Speakers

Director for Civil and Commercial Justice, Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers European Commission

Salla Saastamoinen is Director for Civil and Commercial Justice at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers since 2016. Previously she was the Director for Equality. As Director for Civil and Commercial Justice, she is in charge of the development and consolidation of the European area of civil justice, in particular of civil procedural law, private international law, contract law and company law. Salla Saastamoinen has worked in the Commission for 20 years, starting in the Directorate-General for Environment and then working in several areas in the Directorate-General for Justice. Before joining the Commission, Salla Saastamoinen was an associate partner in a law office in Helsinki, Finland. She has a licentiate degree in law from the University of Helsinki, Finland, and post-graduate studies in law from the universities of Saarbrücken, Germany and Zürich, Switzerland.

Professor, Dr. Juris, Faculty of Law, University of Oslo

Beate Sjåfjell is Professor Dr. Juris at the Faculty of Law, University of Oslo, and holds a fractional appointment as Adjunct Professor at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Faculty of Economics. Sjåfjell is founder and head of the Oslo Faculty’s Research Group Companies, Markets and Sustainability, as well as several international networks and projects. Sjåfjell’s publications include the Cambridge Handbook of Corporate Law, Corporate Governance and Sustainability (Cambridge University Press, forthcoming 2019, co-editor Christopher M. Bruner); Company Law and Sustainability (Cambridge University Press, 2015, co-editor: Benjamin J. Richardson), Creating Corporate Sustainability (Cambridge University Press, 2018, co-editor: Irene Lynch Fannon) and the monograph Towards a Sustainable European Company Law (Kluwer Law International, 2009). She has also published a number of papers, notably on EU company law and the integration of sustainable development. Her largest project to date is Sustainable Market Actors for Responsible Trade (SMART) (2016-2020), funded by the EU’s framework programme for research and innovation Horizon 2020. SMART’s international team of 25 partner institutions and 70 plus scholars is supported by the steadily growing  Sustainable Market Actors Network, and aims to deliver interdisciplinary and systemic research on the regulatory complexity within which European market actors operate, both the private sector and the public sector in its many market roles.

Deputy Director General Legal, MEDEF, Business Europe

Joëlle Simon is Deputy Director General Legal, Ethics & Corporate Governance of the French Business Confederation – MEDEF - the largest business organisation in France which represents 173.000 companies, large companies and SME’s, listed or private in all sectors. She was also in charge of the Ethical Committee which issued recommendations on directors’ remunerations in 2003, 2007 and 2008.

Since July 2017, she is vice-chair Person of the Legal Affairs Committee and vice-chair Person of the Company Law working group of BUSINESSEUROPE.

President, Baltic Institute of Corporate Governance, ecoDa

Rytis Ambrazevičius is the President of the Baltic Institute of Corporate Governance (BICG), a non-profit and non-governmental initiative promoting leading corporate governance practices in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.

BICG played a key role in kick-starting corporate governance reforms in the Baltics, the process which has now led to all three countries being members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

Rytis also is a professional certified Board member and has an extensive Board experience, such as chairing the Board of state controlled and listed company Klaipėdos nafta during the implementation of the LNG terminal project. He was an independent chairman of EPSO-G, state-owned energy transmission and exchange holding company tasked with the implementation of strategic gas and electricity infrastructure development projects and integration to the EU markets.

For more than 20 years, Rytis held top management positions at various international and local companies, including Omnitel (part of Telia Group), Mandatum Life Baltics, Falck Security (now G4S).

CEO, Accountancy Europe

Olivier has been Accountancy Europe’s CEO since 2006. He benefits from a diverse professional experience, having been a public prosecutor in France, a director with PricewaterhouseCoopers, a board member of the European Policy Centre, a director of XBRL international and a business and policy consultant. He regularly speaks on issues related to European affairs and the impact of technology on accountancy. A lawyer and economist by training, Olivier started his professional career in equestrian sports (jumping).

Head of Sustainable Finance, WWF European Policy Office

Sebastien holds a diploma in Business Management from Lyon Business School. He also holds a postgraduate degree in Environmental Law from the University of Strasbourg and a Master’s degree in Private and Economic Law at Lyon University.

General Counsel and Head of Corporate Governance, Investor AB

Petra Hedengran is the General Counsel and Managing Director of Investor AB and the Head of Legal, Corporate Governance and Investments in EQT funds. Petra holds a Master of Laws degree from University of Stockholm (1989). Board assignments: Electrolux AB, Alecta and the Association of Generally Accepted Principles in the Securities Market.

Professional history:

Advokatfirman Lindahl, Partner and Head of Banking and Finance group 2002-2007

ABB Financial Services AB, General Counsel Nordic Region 1999-2002

ABB Financial Services AB, Legal counsel 1991-1999

District Court of Stockholm, Assistant Judge/Law Clerke 1990-1991

Gunnar Lindhs Advokatbyra, Assoicate 1988-1990

Robert C. McCormack distinguished Service Professor, Entrepreneurship and Finance, University of Chicago Booth School of Business

Luigi Zingales is the Robert C. McCormack Distinguished Service Professor of Entrepreneurship and Finance at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He is a Research Associate of the National Bureau of Economic Research, a Research Fellow of the Center for Economic Policy Research, and a Fellow of the European Corporate Governance Institute. In 2005-2006 and again in 2014-2015 he held the Taussig Research Professorship at Harvard University. His research interests span from corporate governance to financial development, from political economy to the economic effects of culture. He has published extensively in the major economics and financial journals. In 2003 he wrote with Raghu Rajan a book entitled “Saving Capitalism from the Capitalists” and in 2012 a book called “A Capitalism for the People”. His recent publications include e.g. a co-authored article ”Companies Should Maximize Shareholder Welfare Not Market Value” with Oliver Hart in 2017. He also co-hosts the podcast Capitalisn't.

Head of Corporate Governance and Corporate Finance division, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)

Mats Isaksson is Head of the Corporate Governance and Corporate Finance division at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). His responsibilities include corporate governance, capital markets, company law, securities regulation, privatisation and other policy areas of importance to a dynamic business environment. Mats Isaksson was in charge of developing the G20/OECD Principles of Corporate Governance that were endorsed by the G20 Leaders summit in 2015. Mr. Isaksson has extensive experience from working with both OECD and Partner countries and has served as an advisor to several countries, including France, Italy and Japan. In recent years he has written extensively on the relationship between corporate governance, value creation and growth addressing issues such the functioning of modern equity markets, the role of institutional investors, the use of corporate bonds and the conditions for growth companies to access market based finance. Mats Isaksson serves on the Advisory Board of the Centre for Global Markets and Corporate Ownership at Columbia University and is Senior Visiting Fellow at the Stockholm Centre for Commercial Law. He is a founding Director of the Swedish Corporate Governance Forum and a member of the European Corporate Governance Institute. Writings and related material can be found here.

Assonime, European Issuers

In Assonime since 2011, she works in the Capital Markets and Listed Companies Unit, focusing on corporate governance and market regulation at national, European and international level. She is part of the research staff that supports the Italian Corporate Governance Committee and member of several working groups within European Issuers.

Mateja is also member of the BIAC at OECD Corporate Governance Committee and the European Corporate Governance Codes Network.

Mateja published several articles in the field of corporate governance and company law.

Partner, Gaia Group

Kaisa Hietala is an experienced business and sustainability executive who helps companies to transform the challenges of environmental megatrends into business opportunities and growth.

Until early 2019, Kaisa spent 20 years in changing the oil industry from inside. During her leadership, a start-up team in Neste Corporation transformed the oil refining company into the world largest and most profitable renewable products’ company. In 2018, the renewable products achieved a turnover of EUR 3 billion and a profit of EUR 1 billion.

After a successful corporate career, Kaisa now brings her strategic business & sustainability expertise available for companies who want to secure the future for their business while maintaining the wellbeing of our planet. In October 2019, she became a partner at the sustainable business consultancy Gaia Consulting, and will be responsible for the firm’s strategic consulting, with a special focus on integrating environmental and climate challenges with business.

Currently, Hietala’s other board responsibilities include: Non-executive director of Kemira Corporation, Chairman of the Board of Tracegrow Oy, a member of Sustainability Supervisory Board of Aalto University and a member of Supervisory Board of Oulu University

Hietala holds a Master of Science degree in Geophysics from University of Oulu and a Master of Philosophy degree in Environmental Sciences from the University of Cambridge, UK.

Professor of Law, University of Oslo and Professor of Cooperative Law, University of Helsinki

Jukka Mähönen is a Professor of Law at the University of Oslo and Professor of Cooperative Law at the University of Helsinki. In Oslo, Mähönen is the deputy head of Research Group Companies, Markets and Sustainability and leads research project Futuring Sustainable Nordic Business Models. Mähönen participates the H2020 research project Sustainable Market Actors for Responsible Trade (SMART), focusing on corporate law and corporate governance, corporate reporting, auditing and assurance, finance and public investors. Mähönen has a special interest in small and medium-sized enterprises’ role in global value chains as well as cooperative enterprises. Previously Mähönen was Professor of Civil Law and Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Turku. Mähönen has participated several law drafting excercises in company law, foundation law, association law, accounting law, auditing law, financial market law and tax law both in Finland and internationally.

Professor in Company Law, Expert to the Swedish Ministry of Justice

Skog was for five years (1985-1990) secretary to the Committee on Stock Ownership and Efficiency, Ministry of Industry, and for ten years (1991-2001) secretary to the Company Law Committee, Ministry of Justice, Sweden. Today he serves as an expert to the Ministry of Justice in the field of company law and takeover-regulation. He is Sweden´s representative to the OECD Corporate Governance Committee.

He is Director General of the Swedish Takeover Panel.

Twenty years ago he co-founded the Swedish Corporate Governance Forum to which he is still managing director. In 2004 he was appointed to the European Corporate Governance Forum by the European Commission. Today he is member of the European Company Law Expert Group (ECLE).

From 2000 – 2009 he was Honorary Professor of Company Law, at Aarhus School of Economics, Denmark. In 2010 he was appointed Honorary Professor of Company and Stock Exchange Law at the School of Business, Economics and Law, University of Gothenburg. In 2006 he was visiting professor at Columbia Law School, New York.

He has published extensively in the field of company law, corporate governance and takeovers.

Professor, Finance and Economic Analysis and Policy, Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto

Alexander Dyck is a Professor of Finance and Economic Analysis and Policy at the Rotman School and holds the Manulife Financial Chair in Financial Services. He is Director of the Capital Markets Institute, Academic Director of the Director’s Education Program, and a Fellow at the Michael Lee-Chin Family Institute for Corporate Citizenship at the Rotman School. He teaches PhD and MBA courses in Corporate Finance, Mergers and Acquisitions and Private Equity. Previously, he was Associate Professor at the Harvard Business School where he taught in the MBA, doctoral and executive education programs, and has been a visiting scholar at INSEAD and Yale. His research interests include corporate governance, corporate finance, corporate social responsibility, regulation and privatization, the media and financial markets, and taxation. His latest contributions include e.g. co-author of a 2019 article on how firms’ corporate governance structures drive their environmental performance (“Renewable Governance: Good for the Environment”), and co-author of an article “Do institutional investors drive corporate responsibility? International Evidence”. He serves on the Academic Advisory board of the Canadian Coalition for Good Governance, and in the past was a board member of the International Center for Pension Management.

Senior Regulatory Policy Adviser, European Fund and Asset Management Association (EFAMA)

Aleksandra is leading work on sustainable finance at European Fund and Asset Management Association (EFAMA), a Brussels-based trade association.

She is a seasoned professional with ten years of experience in strategic EU public affairs. Her expertise covers sustainable finance, corporate governance and capital markets regulation. Before joining EFAMA, she worked for EuropeanIssuers and BetterFinance, which represent the interests of publicly-listed companies and individual investors, respectively. Hence, she has a good understanding of the challenges and expectations of the buy and sell side.

Aleksandra holds a masters’ degree in economics and a post-graduate diploma in European studies from the Warsaw School of Economics.

EFAMA is the voice of the European investment management industry, representing 28 member associations, 60 corporate members and 23 associate members.  At end 2018, total net assets of European investment funds reached EUR 15.2 trillion. These assets were managed by almost 62,000 investment funds, of which more than 33,000 were UCITS (Undertakings for Collective Investments in Transferable Securities) funds, with the remaining funds composed of AIFs (Alternative Investment Funds). More information can be found at www.efama.org

Associate Director, Research, Institutional Shareholder Services

Robbert Gerritsen serves as ISS’ Head of Research in Brussels leading a team of analysts covering key European capital markets, including the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Spain, and Nordic region. Since joining ISS in 2010, Gerritsen has held roles of increasing responsibility within the Research organization while also representing ISS as a speaker and panelist at industry events. He is a member of ISS’ European Policy Committee and plays an active role in the formulation of ISS benchmark voting policy for continental Europe. Gerritsen also has been instrumental in the development of ISS’ European pay-for-performance methodology, helping to design a quantitative model now used to measure the alignment between pay and performance that, as of 2017, applied to nearly 1,200 publicly traded companies across the region. Gerritsen previously worked as a credit analyst for Xerox in Dublin, Ireland, and holds degrees in Business Economics and Political Science.

Chief Investment Officer, Elo Mutual Pension Insurance Company

Hanna Hiidenpalo is Chief Investment Officer and a member of the Executive Group at Elo Mutual Pension Insurance Company. Since 2014, Hiidenpalo has been responsible for Elo’s diversified global investment portfolio with over EUR 25 billion assets under management. Elo’s climate strategy aims to assess climate risks comprehensively and to capitalize on the investment opportunities created by climate change throughout its investment operations. Elo’s investment operations have received international accolades: the international climate organization AODP placed Elo in the best AAA category and in the 10th place among 500 asset owners globally taking climate change into consideration. Prior to Elo, Hiidenpalo was CIO for LocalTapiola Mutual Pension Insurance for over ten years. She has graduated from Helsinki School of Economics (today Aalto University) in 1992 and she holds a Master’s degree in Economics. Currently, Hiidenpalo is Vice Chairperson of the Board at the Finnish Cultural Foundation, a Member of the Board of the Finnish Medical Research Foundation as well as Chairperson of the Investment Committee at the Aalto University Endowment. She has been a Member of the Board of Finsif (Finland’s Sustainable Investment Forum) for several years. Hiidenpalo is also an active member in several nomination committees in Finnish listed companies

Policy Manager, 2° Investing Initiative

David Cooke serves as a Policy Manager at 2° Investing Initiative and joined in 2019. His work involves monitoring and coordinating 2° Investing Initiative’s input to sustainable finance policy initiatives globally (with a particular emphasis on the EU Sustainable Finance Action Plan). He is a UK qualified lawyer, and previously worked at ClientEarth focusing on the application of corporate and financial law to climate change and broader environmental, social and governance issues. While there he engaged with UK and EU financial regulators, supervisory authorities and government departments to increase regulatory oversight of climate-related financial risk and helped draft recommendations on regulator implementation of a comprehensive sustainability disclosure framework for the Green Finance Taskforce report to the UK Government: Accelerating Green Finance.

As well as being a qualified lawyer, David holds a BSc Physics and Philosophy from the University of Bristol and a MSc Sustainable Development from the University of Surrey.

Investor Relations, Helsinki Capital Partners

Jo Iwasaki works at Helsinki Capital Partners (HCP), a Finnish asset management established in 2007 and Finland’s first and only B Corporation. HCP operates with a stated purpose of promoting transparency and corporate responsibility in the financial services industry. Jo is a Chartered Accountant with a background in governance and stewardship, organisational culture, and risk and performance. In addition to investor relations, she supports stakeholder relationship development as well as oversees sustainability reporting.

Vice Chair, Single Resolution Board

Dr Timo Löyttyniemi is the Vice Chair of the Single Resolution Board (SRB) based in Brussels. The Single Resolution Board is the European central resolution authority for the significant and cross border banking groups established within participating Member States in the EU Banking Union. Vice Chair is responsible for the Directorate, which comprises of the Single Resolution Fund (SRF) and Corporate Services and chairs various SRB Committees. He also participates in the EU Council work on Banking Union topics.

Before joining the SRB, Löyttyniemi has been the Managing Director of the Finnish government’s State Pension Fund (2003-2015). Earlier he had worked in various roles in banks and in investment banking. From 1996 to 1999, he was Managing Director of Norvestia Plc and from 1999 to 2003 was Head of Capital Markets of Mandatum & Co. Ltd. He has led and participated in corporate finance, capital structure and capital raising projects in international investment banking environments. He has been serving on number of boards, investment committees and foundations. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics.