Alf Rehn

Professor of Innovation, Design and Management

Alf Rehn is an internationally acclaimed academic, author, and speaker whose career spans multiple countries and disciplines. He has held professorships in Finland, Denmark, and Sweden, and his research covers innovation, leadership, and creativity. Alf has written numerous best-selling books and is widely recognized as one of the most influential thinkers in management, earning a place on Thinkers50’s prestigious Guru Radar.

Known for his charismatic and contrarian style, Alf combines rigorous scholarship with engaging storytelling, making him a sought-after voice in global business and leadership circles.

Anneli Auranen

Project Manager, Nordic Bioproducts Group

Anneli Auranen is a Project Manager at Nordic Bioproducts Group (NBG), where she leads textile development projects based on various cellulose-derived feedstocks. She currently leads NBG’s contribution to the PESCO-UP project, in which NBG acts as the technology provider for the separation of cellulosic and synthetic materials and the development of the cellulosic fraction into high-value intermediates, including textile-to-textile recycling.

Anneli has previously been involved in major textile recycling initiatives, including Telaketju and the New Cotton Project, contributing to the development of circular textile solutions.

Antti Vasara

Venture Partner, Kvanted

Antti Vasara is a Venture Partner at Kvanted, a fund focused on industrial applications operating in the Nordics and Central Europe. He chairs two quantum startups, QMill and SemiQon, and is serving as a board member for both startups and large-cap companies. He is also Special Envoy for Technology for the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Finland.

Previously, he was the CEO of VTT in Finland and held various roles at companies like Nokia and McKinsey. Additionally, he has advised the European Commission and Finnish government on industrial and innovation policy. He holds a doctorate in Technical Physics from Aalto University.

Janne Pynnönen

Vice President, Strategy and Business Development

Janne Pynnönen is Vice President, Strategy and Business Development in Valmet’s Packaging and Paper Packaging Business Area, previously leading Valmet’s Operational Development team and R&D function and steering the Beyond Circularity program.

Before joining Valmet, he built a solid career in several leadership roles within Valmet’s key customer industries.

Anna Ståhle

The host of the event

Anna Ståhle is an advisor in communication and leadership, a workplace mediator and a therapist. Through her own company No Drama, Anna focuses in particular on strategic communication in demanding change and crisis situations, conflict resolution and the holistic well-being of individuals and work communities. Her career began as a TV journalist, which is why public speaking coaching and event moderation also remain part of her professional work.