Meet the people on stage

Benedetto Vigna is CEO of Ferrari, one of the world’s most iconic brands. Yet his path there did not run through the car industry. Vigna is a physicist by training and joined Ferrari in 2021 after 26 years at the semiconductor company STMicroelectronics. There he was among the pioneers of the motion sensors now found in almost every smartphone, and he holds more than 200 patents. Today he is leading Ferrari through one of the biggest technological shifts in its history, where electrification and digitalisation meet long traditions. Few embody the tension between heritage and renewal more clearly.

Few have been closer to the rise of European technology than Staffan Helgesson. In 2003, he founded Creandum, today one of Europe’s leading venture capital firms and one of the first investors in Spotify. For more than 25 years, Helgesson has helped European founders build companies that compete globally. He has also helped many of them take the leap into the US market. Based in both Stockholm and San Francisco, he has a clear view of what it takes for Europe to hold its own in the global technology race.

From the courtroom to the CEO’s office. Øyvind Eriksen has led Aker since 2009. During his tenure, the group has evolved from a strong focus on industry and energy to making major investments in industrial software and AI infrastructure. As Chairman of Aker BP, Eriksen also plays a central role in one of Norway’s most important energy companies. Few people get an inside look at how decisions of this scale are made: where to allocate capital, which businesses to develop further, and where to pursue new opportunities. Eriksen has been making these decisions for more than 15 years, leading a company with over 180 years of industrial history that must continuously navigate the opportunities and challenges of tomorrow. At The NHH Symposium 2027, you will hear how one of Norway’s most experienced industrial leaders approaches major investment decisions and what he sees when looking ahead to the next decade.

India’s largest bank had in 210 years never been led by a woman – until Arundhati Bhattacharya. When she took over the State Bank of India, she led the digital transformation of one of the country’s most established institutions. She later made the move from banking to technology, and today leads Salesforce in South Asia. Forbes has named her among the world’s 100 most powerful women, and in 2025 she was awarded the Padma Shri, one of India’s highest civilian honours. Bhattacharya broke barriers, challenged tradition, and redefined leadership.

When Russian troops invaded Ukraine, Stian Jenssen was close to the centre of NATO’s response. During 14 years at the alliance, including as Jens Stoltenberg’s closest adviser and Chief of Staff, he was there as NATO faced some of its toughest tests in recent history. Today, his focus has shifted from defence to data centres. Jenssen now works with digital infrastructure and major technology investments across Scandinavia, in a world where geopolitics is no longer background noise, but a direct business risk. At The NHH Symposium 2027, you will hear how one of Norway’s most experienced security-policy figures interprets the world, and what that means for companies making major decisions in an increasingly uncertain environment.

Doctor, researcher, entrepreneur, and author: Ishita Barua approaches artificial intelligence from more angles than most. With a PhD in AI in medicine, experience from Harvard Medical School, and a background as a serial entrepreneur, Barua has worked across research, technology, and business. Today, she is an Associate Professor of AI at the University of Agder and leads the medtech company Engram. Barua is also a prominent voice in the debate about Europe’s place in the global technology race. At The NHH Symposium 2027, Barua brings a perspective that spans AI research and technology, innovation, competitiveness, and Europe’s ability to turn new technological opportunities into real-world progress.