KRISTINA RISOM JESPERSEN

Kristina Risom Jespersen is an Associate Professor at the Department of Economics and Business Economics at Aarhus BSS, where her main areas of research include innovation management, business development, strategy, and human capital development.

Kristina has a Ph.D. from Aarhus School of Business and holds a position as faculty Head of Education.

Kristina has been the Chairman of the Aarhus Symposium Board of Directors since November 2020 and member of the Aarhus Symposium Board of Directors since March 2018.

HENRIK LIND

Henrik Lind holds an HD in Economics and Business Administration from Aarhus University. In 2004, Henrik founded the energy trading house Danske Commodities, and today he is the CEO in his holding company Lind Invest, which owns and have founded Lind Capital, a technology-driven trading company based in Aarhus.

Besides the HD from Aarhus University, Henrik has completed The Board Academy at Copenhagen University, and he is also certified within raw material trading.

Henrik has been a member of the Aarhus Symposium Board of Directors since March 2021.

TORBEN M. ANDERSEN

Torben Magnus Andersen is a Professor of Economics at the Department of Economics at the University of Aarhus. His primary areas of research interests are the Scandinavian welfare model, labour market policies, globalization, as well as pensions and fiscal sustainability.

Torben holds a Ph.D. as Lic.oecon from the University of Aarhus, a Ph.D CORE from Université Catholíque in Belgium, and an MSc from London School of Economics, where he was awarded the Ely Devons Prize.

Torben has been a member of the Aarhus Symposium Board of Directors since November 2020.

NICK MELGAARD

Nick Melgaard is an Associate at NREP, a vertically integrated real estate product innovator, and he is also a past member of the Steering Committee of Aarhus Symposium from 2011 until 2013.

Nick holds an M.Sc. in Economics from Aarhus University, and he has a background as a consultant at McKinsey & Company and an analyst at Deloitte. In addition to his position at the Board of Directors, Nick is a member of the board of German engineering company, Reuther STC GmbH.

Nick has been a member of the Aarhus Symposium Board of Directors since March 2018.

MICHAEL JENSEN

Michael Jensen is an Strategy Officer at Jyllands-Posten, one of Denmark's largest newspaper.

Michael has a Master’s degree in Marketing from Aarhus BSS, and during his studies, he spent a year as Marketing and PR responsible for Aarhus Symposium in its very first year of existence.

Michael has been a member of the Aarhus Symposium Board of Directors since March 2018.

KARINA SCHMITT LUND

Karina Schmitt Lund is the founder of, and Senior Advisor at Athena, a management consulting firm based in Copenhagen, which combines global banking and business understanding with executive leadership experience.

Karina has previously held a Managing Director position at Bank of America Merrill Lynch in Global Fixed Income, and prior to that she was Executive Director at Morgan Stanley in London, another global leader in corporate and investment banking.

Karina holds a Master’s Degree in Economics from the University of Aarhus in 2002 with an MA in International Political Economy from the University of Warwick. Karina has been a member of the Aarhus Symposium Board of Directors since November 2020.

JENS RIIS ANDERSEN

Jens Riis Andersen is a Partner at McKinsey & Company and one of the co-founders of Aarhus Symposium. Jens holds a Ph.D. in Economics as well as a Master’s Degree in Law from Aarhus University. In addition, he has conducted studies at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, HEC Paris, Harvard University, and ESADE.

During his studies, Jens was engaged in the student life at Aarhus University, where he co-founded the student organisations FACCA and Aarhus Symposium. In Aarhus Symposium, Jens was as a member of the Steering Committee in 2011 and 2012, and has been a board member since.

Kasper Vinther Olesen

Kasper Vinther Olesen is Vice President, Rates Strat at Merrill Lynch International in London and one of the co-founders of Aarhus Symposium. Kasper holds an M.Sc. in Quantitative Economics and a Ph.D. in Economics from Aarhus University. In addition, he has conducted studies at Rotman School of Management (University of Toronto), Oxford-MAN Institute of Quantitative Finance, and London School of Economics.

During his studies, Kasper was engaged in the student life at Aarhus University, where he co-founded the student organisations FACCA and Aarhus Symposium. In Aarhus Symposium, Kasper was a member of the Steering Committee in 2011, 2012, and 2013, and has been the Vice Chairman of the Aarhus Symposium Board of Directors since.