for the company’s deployment and growth plans.
He joined Rolls-Royce in 1998 after earning a degree in Electrical & Electronic Engineering from the University of Nottingham. Over more than two decades with the company, he has held senior roles across Marine, Defence, Power Systems, Corporate Strategy, and now Nuclear. He also holds a Master’s degree in Project Management.
Henric ThorsénBusiness Development Director, Siemens Energy
Henric Thorsén is Business Development Director at Siemens Energy, leading strategic business development across energy-system transformation, electrification and sustainable power solutions. He has held senior roles within Siemens and Siemens Energy for more than two decades, including Director of Strategic Procurement, Head of Strategic Procurement and Senior Project Manager.
Henric also served as a Captain in the Swedish Navy Reserve for over 15 years. He holds an Executive MBA in Innovation & Entrepreneurship from the Stockholm School of Economics Executive Education and a degree in Industrial Engineering and Management from Linköping University.
Fredrik GranComposer, researcher & roboticist
Fredrik Gran is a Stockholm-born composer whose work explores the musical potential of mechanical processes and new performative strategies. His music spans orchestral, chamber, vocal, electroacoustic, and live electronic forms, often combining acoustic instruments with robotics, electronics, and computer-assisted transcription.
His work has been performed internationally at major festivals including Warsaw Autumn, ISCM World New Music Days, Nordic Music Days, and ICMC, and in concert venues across Europe, North America, and Asia. He has collaborated with leading ensembles, orchestras, and opera houses worldwide.
Fredrik studied composition at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm and at McGill University in Montreal, where his doctoral research—conducted in collaboration with the Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Music Media and Technology—focuses on robotics in music performance, including the development of the “robot cellist.”
Mats LeanderPresident, Europe at VistaJet
Mats Leander serves as President, Nordics and Eastern Europe at Vista, a role in which he is responsible for the company’s sales growth in the regions. Mr Leander joined VistaJet in 2010, working closely with the Founder & Chairman and COO to define the company’s global operations strategy.
Previously, Mr Leander worked in various positions, including Executive Director for NetJets Europe, from 1997 to 2010. Mr Leander also served as Co-Founder and Chairman of Untied Investment Partners S.A., an international investment fund focused on commercial real-estate in North America.
In addition to his role at VistaJet, Mr Leander has served as the Chairman and Founding Partner of Covenant Capital Ltd in North America, and other real estate ventures. He continues as the Co-Founder of Sterling Equity Partners S.A. advising on private equity and real-estate investment across Europe.
