Conference year: Speakers 2026

Peter Hinssen is one of the world’s leading experts in innovation strategy, technology and leadership.

He is a global keynote speaker, bestselling author, business school lecturer, serial entrepreneur and active startup and scaleup investor.

Peter likes to describe himself as a pathological optimist. He firmly believes that companies can and should help build a better, brighter and bolder Day After Tomorrow.

Peter has collaborated with Fortune 1000 companies and leading brands like Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon, Accenture, HP, SAS, Microsoft, Gartner, Danone, HSBC, London Business School, Sanofi, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and many more. He also lectures at renowned business schools like the London Business School and the MIT Sloan School of Management.

Peter has collaborated with Fortune 1000 companies and leading brands like Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon, Accenture, HP, SAS, Microsoft, Gartner, Danone, HSBC, London Business School, Sanofi, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and many more. He also lectures at renowned business schools like the London Business School and the MIT Sloan School of Management.

Peter is the author of six bestselling business books. His latest book ‘The Uncertainty Principle’ from 2025 is a guide for those bold leaders who want to better grasp the opportunities that lie in the challenges and uncertainties presented by our constantly shifting Never Normal era. ‘The Phoenix and The Unicorn’ (2020) is a book about Phoenixes: companies that are able to rethink themselves in cycles, just like the mythical bird. ‘The Day After Tomorrow’ (2017) is about the benefits of long-term thinking in times of radical innovation.

Keynote: The never Normal: how to leverage the Uncertainty principle

The accelerating pace of change seems to fuel the belief that we’re living in an age of unprecedented volatility, where emerging technologies have to be restrained before they spiral out of control. But uncertainty isn’t unique to our time. It’s a feature of life, not a bug. And it’s also where the greatest possibilities emerge. . It is the fuel for the Never Normal, the ultimate leverage instrument for re-invention.

Today, humanity faces a complex set of global challenges, from technological and geopolitical shocks to biological, social, and ecological disruptions. But fear, hesitation, and avoidance won’t help us meet them. Slowing down is not the answer. We need to move faster, think bigger, and harness the full potential of technology to build a future worth longing for. We need active hope. And bold, visionary leaders who understand how to reframe adversity into opportunities.

This is a keynote for for those who see cracks in the system not as warnings, but as windows. It is for those people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world. Because they are the ones who will!

Aksel Lund Svindal is one of the world’s greatest alpine skiers of all time, and won two Olympic gold medals, five World Championship gold medals, two overall World Cup titles, and 36 World Cup victories. He was also the first male alpine star to win titles in four consecutive World Championships.

Aksel’s career is a testament to his tireless determination, dedication, and passion. Despite his fierce competitive spirit, Aksel is known for his genuine kindness and strong sense of responsibility, qualities that have made him a beloved figure both on and off the slopes.

Beyond his iconic achievements, Aksel is known for his approach to leadership and teamwork. He understands what it takes to build teams that perform under pressure. If you want to learn how to lead teams that can perform when it matters most, his insights are invaluable.

Aksel’s approach to team dynamics and leadership is about leveraging the group’s collective strength. It’s about building resilience, trust, and a shared purpose to succeed in the most demanding environments.

In the Norwegian alpine team, he developed a culture of collaboration and mutual support, even under intense competition. These principles—focus on data, transparency, trust, and shared goals—have become central to his philosophy both in sports and business.

Since retiring in 2019, he has established himself as a successful entrepreneur and investor. He is a co-founder of several ventures focused on sustainable innovation and sits on the boards of several technology and business companies.

In his book “Greater Than Me,” he shares personal reflections on fear, adversity, and mental strength. Aksel Lund Svindal has also hosted Mesternes Mester (Masters of Masters) for several years.

Aksel is an ambassador for several brands including Porsche, and continues to inspire through his work in business, innovation, and sustainable development.

Marc Blanchon is Head of Physical AI at Capgemini and a recognized expert in Europe in the field of physical AI, which includes robots, drones, and autonomous vehicles. He is driven by the shift towards autonomous systems, which is about systems that not only detect or predict, but operate, make decisions, and act in real-world environments.

Sara Riis-Carstensen is the strategic driver behind LEGO’s rise to global brand supremacy. With a career spanning some of the world’s most iconic brands, including Carlsberg, De Beers, Giorgio Armani, and Lufthansa, Sara has earned acclaim as a pioneering figure in brand transformation and in harnessing the power of culture to drive growth.

With a career spent transforming and developing some of the world’s most iconic brands, Sara brings unmatched, real-world credibility to the stage. At LEGO, she built the brand strategy that propelled LEGO to become the most powerful brand in the world.

Sara combines boardroom experience with magnetic stage presence. She doesn’t speak in theory – she speaks from the inside of bold brand transformations; she has lived them, shaped them, and continues to define them. For organizations navigating change, redefining cultural relevance, or seeking to build iconic brands, Sara delivers the clarity and momentum leaders need.

Speach at Techpoint:

When Algorithms Talk, Human Brands Win.

In a world where algorithms talk and chatbots sell, authenticity and cultural relevance have never mattered more. In this keynote, Sara Riis-Carstensen explores how brands can stay human, trustworthy, and truly relevant in an era shaped by artificial intelligence and rising consumer skepticism.

As technology accelerates, audiences are becoming more critical, more conscious, and harder to convince. So what does it take for brands to cut through the noise Discover why authenticity and cultural relevance are no longer nice-to-haves – but the ultimate competitive advantage. And learn how to build brands that don’t just keep up with culture, but actively shape it.

Paula Doyle is Chief Digital Officer at Aker BP and leads the company’s groundbreaking work in shaping Aker BP into one of the world’s most modern, data-driven oil and gas companies with AI, interoperability in data and industrial robotics.

Aker BP explores for and produces oil and gas on the Norwegian continental shelf. In production we are one of the largest independent listed oil companies in Europe.

At Aker BP, she plays a central role in driving a “productivity revolution” through new technology: a shared digital workplace that brings together operational data and insights, digital operations twins that make critical operational information available in one place, and a clear ambition to integrate AI into industrial workflows.

Doyle is also a key driver of partnerships designed to make Aker BP more data-driven and more efficient across the entire value chain, from the Aker Digital Alliance (Aker BP, Aker Solutions, Cognite and Aize) to initiatives focused on improved data sharing and “data as a product”.

Professor Emeritus Venkat Venkatraman at Boston University is an internationally recognized leader in digital transformation and AI. He believes the moment we are in requires leaders who can see AI not merely as another phase of digital technology but as a crucial turning point in our transition from the industrial era to the Age of Intelligence.

As the First Chaired Professor of Management at Boston University, and previously at MIT Sloan and London Business School, Venkat has spent more than three decades addressing the defining question of our time: How do companies win when digital technologies fundamentally redefine products, processes, organizing logic, and entire industries?

His influential work combines rigorous scholarship with practical application. His 2017 book, The Digital Matrix: New Rules for Business Transformation through Technology (updated 2023), is now a key resource for leaders managing digital disruption and change. His second book, Fusion Strategy: How Real-Time Data and AI Will Power the Industrial Future (co-authored, Harvard Business Review Press, 2024), explores how AI and real-time data will drive industrial competition in the future. His latest book, Agentic Intelligence: Strategy at the Speed of Data, published by Forbes and Simon & Schuster, is set to be released in September 2026.

Venkat’s research not only informs but also actively influences practice. His groundbreaking work on business-IT alignment, published in IBM Systems Journal, marked a significant shift in how companies approach IT strategy and remains widely cited. Stanford University ranks him among the top 2% of scientists worldwide by research impact, and Google Scholar recognizes him as one of the most cited management researchers, with over 70,000 citations—affirming his status as a leader in digital strategy thought. He is among the top 2% of scientists globally and one of the most influential scholars in management.

His doctoral dissertation received the AT Kearney Best Dissertation Prize from the Academy of Management, and his Management Science paper is one of the most-cited strategy articles in the journal. He is also dedicated to helping managers develop strategic thinking for business transformation in the AI era. Over the years, he has lectured and conducted workshops for major companies such as IBM, GE, BP, GM, Ericsson, Microsoft, Canal +, and Sony.

Kristine Dahl Steidel is the General Manager of Microsoft Norway and a leading voice on AI, leadership, and digital transformation. With more than 25 years of experience in the technology industry, she helps leaders turn emerging technologies into real business and societal value.

Kristine is known for her clear, engaging speaking style and her ability to connect AI strategy with responsible leadership, productivity, and competitiveness. She is a strong advocate for ethical and inclusive AI, and a frequent keynote speaker at executive and industry events.

Theodor Vendrig is Managing Partner and head of McKinsey in Norway. Since becoming a partner in 2022, he has led the firm’s work in technology, media, and telecommunications across the Nordic region.

He has extensive experience supporting organizations throughout the Nordics and globally through major technological and strategic transformations, with a particular focus on how technology and artificial intelligence can be integrated into strategy, organization, and operations.

With more than ten years of cross-industry experience, Theodor has deep expertise in strategy, M&A (mergers and acquisitions), as well as large-scale commercial and digital transformations.

Driven by a desire to create real and lasting impact, he works with organizations around the world on strategy projects and transformation programs. He has also led several venture-building efforts and helped companies strengthen the customer experience, capture new growth opportunities, and achieve sustainable cost leadership.

“The demand for technology and AI expertise is increasing rapidly across industries. We are seeing more and more end-to-end projects where artificial intelligence is being applied at the core of businesses. The greatest impact comes when the technology is embedded in strategy and organizational structures. For Norway, this represents an important opportunity to strengthen both productivity and competitiveness at a time of demographic challenges,” says Vendrig.

At the same time, he emphasizes the importance of the firm’s international role.

“As part of a global professional community, we see how organizations internationally are succeeding in implementing new technology at scale. That experience is something we can bring home to Norwegian businesses and help ensure that technology is adopted in ways that deliver lasting results. This international perspective is something we will continue to offer Norwegian companies,” says Vendrig.