Executive Board of Advisors
NORD 55° is in the process of establishing an executive board of advisors to ensure that perspectives are both geographically and professionally nuanced, and to ensure broad ownership from across the Nordic region. We are not yet at full capacity. Christian Have chairs the steering group meetings.
Stefan Björkman (FI)
Stefan Björkman is the CEO of the association Konstsamfundet, the aim of which is to promote and support the fine arts, publications, music and theatre. He is the board chair of the art museum Amos Rex, member of the board of the newspaper Hufvudstadsbladet and of the Finnish Museum of Architecture and Design.
Other fiduciary positions: board chair of the health group Cor Group and the marine insurance company Alandia and member of the board of the fashion group Lindex.
Stefan Björkman has more than 30 years of experience in the industry and in the financial sector from, for example, the elevator company Kone, Aktia Bank, and the pension insurance undertakings Etera and Ilmarinen.
Lotta Edling (S)
Lotta Edling is the editorial director at Bonnier News, Sweden's leading news media provider and largest media group in the Nordic countries with newspapers in ten European markets. She has a background as a journalist, and prior to hers current position she has had several different roles at Dagens Industri, including the position as editor-in-chief. Edling is also a member of the board of the Danish business daily Børsen, the Swedish national news agency TT (Tidningarnas Telegrambyrå), the Swedish Newspapers Association Tidningsutgivarna (TU) and of the global board of directors of INMA (International News Media Association).
Christian Have (DK)
Christian Have is a prominent voice in the public debate in Denmark concerning arts and culture. He uses his voice as a public debater, speaker, moderator, author and not least as the founder and owner of HAVE Kommunikation & PR, which he founded in 1983. Over the course of three decades, HAVE Kommunikation & PR has grown to be the largest the communications agency within the area of culture. During his career, Have has worked with a plethora of people – from upcoming artists to global superstars – and he has published several books about culture and communication, including Ansvar eller anarki, Den nye guldalder and Kunstig Intelligens.
Svend Hardenberg (GL)
Svend Hardenberg is a building contractor and an entrepreneur. He has worked as a consultant for large infrastructure projects within, for example, aviation, utilities, telecommunications, retail, fuel import distribution and sales. He was also permanent secretary of the Premier's Office in the Government of Greenland. Svend Hardenberg is on the board of the University of Greenland.
He also unexpectedly became a TV star on Netflix due to his debut in one of leading roles in the most recent season of the Danish television series Borgen, which is based on a plot involving politics and climate crisis.
Lasse Horne Kjeldgaard (DK)
Lasse Horne Kjældgaard is the CEO of the Carlsberg Foundation, PhD and a professor in Danish literature. He is a member of the Danish Academy.
He was previously head of the H.C. Andersen Centre and has also been the director of the Society for Danish Language and Literature. He has written a number of books about literature and culture-historical topics. He was a literary critic at the Danish daily Politiken from 2003-2017 and editor of the journal Kritik from 2004-2012.
Gunvor Kronman (FI)
Gunvor Kronman is the CEO of Hanaholmen, a public-private intergovernmental institution, which has coordinated Finnish-Swedish collaboration within the social, business and culture sectors for almost 50 years. Hanaholmen also includes several Nordic foundations. Over the past several years, Hanaholmen has focused on civil emergency response, foreign policy, defence and safety, cooperation between universities, managerial development and creation of new Nordic networks. Gunvor Kronman is the board chair of several Finnish and international boards. Kronman has received several awards for strengthening the relationship between the Nordic countries and for his humanitarian work.
Thure Lindhardt (DK)
Thure Lindhardt is an actor and director. He has appeared in many films, as well as on TV and the stage in many countries. Productions include Broen, Angels and Demons, Into The Wild and most recently The New Look and Hammarskjöld.
Over the past several years, he has gravitated towards the world of art and storytelling, and he has directed Strindberg's play Frk. Julie at Bellevue Teatret, as well as Krag og Virkner and Det Sindsyge Eksperiment for DR (the Danish Broadcasting Corporation) and TV2. Together with Rune Skyum Nielsen he has written the books: Vi Ved jo hvad det er at være Menneske and Amdi Bliver Til. Moreover, he is part of the group behind the annual culture festival Resonans. He is also a member of a group comprising doctors and artists, who work with art, rituals and the layout of hospitals in Denmark.
Benny Marcel (S)
Benny Marcel is a member of the board of several Swedish culture organisations. He is the board chair of Dansalliansen and the deputy board chair of Folkoperan in Stockholm. In December 2023, he was appointed as board chair of Riksteatern by the Swedish Government. Benny Marcel also serves as a consultant and advisor within several areas regarding politics and society, both nationally and internationally.
He has had a long career in several international organisations. For seven years, he was the European director of Save the Children. Most recently he was the director of the Nordic Culture Fund based in Copenhagen between 2015-23.
Hilde Sandvik (NO)
Hilde Sandvik is a journalist, editor and author. She has been committed to building a Scandinavian consciousness for many years, and has made a podcast and radio programme called Norsken, svensken and dansken (the Norwegian, the Swede and the Dane), which is broadcast on Danish, Norwegian and Swedish radio. She previously worked as the culture and debate editor of Bergens Tidende, and she founded and is the editor of the website Broen.xyz. Hilde Sandvik has also initiated the project
"Support not protect " that aims at counteracting negative social control by encouraging brothers to support rather than protect their sisters. Sandvik is the deputy board chair of the Norwegian Amedia and member of the board of directors of Amedia.
Kathrine Tschemerinsky (DK)
Kathrine Tschemerinsky is the culture editor at Weekendavisen. She holds an MSc in anthropology from the University of Copenhagen and Columbia University, New York. She began her career writing for Atlas magazine and has since 2015 written for Weekendavisen, where she has also edited the books section. She often serves as an interviewer and moderator in cosmopolitan contexts. She has lived in Jerusalem, and today she uses culture to examine who we once were and who we are becoming. She has written the book Turen går til bøgernes verden.
Stig Kirk Ørskov (DK)
Since 2014 Stig Kirk Ørskov has been the CEO of JP/Politikens Media Group, Denmark's largest publishing organisation. From 2010 to 2014, he was the COO. Before that he was the journalist and administrative editor-in-chief at Politiken. Today he is also vice-president of the World Association of News Publishers and a member of the boards of the Confederation of Danish Employers, the Confederation of Danish Industries and Danske Medier. He is coauthor of the books Mærsk – manden og magten, Fra kamp til kultur and Eurofact.dk.
Yacir Persson- Chelbat (S)
Yacir Persson-Chelbat is chairman of the board of Diversity index Sweden AB, which he founded in 2009 in Malmö. In 2012, he initiated the award Diversity Index Award. Today is Diversity Index Award is an independent, non-profit association that organizes awards and gallas aimed at creating a platform for networks centered in acceptance, diversity and dialogue.
Yacir is also active in different boards within security and international relations, He act as group manager at SEB, he previously worked as head of business development and innovation at Securitas, head of business at French ARO group.
Mona Ibrahim Ahmed (NO)
Mona Ibrahim Ahmed works at the Directorate of Integration and Diversity in Norway (IMDi) and is a strong advocate for the rights of young men and women. With extensive experience in advancing societal improvement, she believes that social sustainability encompasses more than just financial aspects; it involves building a society where everyone feels secure and included.
Ahmed has contributed to the organization Fargespill, which produces performing arts and shows, for over 10 years and also serves on its board. An accomplished public speaker, she shares her knowledge to motivate and inspire others. In 2018, she authored the book "Letter to Norway". In 2021, Mona was named one of the 30 Leading Stars under 30 by D2 and Dagens Næringsliv.
Additionally, she is a co-founder of "Support not Protect", a company dedicated to campaigns aimed at changing attitudes among young men with immigrant backgrounds.
Bodil Kjelstrup (NO)
Bodil Kjelstrup has served as the director of Hålogaland Theater in Tromsø, Norway, since the spring of 2022. With a wealth of experience spanning numerous leadership, communication, and administrative roles within both the public sector and the arts and cultural sphere, she has held positions such as administrative director at the Nordnorsk Kunstmuseum, curator for Seed Lab at the Anchorage Museum in Alaska, USA, and deputy director of the Tromsø International Film Festival. Kjelstrup harbors a profound dedication to the transformative power of art within societal discourse and maintains a steadfast connection to the northern region and Sápmi, both in spirit and action.
Lise Bach Hansen (DK)
Lise Bach Hansen began her career working within TV and communication in Paris. Since then, she has worked in politics in the European Parliament in Brussels/Strasbourg. Her work has consistently focused on examining the relationship between art, politics and democracy. For many years, she has been at the forefront of one of the largest live scenes in the Nordic region: The International Authors’ Stage at the Royal Danish Library in Copenhagen. A forum where people ranging from Nobel laureates to heads of state meet. She works as a curator and moderator in several Nordic contexts and sits on several boards. She is co-author of the books Sæt Scenen and Arctic Imagination.