Registration, mingle and coffee

Welcome to the programme

Parisa Amiri, Moderator
Johan Bengtsson, City Manager, City of Trollhättan
Helena Lindahl, Founders Opportunity Day

Leadership for tomorrow's Sweden

Vahid Zohali, CEO of IBM Sweden, shares his journey from an unaccompanied teenager fleeing Iran to one of the country's most influential tech leaders. He talks about starting from scratch, the power of taking a chance, and the people and networks that opened up pathways forward. With technological curiosity, a strong desire for change and almost 30 years in Tech and IT, he describes how a modern leadership needs to be shaped: responsive, inclusive and adapted to a rapidly changing Sweden. An inspiring story about courage, responsibility and seeing change as an opportunity.

Vahid is General Manager of IBM North Region and CEO of IBM Sweden, where he drives AI adoption in Sweden, Norway and Finland. With over 25 years of experience in the IT industry and as a passionate advocate for innovation, he sits on the boards of TechSverige, Teknikföretagen and Svenskt Näringsliv, and collaborates with AI Sweden to strengthen Sweden's global competitiveness. In 2024, he was recognised as one of Sweden's top tech leaders and Executive of the Year.

Participants:
Vahid Zohali, CEO, IBM Sweden

Please mind the gap

-On the capital we waste when skills are excluded from the labour market

While Swedish companies struggle with skills shortages, thousands of people - with experience, drive and education - are involuntarily excluded from the labour market. This is a waste of talent, a threat to Sweden's competitiveness and a danger to social cohesion. We delve into demographics, employer attitudes and societal costs.

Participants:
Amad Raja, Skills Supply Manager, West Sweden Chamber of Commerce
Peter Eriksson, Chairman of the Municipal Executive Board
Sofia Andersson Dharsani, Opposition Councillor, Trollhättan City

Round table discussions

Stand Up

No one who likes stand-up in Sweden can have missed Tito Salazar's success over the last 10 years. Humour is in his DNA and it is topical, sharp and funny. In 2024 he did his first solo show ”Vi är rasister” which was widely acclaimed. Tito mixes jokes with personal stories and cultural observations. His humour is rooted in highlighting the comical nature of human behaviour.

Participants:
Tito Salazar, Comedians

Switch off autopilot and make conscious choices

Unconscious bias influences decisions in recruitment, feedback, development opportunities and everyday communication, often without us realising it. Gabriella Fägerlind (inclusion expert, author) gives you as a listener an understanding of what biases really are, how they arise, and above all: how you can move from unconscious patterns to conscious, strategic choices.

Participants:
Gabriella Fägerling, Inclusion expert, author

From philanthropy to strategy

-Change visible in the last row

Organisations that dare to challenge ingrained norms and actively work inclusively strengthen their innovative power, competitiveness and attractiveness. The panel will share concrete experiences and insights on how organisations can make the journey of change - and why management and boards should drive the issue forward. With insights from both Swedish and international contexts, practical perspectives and business arguments are highlighted for why inclusion should be on the management agenda.

Participants:
Petra Karlsson Glasell, HR Manager Länsförsäkringar Älvsborg
Vahid Zohali, CEO, IBM Sweden
Marthe Vakoufari, Business developer, City of Trollhättan

Leadership for change

Change is driven by people - and people are driven by culture. Yet, culture, diversity and inclusion are often treated as something alongside strategy. But real change management is not about getting people to follow - it's about creating the conditions for them to want to lead with you. This requires psychological safety and a culture where differences are not only accepted, but seen as a prerequisite for development.

Aaron Kroon is Sweden's leading expert on inclusive leadership. With sharpness, humour and vulnerability, he shows how diversity and difference can become a strategic superpower - and how inclusive leadership is the foundation for real and sustainable change. Aaron is a multi-award-winning leader, speaker, author and debater, named one of Sweden's most powerful people. After 25 years as a top leader in Swedish business, he is today CEO and founder of his own company, Black Batman, where he helps companies throughout Europe to link diversity, inclusion and inclusive leadership to profitability and business benefits.

Participants:
Aaron Kroon, Leadership consultant, lecturer

Closing and mingle lunch