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The Wellbeing Economy Forum

APRIL 15-16, 2027

Harpa, Reykjavík, Iceland

The Wellbeing Economy Forum

The Wellbeing Economy Forum is a global platform for dialogue, collaboration, and change among politicians, policymakers, business leaders, academics, and practitioners. The fifth edition of the Forum will take place on 15-16 April 2027 at Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Centre in Reykjavík, Iceland, with pre-forum events on 14 April.

Theme 2027: Together for Wellbeing - The Power of Connecting People, Policy and Planet.

Connection is fundamental to our wellbeing, from our relationships with one another and nature to the ways we work together across communities, sectors and generations. The 2027 Forum will explore how meaningful conversations, collaboration and collective action can help build healthier, fairer and more sustainable societies.

Organised by the Icelandic Directorate of Health, the Forum is an integral part of the Joint Action PreventNCD and co-funded by the European Union through the EU Health Programme. It is committed to reshaping our economic systems to operate within environmental limits and prioritise the wellbeing of all generations.

Join us and be part of the conversation, for the wellbeing of people and the planet, today and for future generations.

Our Mission

Our mission is to foster an environment where diverse perspectives converge with a shared commitment to crafting sustainable wellbeing for all, aligning with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

2024 Halla Tomasdottir -1401_2_Aldis Palsdottir_edited.jpg

President of Iceland Halla Tómasdóttir

Patron of the Forum.

Dr. Dóra Guðrún Guðmundsdóttir

Founder and Chair of the Forum.

Learn More

Speakers 2026

As we prepare the programme and confirm speakers for the Wellbeing Economy Forum 2027, take a look at some of the leading voices who joined us in 2026. From political leaders and policymakers to researchers and public health experts, the Forum brought together people from across countries and sectors.

Explore a selection below, or visit the full 2026 Speakers page to learn more.

Halla Tómasdóttir

The President of Iceland

Halla earned her BSc in business studies, specialising in management and human resources, from Auburn University at Montgomery, USA, in 1993, and her MBA from the Thunderbird School of Global Management in 1995. Later she pursued doctoral studies at Cranfield University, UK, where she carried out research in leadership studies.

Halla worked in human resources management and organizational development at M&M/Mars and Pepsi Cola. After ten years abroad she moved back to Iceland, where she became director of human resources at The Icelandic Broadcasting Corporation. She joined the founding team of Reykjavík University in 1999, where she founded and led the Executive & Continuing Education department and Auður í krafti kvenna, a women entrepreneurship and empowerment project. She also developed and taught courses in organizational behavior, change leadership and entrepreneurship to students of all ages.

In 2006 Halla became the first female CEO of the Iceland Chamber of Commerce. She left in 2007 to co-found a female-led investment company, Auður Capital, with the objective to introduce profit with principles in the world of finance. She was one of nine founders of Mauraþúfan (Anthill), which held the National Assembly of 2009 that addressed Iceland’s future after the financial collapse of 2008 and she organised and chaired WE2015, a global dialogue on closing the gender gap in 2015.

In 2018-24 Halla was the CEO and Chief Change Catalyst of The B Team, a global non-profit organisation, that advocates for responsible business practices and collaboration between government, the private sector and citizens in addressing major challenges such as climate change and inequality. Halla Tómasdóttir took office as president of Iceland on 1 August 2024.

Halla has received awards from the Association of Businesswomen in Iceland, and for teaching at the MBA level, as well as the equality award of her hometown of Kópavogur; and in 2009 she received, together with Kristín Pétursdóttir, the Women’s Initiative Award from Cartier, McKinsey and INSEAD. She has delivered keynotes around the world, including TED lectures (see here), and written articles and discussed responsible leadership in media such as TIME, Fortune and CNN. In 2023 Halla published the book Hugrekki til að hafa áhrif (Courage to catalyze impact). She has served on many boards, such as Veritas Capital, Ölgerðin consumer products company, the Hjalli Model for gender-equal education, Reykjavík University, the software company Calidris and the Leifur Eiríksson Foundation.

Nicola Sturgeon

Former First Minister of Scotland

Nicola Sturgeon was Scotland's longest serving First Minister and the first woman to hold the office. She led Scotland through Brexit and the Covid pandemic, working with five UK Prime Ministers during her time in office.

Nicola studied law at the University of Glasgow, and worked as a solicitor before entering frontline politics in 1999 as one of the inaugural members of the re-established Scottish Parliament. Before being elected First Minister, Nicola was the Deputy First Minister and Scotland's Health Secretary. She also helped lead the Yes campaign in the 2014 independence referendum. As leader of the SNP she steered the party to a position of electoral dominance in Scotland, whilst also establishing herself as a dedicated representative of Scotland internationally, and a highly influential voice on issues such as climate change, wellbeing, gender equality and human rights. Her best-selling autobiography, Frankly, was published in August 2025.

Sandra Gallina

Director-General for Health and Food Safety
of the European Commission

Sandra Gallina joined the European Commission in 1988. She is today Director-General for Health and Food Safety (DG SANTE).
Before joining DG SANTE, between 2018 and 2020, she was Deputy Director-General for TRADE.
Between 2014 and 2018, she was Director for DG TRADE Directorate D “Sustainable Development; Economic Partnership Agreements - African, Caribbean and Pacific; Agri-food and Fisheries”. Sandra Gallina was also the EU chief negotiator for the EU-MERCOSUR Free Trade Agreement.
Between 2001 and 2009, she was the EU Lead Negotiator for Non-Agricultural Market Access in the WTO Doha Round and in that capacity, she defined and presented EU policy for the Doha Development Agenda on non-agricultural market access negotiations.
Before joining DG TRADE, she worked in the Directorate General for Taxation and Customs Union (DG TAXUD) at the end of the 1990s.

Anna Gilmore

Professor of Public Health, University of Bath and Co-Director, Centre for 21st Century Public Health

A clinician by background, Anna Gilmore is Professor of Public Health, Co-Director of the Centre for 21st Century Public Health and founding Director of the award winning Tobacco Control Research Group (TCRG) at the University of Bath which established the ground-breaking knowledge exchange platform www.TobaccoTactics.org under her leadership. She currently leads the Local Health Global Profits consortium, one of just four under UK Research and Innovation’s Population Health Improvement UK initiative.
Anna’s work focuses on the commercial determinants of health including corporate influence on policy and science, and evaluates the impacts of public policies on health. It has led to substantial policy impacts from local to global level recognised through numerous awards including the WHO World No Tobacco Day Medal (2008), Public Health Advocacy Institute Award (2009), the inaugural European Health Leadership Award (2019) for ‘pioneering change makers’ and a Special Recognition Award from the WHO Director General (2021). Anna has over 350 publications, is a member of various international expert groups including the WHO’s international expert group on the Commercial Determinants of Health.

Jesper Brodin

Senior Advisor, IKEA Foundation;
Former CEO IKEA | Ingka Group;
B Team, UN Global Compact, The Earth Shot Prize

"Together we have a decade to prevent irreversible damage from climate change to the home we all share, the planet. I joined The B Team to spark real change–we need to take a positive, proactive and collaborative approach to turn the climate challenge into scalable solutions–together. It’s good business to be a good business and the time for talk is over. We will act, now."

Jesper is the Chair of The B Team and a Management Board Member of Ingka Group | IKEA. Previously, he served as CEO of Ingka Group I IKEA from 2017 to 2025. With decades of experience embedding sustainability and equality into business practices, Jesper’s leadership is central to The B Team’s efforts to catalyze business action to address the biggest challenges facing people and the planet. Additionally, he is vice-chair of the UN Global Compact Board and serves on the global board of directors of the World Resources Institute (WRI).

Hanna Birna Kristjánsdóttir

Co-founder & Chair of the Reykjavík Global Forum & Senior Adviser on Women´s Leadership, UN Women, HQ NY

Hanna is the Co-founder and Chair of the Reykjavik Global Forum, which takes place in Iceland
every year and gathers 500 women leaders from around 100 countries to discuss and share ideas
and solutions on how to advance society further, increase equality between women and men,
and promote and positively develop the number of women in leadership positions. She is also the
Senior Adviser on Women’s leadership at UN Women in New York, where she for example leads
the first permanent UN Women Leaders Network chaired by the Executive Director of UN
Women.
Hanna Birna was active in Icelandic politics for over 20 years, previously serving in the national
Parliament and the City Council of Reykjavík. She is the former President of the City Council, the
former Mayor of Reykjavik, the former Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the Parliament of
Iceland when serving as a member of Althingi, and the former Minister of the Interior in the
Government of Iceland. Iceland. She is also the former Vice Chair of the Independence Party in
Iceland; the former Deputy Secretary General of the Independence Party and the former
Secretary General of its Parliamentary Group.
Hanna Birna obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Iceland in 1991
and later a Master of Science in International and European Politics from the University of
Edinburgh (1993).

View All Speakers

News & Updates

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Photos from the Wellbeing Economy Forum 2026

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Videos from The Wellbeing Economy Forum

2026

Launch of OECD - EU Policy Brief: Healthier Lives, Stronger Societies

43:44

Wellbeing awards 2026

02:59

Leadership and Wellbeing in the Age of AI

53:52

See All Videos

Useful Information

Meet the team

Get to know the people behind the Forum and its leadership.

Meet the Team >

The Venue

Discover Harpa Concert Hall in Reykjavík, our world-class venue.

Explore Venue >

Our Partners

Learn about the organizations that make the Forum possible.

See Partners >

Contact

Reach out to the Forum team for any questions or inquiries.

Contact Us >

The Wellbeing Economy Forum is an event that forms part of JA PreventNCD. JA PreventNCD is co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HADEA). Neither the European Union nor HADEA can be held responsible for them.

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The Wellbeing Economy Forum

APRIL 15-16, 2027

The Wellbeing Economy Forum

Theme 2027: Together for Wellbeing - The Power of Connecting People, Policy and Planet.

Our Mission

Speakers 2026

News & Updates

Together for Wellbeing: Theme announced for the Wellbeing Economy Forum 2027

Katrín Jakobsdóttir and Nicola Sturgeon call for action beyond GDP in TIME

June Newsletter

Redefining success: reflections from the Wellbeing Economy Forum 2026

Katrín Jakobsdóttir and Nicola Sturgeon Received the Wellbeing Awards 2026

Photos from the Wellbeing Economy Forum 2026

Videos from The Wellbeing Economy Forum

2026

Launch of OECD - EU Policy Brief: Healthier Lives, Stronger Societies

Wellbeing awards 2026

Leadership and Wellbeing in the Age of AI

Useful Information

Meet the team

The Venue

Our Partners

Contact

Join our
Mailing List

Follow us

Follow us

The Wellbeing Economy Forum

APRIL 15-16, 2027

The Wellbeing Economy Forum

Theme 2027: Together for Wellbeing - The Power of Connecting People, Policy and Planet.

Our Mission

Speakers 2026

News & Updates

Together for Wellbeing: Theme announced for the Wellbeing Economy Forum 2027

Katrín Jakobsdóttir and Nicola Sturgeon call for action beyond GDP in TIME

June Newsletter

Redefining success: reflections from the Wellbeing Economy Forum 2026

Katrín Jakobsdóttir and Nicola Sturgeon Received the Wellbeing Awards 2026

Photos from the Wellbeing Economy Forum 2026

Videos from The Wellbeing Economy Forum

2026

Launch of OECD - EU Policy Brief: Healthier Lives, Stronger Societies

Wellbeing awards 2026

Leadership and Wellbeing in the Age of AI

Useful Information

Meet the team

The Venue

Our Partners

Contact

Join our Mailing List

Follow us

Follow us

Join our
Mailing List