28. 01 2021 - 10:00 - 13:00

Festa's January Conference 2021 – A New Beginning

@Electronic event


After the broadcast on January 28, the conference can be accessed in its entirety here.



Í ár er Festa 10 ára og í tilefni þess verður ráðstefnan einstaklega vegleg. Hún fer fram með rafrænum hætti, opin öllum án endurgjalds, þökk sé styrktaraðilum okkar Landsbankanum, Íslandsbanka, Verði – tryggingum, Landsvirkjun og Sænska sendiráðinu.


The conference will be shown at 9-12, January 28. It will be streamed on Festa's media along with some of the country's main news media


Með þessu viljum við opna þennan stærsta vettvang sjálfbærni og samfélagsábyrgðar fyrir öllum þeim sem hafa áhuga.

Hvetjum ykkur til að skrá ykkur hér fyrir ofan (“Skrá mætingu”) og við sendum ykkur nánari upplýsingar og hlekki á efni tengt ráðstefnunni.

    An Icelandic text will accompany the talks delivered in English


The title of this year's conference is The Great Reset or a New Beginning in the spirit of the focus of leading organizations such as the World Economic Forum and the B Team, which are leaders in the transformations that need to happen in business and governance globally.

There we focus on ensuring that the structure that faces us as a result of the consequences of Covid-19 will be based on sustainability, as we build an economy that considers the interests of all stakeholders.

Meet the focus of The Great Reset: B Team and the World Economic Forum

Why New Beginning/Great Reset – 1:30 min video.

Clearly, the will to build a better society does exist. We must use it to secure the Great Reset that we so badly need. That will require stronger and more effective governments, though this does not imply an ideological push for bigger ones. And it will demand private-sector engagement every step of the way. 

Below you can read the program of the conference and find out more about the group that will come to the conference this year.



Looking forward to a new beginning with you!


Schedule:


    Festa 10 years Tómas N. Möller, chairman of Festa and Hrund Gunnsteinsdóttir, director of Festa


  • Hvað felst í hinu Nýja upphafi – The Great Reset
  • Nicole Schwab framkvæmdarstjóri Nature Based Solutions @World Economic Forum


    What is your role in New Beginnings?Halla Tómasdóttir CEO of B Team


  • Leiðtogar úr íslensku atvinnulífi taka stöðuna


  • AÐILDI 2021 kynnt til leiks


    What Gray Rhinos Will Be Coming Our Way This Year?Michele Wucker Bestselling Author and CEO of Gray Rhino & Company


    Big Transformations: Accelerating the Global GoalsJohn McArthur Director of the Center for Sustainable Development at the Brookings Institution


    Dream investment 2035Sasja Beslik CEO of sustainable investments at J. Safra Sarasin Bank


  • Leiðtogar úr íslensku atvinnulífi taka stöðuna


    Are Icelandic managers on a green road? – The Green Road Trip, Deloitte's survey among managers about companies' actions in climate mattersRakel Eva Sævarsdóttir Deloitte project manager


  • Leiðtogar úr íslensku atvinnulífi taka stöðuna


    How did the implementation of the circular economy go during the year? – Four companies set cycle goals at the beginning of 2020 – how did it go?


    Sustainable welfare – mind-blowingElísabet H. Brynjarsdóttir nurse and project manager Mrs. Ragnheiðar



  • Fundarstjóri: Hrund Gunnsteinsdóttir


It is an exclusive team that we have brought with us as speakers and participants in discussion panels.


Leaders from Icelandic business life who will examine New Beginnings in the Icelandic context in panel discussions:

Þitt hlutverk í hinu Nýja upphafi (e. Your role in The Great Reset)


Halla Tómsdóttir forstjóri B Team



Since 2018, Halla Tómasdóttir has been the director of the unique B Team. B Team, which is an international sustainability forum for influential people from politics and the business world. B Team was founded in 2013 by Richard Branson, the founder of the Virgin Group, and Jochen Zeitz, the then CEO of Puma, and the B Team board includes CEOs from many of the world's largest companies, leaders from international organizations such as the United Nations, as well as former national leaders.



Throughout the years, Halla has worked as a manager in the business world, an entrepreneur and an investor, as well as being a presidential candidate. She has always focused on stepping forward as a goal-oriented, sincere and courageous leader who advocates a just world for all.



Halla er co-chair hjá alþjóðlegu samtökunum Imperative 21, Imperative 21 – The Imperative of the 21st century is to RESET our economic system. Samtökin voru stofnuð af alþjóðlegum leiðtogum úr atvinnulífinu á árinu 2020 í þeim tilgangi að vinna að nýju upphafi, það er að endurræsa hagkerfi heimsins – „reset of our economy so that it works for everyone and for the long term“.



Halla began his career as a manager in the United States at large companies Mars and Pepsi Cola. During his career, Halla has been involved in many places. Among other things, she contributed to the development of Reykjavík University and led the project "Wealth in the power of women", which was set up in 2000 to promote job creation for women.



In 2006, she took over the position of Executive Director of the Chamber of Commerce and was the first woman to hold that role. Halla resigned there to found the company Auði Capital. Auður Capital came through the economic collapse unscathed in 2008, and Auður Capital's equity was valued at 1.1 billion ISK in 2010, and the company was then debt-free.



Í kjölfar hrunsins tók Halla virkan þátt í umræðum og verkefnum sem sneru að uppbyggingu Íslands. Halla var hluti af þeim hóp sem hrinti í framkvæmd Þjóðfundi árið 2009, þar sem slembiúrtak íslensku þjóðarinnar kom saman í Laugardalshöll til að ræða þau grunngildi og þá framtíðarsýn sem myndi varða leið uppbyggingar í kjölfar hrunsins.


Árið 2016 var Halla einn af frambjóðendum til embættis forseta Íslands. Framboð Höllu vakti verðskuldaða athygli um allan heim þar sem þrátt fyrir að kannanir hafi lengi vel ekki spáð henni miklu fylgi þá hlaut hún á endum 30% atkvæða og lenti í öðru sæti með gott forskot á aðra frambjóðendur. 




„Now, we must RESET our economy to deliver shared prosperity and well-being for all stakeholders. “

Hvað felst í Nýju upphafi – The Great Reset?



Nicole Schwab Director of Nature Based Solutions at the World Economic Forum


Nicole Schwab er einn af framkvæmdastjórum The Platform to Accelerate Nature-Based Solutions og  1t.org hjá Alþjóðaefnahagsráðinu. Hún hóf feril sinn í stefnumótunarvinnu við uppbyggingu heilbrigðiskerfis á Andes svæðinu fyrir yfirvöld í Bolivíu og Alþjóðabankann. Nicole kom að stofnun vettvangsins Young Global Leaders innan Alþjóðaefnahagsráðsins, ásamt föður sínum Klaus Schwab stofnandi Alþjóðaefnahagsráðsins. Hún er í dag formaður stjórnar Young Global Leaders. 



Árið 2009 stofnaði hún EDGE Certified Foundation, vottunarstaðal sem miðar að jafnrétti kynjanna á vinnumarkaði, staðalinn er nú í notkun hjá yfir 250 alþjóðlegum fyrirtækjum í 40 löndum. Nicole hefur þá gengt hlutverki ráðgjafa og stefnumótunar sérðfræðings hjá félagasamtökum þar sem unnið er markvisst með tenginu umhverfismála og kynjajafnréttis, þar á meðal er National Geographic Society’s – Campaign for Nature. Árið 2014 gaf hún út verðlaunabókina The Heart of the Labyrinth. 



For the last few months, she has led the World Economic Forum's initiative, The Platform to Accelerate Nature-Based Solutions, which is concerned, among other things, with business taking a stand when it comes to having an enriching effect (e. regenerate) on natural resources. There she works to create a clear connection between climate change and biodiversity and how we can take responsibility and be part of the solution. There, she has pointed out the enormous opportunities contained in "The Great Reset" following Covid-19, an opportunity to create changes and propose solutions.



    Information about Nicole Schwab from the website of the World Economic Forum: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/authors/nicole-schwabNicole Schwab | LinkedInInTent Round Table 2020 with NICOLE SCHWAB – YouTube


„The crisis has shown us that things can shift very rapidly when we put our minds to it“



Great Transitions: Doubling Down on the Sustainable Development Goals


John McArthur, director of the Center for Sustainable Development at the Brookings Institution.


John is a senior fellow at Brookings, a senior advisor at the United Nations Foundation, and chairman of the International Development Research Centre. He sits on UNICEF's advisory board and the Government of Canada's steering committee on vision and strategy. He is the co-founder of the "17 Rooms" initiative, an innovative way to encourage action aimed at accelerating progress towards the United Nations' global goals for sustainable development.



McArthur was previously the director of Millennium Promise, the UN's international organization for the Millennium Development Goals. He was the deputy director of the UN Millennium Project, the independent advisory board of Kofi Annan, former UN Secretary General. The role of the Council was to advise on the creation of an action plan aimed at achieving the Millennium Development Goals. He has extensive experience in bringing together policy makers around the world, including the Millennium Development Goals and now the Global Goals.



He was then Director of Policy at the Earth Institute at Columbia University. Teacher at Columbia University, chairman of the International Commission on Education and Sustainability in Action, project manager of the Global Competitiveness Report, worked on research at the Harvard Institute on International Development.

John McArthur lagði drög að þverfaglegu háskólanámi sem miðar að því að þjálfa kynslóð sjálfbærnisérfræðinga, námsleiðin er nú kennd í fimm heimsálfum. Hann var formaður Global Agenda Council hjá Alþjóðaefnahagsráðinu og situr nú í ráðgjafaráði Alþjóðaefnahagsráðsins um sjálfbærni og samkeppnishæfni. Þá á hann sæti í alþjóðlegu framtíðarráði Alþjóðaefnahagsráðsins sem er með fókus á alþjóðlega stjórnun og samstarf milli einka- og opinbera geirans.



John McArthur has published a number of books and academic articles, including the book Leave No One Behind: Time for Specifics on the Sustainable Development Goals, which was published in 2019, and From Summits to Solutions: Innovations in Implementing the Sustainable Development Goals from 2018. John's research and articles, and interviews with him, have appeared in all major media outlets and specialty food publications in his field.



    Twitter – @mcarthurLinkedIN – John McArthur Center for Sustainable Development at Brookings Article by John McArthur: Great Transitions: Doubling down on the Sustainable Development Goals (brookings.edu)


„Everyone can contribute. The opportunity is a world of inclusion, resilience, and sustainability for all“

The Great Reset and the Gray Rhinos Ahead of Us


Michele Wucker, metsöluhöfundur, forstjóri og stofnandi Gray Rhino & Company.


Fyrirtækið, The Gray Rhino & Company, heitir eftir alþjóðlegri metsölubók Michele – The Gray Rhino: How to Recognize and Act on the Obvious Dangers We Ignore. Hún ráðleggur leiðtogum, stofnunum og samfélögum af ýmsu tagi að koma auga á og undirbúa sig fyrir „Gray Rhino áhættur“: hugtak sem lagði fram til að ná utan um áskoranir sem eru augljósar en jafnframt er gjarnan litið framhjá, þrátt fyrir stærð þeirra – og stundum einmitt útaf stærð þeirra.



Among the leaders who have sought out Michele's world of knowledge is China's President Xi Jinping. He referenced Michele's work in a famous address to the Chinese Communist Party meeting in January 2019, when he told top party leaders that China must be on guard against highly unlikely, unthinkable "black swans" while also guarding against highly probable but frequent overlooked and neglected "gray rhinos".



Michele has over three decades of experience in strategy, economics and finance, and public policy and risk management. Michele has appeared on CNN, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, National Public Radio in the United States and many other news outlets around the world.



Among the recognitions she has received for her work is Guggenheim Fellow, American Council on Germany Young Leader, Women's Media Center Woman Making History, World Economic Forum Young Global Leaders.



Hún er fyrrverandi forseti World Policy Institute, varaforseti Alþjóðafræða hjá The Chicago Council on Global Affairs og fréttastjóri yfir latnesku Ameríku hjá International Financing Review.




„No, the coronavirus pandemic wasn’t an ‘unforeseen problem“

The dream investment in 2035 (e. The dream investment in 2035)


Sasja Beslik, Director of Sustainable Investments at J. Safra Sarasin Bank in Switzerland.


Sasja is an award-winning international investor in the field of sustainability. Sasja Beslik was voted banker of the year in Sweden in 2016, received the Swedish King's Order of Honor 2013 for his outstanding contribution to development, environmental issues and sustainability within the financial sector in Sweden. He has unique knowledge and insight into the opportunities that come with sustainable investments.



Sjálfbærnisjóður sem Sasja stofnaði hjá Nordea árið 2011 var valinn besti hlutabréfasjóðurinn í Svíþjóð 2017, fyrsti sjálfbærnisjóðurinn til að fá þessi verðlaun. Hann var valin Young Global Leader af Alþjóðaefnahagsráðinu árið 2011. Frá árinu 2009 starfaði hann fyrir Nordea sem yfirmaður samfélagslega ábyrgra fjárfestinga, forstjóri fjárfestingasjóða í Svíþjóð 2011 og forstjóri sjálfbærra fjármála áður en hann færði sig yfir til J. Safra Sarasin. Sasja gaf út bókin Guld och gröna skogar árið 2019.



Fyrr á árinu hóf Sasja útgáfa vikulegra rafrænna fréttabréfa: ESG* on a Sundays. Þar fer hann vikulega yfir það sem stendur upp úr í heimi sjálfbærni, fjárfestinga og atvinnulífsins á alþjóðavettvangi. Fréttabréfið hefur vakið mikla athygli og þar er sannarlega ekki farið í málamiðlanir eða dansað í kringum hlutina – mælum með áskrift.

Sasja Beslik attracted a lot of attention in Iceland when he participated in the Business Forum of the Icelandic Chamber of Commerce in 2020.

*E/U= umhverfi, S/F= social issues og G/S = stjórnarhættir

„Green bonds do offer benefits, and despite a tough time during COVID-19, the green bond market is likely to continue to grow over the next decade.“

Hugvekja: Sjálfbær velferð


Elísabet H. Brynjarsdóttir, nurse and Mrs. Ragnheiðar's project manager – harm reduction.


Elísabet H. Brynjarsdóttir is a 27-year-old nurse from Kópavogur. During her studies, she took part in founding the psychological education association Hugrún and was elected chairman. She was then elected president of the Student Council of the University of Iceland in 2018, where she participated in, among other things, the establishment of the climate strike. In the years 2018-2020, she performed the work of student president on behalf of more than 250 thousand students in the European university network Aurora network.

Elísabet graduated from the University of Iceland in 2017 as a nurse and since then has worked for the Red Cross in Frú Ragnheiði - harm reduction project. There, she has participated in increasing the access of marginalized individuals to health services based on the harm reduction philosophy and the values of sustainability, social responsibility and strong user consultation.

At Frú Ragnheiði, she has led and supported a large group of volunteers as a nurse and more recently as the project's project manager.

In November 2020, she received the JCI award as an outstanding young Icelander for her humanitarian and volunteer work.

    Twitter: @betablokker Article from Læknablaðin: "Everyone has mental health" - says Elísabet Brynjarsdóttir, chairwoman of Hugrún | 04. tbl. Year 104 2018 | Læknablaðið (laeknabladid.is) Elísabet is an outstanding young Icelander (mbl.is)


Are Icelandic managers on a green road?


Rakel Eva Sævarsdóttir, project manager at Deloitte


Discussions and expectations about the actions of companies in climate matters have increased significantly in recent years. To assess the position of Icelandic companies on the green road, as well as to increase understanding of management's reactions to climate issues, Deloitte sent a survey to the management of the country's 300 largest companies last November.

The results of this important study will be presented at Festa's January 2021 conference.


Rakel Eva Sævarsdóttir, project manager at Deloitte, will present the results of the survey, but with the survey, Deloitte hopes to shed light on the state of companies in the country and how their managers deal with the climate challenge.

Furthermore, Deloitte considers the results to be an important contribution to further orientation and discussions on climate issues in Iceland.


Festa's CEO Hrund Gunnsteinsdóttir and Festa's chairman Tómas N. Möller lead the program: Festa 10 years

At Festa's January 2020 conference, several companies set bold cycle goals for the next 12 months. They show up now, a year later, and tell us how it went. Were the goals achieved? What were the challenges? What went well and what could have gone better?


At the conference, we will present what it means to be a Member and unveil who was selected, from a large pool of applicants, to join in 2021.

Here you can read everything about Festa's January conference 2020.

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