Fostering the next generation
“Entrepreneurship plays an important role in the Nordic economies in terms of driving innovation, ensuring sustainable growth and creating jobs. By cultivating the layer of startups we contribute to the societies we are a part of, and with the mentor programme we can feed our knowledge and expertise back into the system as we do have professionals in every matter relevant to these new businesses.”
When asked to become a mentor, Nina Arkilahti didn’t hesitate a second:
”What I’m thrilled to see, especially in the wake of the pandemic, are entrepreneurs that aren’t afraid to solve real-world problems, related to for example health and climate, with bold and bright business ideas. I’ll bring in my experience as a leader, my knowledge of Nordic and international markets, but I’m also looking forward to getting fresh perspectives on how future businesses and societies could look.”
Setting a winning team
Lars Espevik, General Counsel in Business Banking, is also looking forward to giving guidance to the leaders of the next generation.
“As a lawyer I have worked towards small and medium-sized businesses in the Nordics for many years and recognise the challenges businesses face with handling an increasing amount of regulation and requirements. I know what value a strong legal function can bring to a company and can share my thoughts on managing legal risks, including external legal advisers and costs, which can often be an unfamiliar area for many new companies.”
As an experienced people leader Lars Espevik is also focused on the importance of team dynamics, roles and changes:
“It’s not easy to set a winning team where the right people do the right things when you might have started out small. Issues with attracting talent, keeping up motivation and getting everyone onboard when making changes are also something most entrepreneurs face, so here Nordea can also help getting better prepared for the challenges and opportunities these upcoming businesses might face when growing.”
