February Newsletter
- Elín Hirst
- Mar 2
- 4 min read
Jesper Brodin to Speak at the Wellbeing Economy Forum 2026
We are delighted to announce that Jesper Brodin will join the Wellbeing Economy Forum in Iceland on April 16–17 as a keynote speaker.
A globally respected business leader and sustainability advocate, Brodin currently serves as Chair of The B Team and as a Management Board Member of Ingka Group | IKEA. From 2017 to 2025, he led Ingka Group as CEO, guiding the organisation through a period of transformation grounded in purpose, people, and planet.
In addition to his leadership roles, Brodin is Vice Chair of the UN Global Compact Board and a member of the global board of directors of the World Resources Institute (WRI). Through these positions, he continues to champion responsible business and collaborative climate action at a global scale.
Brodin joined The B Team with a clear mission: to help spark real change by turning the climate challenge into scalable, collaborative solutions. His message is simple yet powerful: it is good business to be a good business and the time for talk is over. The time to act is now.
At the Wellbeing Economy Forum, Brodin will engage in a special dialogue with Halla Tómasdóttir the President of Iceland, exploring the role of purpose-driven and principled leadership in a rapidly changing world. Together, they will reflect on the dilemmas leaders face today from navigating the AI revolution and rising disinformation to rebuilding trust, accelerating climate solutions, and fostering inclusive cultures. Drawing on his personal journey at IKEA from beginning as Ingvar Kamprad’s assistant to becoming CEO Brodin will share insights on leading with courage, compassion, and collaboration. The conversation will offer an open and honest perspective on how leaders can rise to the challenges of our time while working toward a better, more human-centred economy.
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Beyond GDP: Rethinking How We Measure Progress
A central theme at the Wellbeing Economy Forum will be the urgent need to move beyond GDP as the dominant measure of economic success.
This conversation is gaining momentum globally. In an interview with The Guardian on 9 February, UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned that relying solely on GDP risks driving the world toward planetary disaster. He emphasised that current economic accounting systems fail to capture the true value of nature and human wellbeing.
“We must place true value on the environment and go beyond gross domestic product as a measure of human progress and wellbeing,” Guterres said. “Let us not forget that when we destroy a forest, we are creating GDP. When we overfish, we are creating GDP.”
For decades, growth measured primarily through GDP has been treated as the overarching goal of economic policy. Yet this narrow focus often overlooks environmental degradation, social inequality, and long-term resilience.
To address this gap, Guterres has convened a group of leading economists to develop a new dashboard of measures that better reflect true progress. The group includes Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz, Indian economist Kaushik Basu, and equity expert Nora Lustig. Their work aims to integrate indicators of human wellbeing, sustainability, and equity into how we assess economic success.
At the Wellbeing Economy Forum, participants will explore how such alternative metrics can reshape policy decisions and support a more inclusive, sustainable, and resilient economic future one that measures what truly matters.
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Discover Reykjavík’s Hidden Stories on a Historic Walking Tour
Join well-known and humorous Icelandic historian Stefán Pálsson, who will lead a historic walking tour for Wellbeing Economy Forum guests at 6:00 PM on Thursday, April 16th. The tour will begin at the Harpa Conference Center, the venue of the Forum, and will lead to the local geothermal swimming pool, Vesturbæjarlaug. The walk will take approximately 40 minutes and will feature several intriguing twists and turns.
Along the way, you will discover the story of a notorious former prison that became the office of Iceland's Prime Minister, learn about an ambitious hotel project initiated by a larger-than-life wrestler and showman in the 1930s, explore an overcrowded old cemetery, and find out how a small Catholic congregation constructed the largest church in the country.
Guests of the Forum can sign up for the Historic Walk and Pool experience during their Forum registration, under the side events section.
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Registration is open!
Planning for the Wellbeing Economy Forum is well underway, and we look forward to welcoming you to Harpa this April. If you have not registered yet, you can do so by clicking the link below.
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Stay informed
For the latest updates on the programme, confirmed speakers, venue details, and practical information (including travel to Iceland), visit the official Forum website. We will continue adding new content as April approaches, so it’s worth checking back regularly.
Should you have any questions or need further information, please contact Elín Hirst at elin.hirst@landlaeknir.is
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