Boardman Alumni Day: The Role of the Board in Growth – Nordic perspective

Welcome to explore the role of the board in enabling growth at the traditional Boardman Alumni Day on August 24, 2026, from 13:30–17:00 at Varma.

What is the board’s role when vision meets accountability? When should boards preserve the present and when should they transform the future? In an increasingly uncertain world, boards are under growing pressure to drive long-term growth while remaining agile and ready to act decisively at critical turning points.

The event is built around three Nordic perspectives on board-level growth, bringing together insights from Denmark, Sweden, and Finland. Together, we will explore how boards can enable growth while balancing governance, responsibility, and strategic courage, and how a stronger Nordic voice can shape thinking at the board level when the demand for the Nordic way of thinking is increasing.

Please note that participation requires registration. Invitation has been sent via email to Boardman Members.

Speakers

Esben Gadsbøll – Chairman of Danish Tech Startups, Co-Founder of the Defense Innovation Highway

Esben Gadsbøll is a serial entrepreneur and investor, Co-Founder of WhiteAway.com and TechBBQ. Today, he is the Chairman of Danish Tech Startups and Co-Founder of the Defense Innovation Highway (DIH), a platform promoting collaboration between Ukraine and the Nordic countries in defense innovation.

Catarina Fagerholm – Chair of Board Eduviva Group, Non-Executive Director Attendo, Nobia, Byggmax, Capman

Catarina Fagerholm is a former Managing Director with broad corporate leadership experience from several international companies representing strong brands. She has led organizations through turnaround processes and built strategies for succeeding in highly competitive environments. Through the many Board of Directors positions she has held over the past 25 years, she has gained a diverse understanding of different industries and ownership structures. Catarina believes that successful companies require a clear strategy, committed people, high ethics and strong values, together with a well-structured and competitive offering of services and products.

Siamäk Naghian – CEO, Genelec

Siamäk Naghian is currently CEO of Genelec, the leading global brand in professional monitoring audio. He joined Genelec in 2005 as Director of Research and Development. In 2010, he was appointed the company’s Deputy CEO and since 2011 he has served as the company’s CEO. He moved to Finland to study in 1986. He holds a Master of Science in Tech, a Licentiate of Science in Tech and a Doctor of Science in Tech all from the Helsinki University of Technology, currently known as Aalto University. In 2018, Naghian was named Enterprise Executor of the Year in Finland, and Alumni of the Year at Aalto University School of Electrical Engineering in 2020. Prior to joining Genelec, he worked for a long time at Nokia in various positions such as research and development, business development and leadership.

More information: Taina Brandstack, taina.brandstack@boardman.fi