Speakers

Aaja is Chair of the Arctic Parliamentarians and has been a member of the Danish Parliament since 2015 for Inuit Ataqatigiit (IA). She is a former member of Inatsisartut, Children’s Ombudsperson, Director in Kommuneqarfik Sermersooq, and served as an Associate Expert at the United Nations in New York.

Anja Hynne Nielsen is the spokesperson for people with disabilities in Greenland through the organization Tilioq, a politically independent national interest organization established by Naalakkersuisut in 2017.

Anja holds a bachelor’s degree in Rhetoric and a master’s degree in Arctic Studies with minors in Cultural Communication and Journalism. She has previously worked as an administrative officer in Inatsisartut. At Greenland Tourism, she was responsible for the course secretariat and also served as a project officer and education consultant. She grew up in Greenland, living in several towns and settlements, and is currently relearning Greenlandic.

The role of the Disability Spokesperson is to safeguard and promote the interests of people with disabilities in society, based on the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Anja is deeply committed to improving conditions for people with disabilities, with a vision of achieving genuine societal inclusion for individuals with both visible and invisible disabilities, alongside fostering understanding and respect for diversity. Tilioq aims to be an active partner, a knowledge institution, and a producer, ensuring that the rights of people with disabilities are mainstreamed into all national and municipal policies.

Aqqalu Jerimiassen is a current member of Inatsisartut and a municipal council member for Atassut, as well as the party’s current leader.

He trained as a service economist specializing in tourism and has been co-owner of the tourism company Ilulissat Water Safari in Ilulissat.

In the 2017 municipal elections, Jerimiassen was elected to the municipal council of Avannaata Kommune for Atassut and was re-elected in 2021. He also served as deputy mayor for a period.

Jerimiassen ran in the 2018 Inatsisartut election and was elected. Following this election, Atassut joined the government under Kim Kielsen, and in the subsequent two administrations, Jerimiassen served as Minister of Business and Energy. He became party leader of Atassut in 2019, succeeding Siverth K. Heilmann.

Aviaja Lyberth Hauptmann (she/her, Inuit from West Greenland) is an assistant professor at Ilisimatusarfik – University of Greenland, and at the University of Copenhagen. Aviaja works to promote understanding of the microbiological, cultural, and sociological significance of Indigenous foods in Greenland and leads the development of Greenland’s first university-level natural sciences program: the SILA bachelor’s degree in biology.

Britta Keldsen is a lawyer and partner at Arctic Law, where she primarily handles business law matters in Greenland for both Greenlandic and international clients. She has run her own business in Greenland since 2012 and has been a practicing lawyer since 2010. Britta is actively engaged in Greenland’s business community as a board member of several Greenlandic companies and serves as chairperson of the Greenlandic Gender Equality Council, which works to promote gender equality in Greenland.

Chris Barton is His Majesty King Charles’ Trade Commissioner for Europe, responsible for promoting trade and investment between the United Kingdom, other European countries, and Israel. He began this role in August 2021. Before his appointment as Trade Commissioner for Europe, Chris spent five years as a secondary school teacher, followed by 15 years in public service. In the civil service, he held various roles within the departments for business and energy, as well as in the Foreign Office.

Christian Keldsen has been the Director of Greenland Business since November 1, 2020. He previously served as Commercial Director at Air Greenland and is a co-founder of the consulting firm Visiobox Consulting in Nuuk, which specializes in leadership and strategy development for the public and private sectors.

He holds a law degree (cand.jur.) and serves as Honorary Consul for England and Northern Ireland.

Corinne Sandberg is Project Director for development projects in Europe and Central Asia at EDF International Division. She has led hydropower development projects in Africa and, most recently, the development of a thermal power plant contributing to the energy transition in Uzbekistan.

Over her 25-year career at EDF, she has held various positions, including corporate-level risk management and optimization of complex asset portfolios.

She holds degrees from the French engineering school Centrale-Supélec and the Trium Executive MBA program (HEC, London School of Economics, New York Stern).

Elizabeth has been the Irish Ambassador to Denmark since February 2023. She has previously served in London, Paris, New York (UN), and Vienna (OSCE), and has worked in several departments of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dublin as well as serving as EU Director in the Office of the Taoiseach (Prime Minister). Elizabeth was educated at Trinity College Dublin and the Università di Padova.

Elna has been the Chairperson of IMAK since January 1, 2022.

She was born and raised in Maniitsoq and trained as a teacher in 1996.

She also served as school principal for 15 years at Atuarfik Kilaaseeraq in Maniitsoq.

Emile Hertling Péronard is an Oscar-nominated Greenlandic film producer who, through his production companies Ánorâk Film and Polarama Greenland, has produced and released Greenlandic films at festivals such as Cannes, Venice, Berlinale, and Sundance. For more than a decade, he has worked to improve conditions in the Greenlandic film industry and serves on the boards of the Arctic Indigenous Film Fund and ARTEF – The Anti-Racism Taskforce for European Film.

Emma has been the British Ambassador to the Kingdom of Denmark since 2020. Prior to her appointment in Denmark, she served as Ambassador to Bulgaria. She is a trained lawyer and has worked in areas including immigration and asylum, EU law and internal affairs, international criminal law, organized crime, and violence against women.

Eva Skeel Nolsø is an experienced leader specializing in sustainability, marketing, and organizational development. She is the CMO at Føroya Tele, where she leverages her background in product development, marketing, and HR to drive organizational success. Eva holds a master’s degree (cand.mag.) in Business Administration and Psychology from Copenhagen Business School and has a background in the banking sector, combining academic expertise with practical experience in her leadership role.

Frederikke Antonie Schmidt is the founder of Roccamore, a company with the mission of empowering women to stand strong and claim their place in the world. Roccamore designs beautiful high heels with soles shaped to support the feet in the most anatomically correct way possible, handcrafted in Italy and scientifically tested by Hvidovre Hospital.

Roccamore launched in December 2014 through an online crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter, selling 306 pairs of shoes. By 2021, the company sold 30,000 pairs and won both the E-commerce Award for Best B2C Company under 100 million DKK and Børsen Gazelle, including Gazelle Regional Winner in Copenhagen.

Frederikke also serves on the ByFounders Collective, the Representative Board of Kolding Design School, and was in 2021 Chairperson of the Danish government’s Restart Team for Fashion and Textiles.

\[Name] is the Director of Siu-Tsiu.

Previously, they served as CEO of the social enterprise Grennessminde.

They have many years of experience in the media industry as a journalist and later as CEO. They are a professional board member and hold an MBA.

Inaluk Brandt is Director and Senior Consultant at VisioBOX ApS, a Greenlandic consultancy specializing in leadership and organizational development. She also serves on two professional boards and has held board positions for many years. Drawing on her experience in both the public sector as a civil servant and the private business sector, Inaluk integrates business strategies with sustainable and socially conscious thinking. She is driven by the ambition that growth and development should place people at the center as a powerful resource, with respect for nature, the environment, and society.

Inga Dóra G. Markussen has her roots in journalism and has had a diverse career, including editorial roles in various media, Secretary General of the West Nordic Council, and political leadership positions in Siumut. She currently works in sustainability and corporate communications as Chief Sustainability Officer at Air Greenland. Inga Dóra speaks Icelandic, Greenlandic, Danish, and English.

Inooraq Brandt is the CEO of Rambøll Greenland A/S and has been a board member of CSR Greenland since early 2023.

He holds a master’s degree in Arctic Engineering, specializing in geophysics and geotechnics.

Jacob Nitter Sørensen is the CEO of Air Greenland Group. Originally from Nuuk, he has spent over 25 years in aviation, including more than 20 years with Air Greenland. He joined the company in 2000 as a young first officer and, in addition to flying various aircraft, has served as Training Manager, Chief Pilot, and Director of Operations. Since May 2017, Jacob has been CEO of Air Greenland Group.

The Greenland Foreign Policy Society // Nunanut Allanut Politikkeqarnermut Peqatigiiffik // Den Udenrigspolitiske Forening is a non-political association aimed at promoting knowledge of and interest in foreign policy issues, with a particular focus on the Arctic. The society seeks to facilitate dialogue on foreign and security policy and provide a forum for constructive discussions for anyone interested in these topics. The organization is entirely volunteer-run, with a volunteer board.

Michael Binzer grew up in Nuuk and began his career as an Olympic cross-country skier, competing in three Winter Olympic Games. He later became a business executive at SAS, Air Greenland, and TELE-POST (now Tusass). For the past eight years, he has been self-employed, owning Visiobox Consulting and re\:lead, where he focuses on strategy and leadership development. Michael has been actively involved in volunteer work throughout his life and continues to support entrepreneurs. He is currently Chairman of the Board of Polar Seafood A/S, Greenland’s largest privately owned company.

The Greenland Institute of Natural Resources (Grønlands Naturinstitut) is Greenland’s leading scientific research institution focused on the study and management of the country’s natural resources, including fisheries, wildlife, and ecosystems. It provides data, advice, and research to support sustainable use and conservation of Greenland’s environment.

Mininnguaq Kleist is the Permanent Secretary of the Department of Independence and Foreign Affairs and previously served as Head of the Self-Government Office from 2007 to 2009.

The Department of Independence and Foreign Affairs oversees Naalakkersuisut’s foreign policy and provides advice to Naalakkersuisut and other ministries on foreign and security policy, as well as broader international matters. The department also has full or shared responsibility for managing relations with international actors.

Mute Bourup Egede has been the Chairperson of Naalakkersuisut since April 23, 2021, and the leader of the Inuit Ataqatigiit party since 2018. He has been a member of Inatsisartut since 2015.

He studied cultural and social history at Ilisimatusarfik, the University of Greenland.

Naaja Hjelholt Nathanielsen is the Naalakkersuisut Minister for Business, Trade, Minerals, Justice, and Gender Equality.

She served as a member of Inatsisartut for Inuit Ataqatigiit from 2009 to 2016. Naaja holds a master’s degree in psychology (cand.psych.) and previously served as Director of the Greenland Prison and Probation Service.

Palle Christiansen has been the CEO of Anori A/S since July 2021.

He is passionate about entrepreneurship, innovation, and pushing boundaries for the sake of development. Palle has 20 years of experience in the private sector and 11 years in politics, a combination that has given him deep insight into how development can benefit society as a whole.

Pernille Lohmann holds a master’s degree in political science (cand.polit.) and has worked in the financial sector since 1994. In 2019, she became CEO of DLR Kredit A/S, which finances Danish businesses and agriculture. One of her primary focus areas is financing the sustainable transition, a matter of significant societal importance.

Peter Vesborg is a professor at DTU Physics, where he researches catalytic energy conversion and storage, solar cells, and solar energy storage.

As a child, Peter built his first electric solar panel, and his PhD project focused on photocatalytic energy storage (artificial photosynthesis). After a postdoc at Stanford, he founded a startup based on a unique technology for large-scale solar installations. Alongside his professorship, Peter currently serves as Scientific Director for The VILLUM Power-to-X Accelerator (VPX), which supports power-to-x spinout ventures.

\[Name] is the Head of Secretariat at Siu-Tsiu.

Previously, they served as Principal of Nuuk International School and as Department Head at the Institute for Learning.

Rikardur Rikardsson is Executive Vice President for Business Development and Innovation at Landsvirkjun, Iceland’s national electricity company, and also CEO of its international projects through the subsidiary Landsvirkjun Power. He serves on the boards of various energy- and infrastructure-related organizations and companies, including Green By Iceland, Farice (Iceland’s international communications and fiber operator), and the energy startup Laki Power, which provides next-generation monitoring solutions for electricity transmission.

Rikardur previously led Xilinx’s European service product offerings and worked in banking and consulting, including as director at Glitnir Bank and as a consultant at McKinsey. Since 2011, he has worked at Landsvirkjun, first as Director of Sales and Business Development before assuming his current role.

He earned a master’s degree in electrical engineering from Stanford University in 2002 and a PED in Business and Management from IMD, Lausanne, in 2017.

Sara Olsvig is the International Chair of the Inuit Circumpolar Council (ICC). She has long been an advocate for the rights of Indigenous peoples and human rights. As a politician, she served as a member of the Danish Parliament (Folketinget) from 2011 to 2015 and the Greenlandic Parliament (Inatsisartut) from 2013 to 2018.

Sara Olsvig has actively contributed to the work of Greenland’s Constitutional Commission and Greenland’s Human Rights Council. She holds a degree in anthropology and is currently pursuing a PhD at the Department of Arctic Social Sciences and Economics, Ilisimatusarfik – University of Greenland.

In 2023, she received the Womenomics Inclusion Award. Sara Olsvig is Inuk and was born in Nuuk, Greenland, where she lives with her partner and their children.

Snorri Tómasson is the Director of Route Planning at Icelandair, overseeing the airline’s network and flight schedules covering over 50 destinations, including four in Greenland.

He holds a master’s degree in Operations Research from Columbia University and a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of Iceland.

\[Name] is an entrepreneur and former Minister for Education and Research, as well as a former member of the Danish Parliament (Folketinget) for the Venstre party.

Torben M. Andersen is a professor at the Department of Economics, Aarhus University, and Chair of the Economic Council in Greenland. He previously served as Chair of both the Welfare Commission and the Economic Council in Denmark.

He holds an M.Sc. from the London School of Economics and a lic.oecon. from Aarhus University.

Troels Ranis is Senior Vice President at Dansk Industri, responsible for green transition, climate, and energy. He is a recognized thought leader in energy and climate policy and holds a master’s degree in Public Administration, as well as a High Performance Leadership Certificate from CBS Executive.

He grew up in Greenland, first in Maniitsoq in the 1970s and later in Nuuk, where he completed his primary education at Ukaliusaq in 1986.

Owner of the consulting firm TUC Greenland, which focuses on employee and leadership development.

Previously, they have worked at Air Greenland and Kalaallit Forsikring.

Merete Lindstrøm is Group Communications Manager at Royal Greenland.

She has previously worked as a journalist for Danmarks Radio, KNR, and most recently as web editor at Sermitsiaq.AG. Merete also has a background in sales and marketing.