Nordic Business Forum 2027 will bring Trevor Noah, Esther Perel, Jacinda Ardern and other prominent figures in leadership, economics, marketing and productivity to Helsinki on 22-23 September 2027, with the event built around a theme that has become increasingly relevant to businesses navigating rapid technological and economic change: clarity.
The annual business event will focus on how leaders can make better decisions and maintain direction in an environment shaped by artificial intelligence, an expanding flow of information and constant disruption. Organisers say the 2027 theme, “Clarity”, will examine how trust, focus and execution can help organisations move from having more information to making more effective use of it.
“We live in a world of unlimited information, accelerating AI, and constant disruption. Intelligence is everywhere, but clarity is rare,” said Priit Liiv, CEO of Nordic Business Forum. He said the challenge for business leaders is increasingly about understanding what matters, deciding where an organisation is going and giving people enough confidence to act on that direction.
The first eight speakers announced for Nordic Business Forum 2027 reflect the event’s broad approach. The programme will include Trevor Noah, the comedian and bestselling author; Esther Perel, the psychotherapist, author and podcaster; and Dame Jacinda Ardern, who served as Prime Minister of New Zealand from 2017 to 2023.
The speaker lineup also includes Mark Ritson, a marketing professor and brand consultant; Raja Rajamannar, a former Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at Mastercard and now a senior fellow; Rachel Botsman, a trust and thinking expert and author; Cal Newport, a productivity expert and computer science professor; and Philippe Aghion, the Nobel Prize-winning economist.
Rather than placing the event solely within the traditional business leadership conversation, Nordic Business Forum 2027 is positioning the programme around three connected capabilities: trust, focus and execution. The organisers describe trust as the ability to establish credibility, connection and common ground, particularly when people hold different views. Focus concerns the ability to cut through complexity and direct attention towards the issues that matter most. Execution is about translating decisions and direction into coordinated action and sustained results.
That mix is reflected in the backgrounds of the first speakers. Perel brings expertise in human relationships and connection, while Newport has built his work around productivity and attention. Aghion’s economic research offers a different perspective, while Ritson and Rajamannar bring experience from marketing and brand strategy. Ardern adds political leadership experience, and Noah brings a perspective shaped by comedy, public communication and authorship.
The organisers say the wider programme will examine leadership, productivity, marketing, economics and human connection, with the aim of exploring how people and organisations can make decisions and act with greater confidence when the surrounding environment is difficult to navigate.
Nordic Business Forum 2027 will be held in Helsinki on 22-23 September 2027. Tickets are already on sale, with further programme details and speakers expected to be announced as preparations for the event continue.
