2025 Investment Conference | Norges Bank Investment Management

What makes a great company?

We invest on behalf of the Norwegian people. Our goal is to maximise financial return on behalf of both current and future generations. 70 percent of the fund is invested in equities, and we have investments in more than 8,500 companies. We also want to contribute to the Norwegian asset management industry, so what better topic for our annual conference than: What makes a great company?

To answer this question, we have invited some of the world's leading CEOs and experts:

Adena T. Friedman - Chair and Chief Executive Officer of Nasdaq

Adena Friedman has been the Chief Executive Officer of Nasdaq since 1 January 2017, and was appointed Chair of the Board of Directors on 1 January 2023. She brings more than 20 years of industry leadership and expertise and is credited with significantly shaping Nasdaq’s transformation into a leading global exchange and technology company serving the financial industry.

Since December 2018, Adena has served as a Class B director to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. In January 2024, Adena was elected to the Business Roundtable (BRT) Board of Directors and currently serves as the Chair of the BRT's Technology Committee. In July 2020, Adena began her term as a member of the Vanderbilt University Board of Trust.

Adena earned an M.B.A. from Owen Graduate School of Management, Vanderbilt University and holds a B.A. in political science from Williams College.

Benedetto Vigna - Chief Executive Officer of Ferrari

Benedetto Vigna has been the CEO of Ferrari since September 2021. Before joining Ferrari, he was President of STMicroelectronics’ Analog, MEMS and Sensors Group, from January 2016 and a member of ST’s Executive Committee from May 2018. He joined ST in 1995 and founded the company’s MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) business. Under his guidance, ST’s MEMS sensors established the company’s leadership with large OEMs in motion-activated user interfaces.

During his career, Benedetto Vigna has filed more than 200 patents on micromachining, authored numerous publications and sat on the boards of several EU-funded programmes, including start-ups and globally recognised Asian and American research centres. He graduated in subnuclear physics from the University of Pisa.

Sir Christopher Hohn - Founder and Portfolio Manager at TCI Fund Management

Sir Christopher Hohn is the Managing Partner and Portfolio Manager of The Children’s Investment Fund (TCI). Before founding TCI in 2003, he managed investments for other hedge funds for almost a decade. Chris began his career in 1994 at Apax Partners, before joining Perry Capital in 1996. In 2007, he was named hedge fund manager of the year and recognised as one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine.

Sir Chris holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a bachelor’s degree in accounting and economics from Southampton University. He is known for his philanthropic efforts, including donations to environmental causes and COVID-19 testing machines. He was knighted in 2014 for services to philanthropy and international development.

David M. Solomon - Chief Executive Officer of Goldman Sachs

David M. Solomon is Chairman and CEO of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. He previously served as President and COO from 2017 to 2018 and Co-Head of the Investment Banking Division from 2006 to 2016. Before that, he was Global Head of the Financing Group, which included all capital markets and derivative products for the firm’s corporate clients. He joined Goldman Sachs as a Partner in 1999.

David sits on the Board of Directors of the Robin Hood Foundation and on the Board of Trustees of New York-Presbyterian Hospital. He also chairs the Board of Trustees of Hamilton College, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and government.

Erika H. James - Dean of the Wharton School

Erika H. James became Dean of the Wharton School in July 2020. Trained as an organisational psychologist, she is a leading expert on crisis leadership, workplace diversity and management strategy. Prior to her appointment at Wharton, Erika was the John H. Harland Dean at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School from 2014 to 2020. An award-winning educator, accomplished consultant and innovative researcher, she has paved the way for women in leadership both in education and corporate America.

In addition to her academic responsibilities, Erika sits on the boards of Morgan Stanley, The Philadelphia Orchestra, Kimmel Center and several organisations that align with her passions for education and advancing women in business. She holds a doctorate and a master’s degree in organisational psychology from the University of Michigan, as well as a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Pomona College in California.

John Elkann - Chief Executive Officer of Exor and Chair of Ferrari

John Elkann is CEO of Exor, a company whose purpose is to build great companies. He also chairs Ferrari, Stellantis, the Giovanni Agnelli Foundation and GEDI Gruppo Editoriale, and is a member of MoMA and the JP Morgan International Council.

Born in New York in 1976, John obtained a scientific baccalaureate from the Lycée Victor Duruy in Paris and graduated in engineering from Politecnico di Torino. While at university, he gained work experience in various companies of the Fiat Group in the UK and Poland (manufacturing) as well as in France (sales and marketing). He started his professional career in 2001 at General Electric as a member of the corporate audit staff, with assignments in Asia, the US and Europe.

Judy Marks - Chief Executive Officer of Otis

Judy Marks is Chair, CEO and President of Otis Worldwide Corporation. She joined Otis in October 2017 as President. She was appointed CEO in June 2019 and led the successful spin-off of Otis to become an independent publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange in April 2020. In February 2022, Judy was also named Chair of Otis. Before joining Otis, she held senior leadership roles at three global icons – IBM, Lockheed Martin and Siemens AG, serving as CEO of both Siemens USA and Dresser-Rand, a Siemens business.

Judy serves on the Board of Directors of Otis Worldwide Corporation, Caterpillar and AdvanceCT. She is a member of the Business Roundtable and chairs its Trade and International Committee, and is a member of the US-India CEO Forum. She earned a degree in electrical engineering from Lehigh University.

Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen - Chief Executive Officer of Novo Nordisk

Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen is President and CEO of Novo Nordisk. He joined Novo Nordisk in 1991 as an economist in Health Care, Economy & Planning and has completed overseas postings in the Netherlands, the US and Japan over the years. He was appointed Senior Vice President for IT & Corporate Development in 2002 and Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer in January 2013, assuming responsibility for IT, Quality & Corporate Development. In November 2014, Lars took over responsibility for Corporate People & Organisation and Business Assurance and became Chief of Staff. He was appointed President and CEO in January 2017.

Lars serves as President of the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA) and as a member of the Board of Directors of Danmarks Nationalbank (the Danish central bank). He holds a master’s degree in finance and business administration from Aarhus School of Business.

Mark Schneider - Chief Executive Officer of Nestlé

Mark Schneider was Nestlé’s CEO from January 2017 to August 2024. Prior to Nestlé, Mark was CEO of the Fresenius Group from 2003 to 2016. He joined Fresenius in 2001 as CFO of Fresenius Medical Care. Between 1989 and 2001, he held several senior executive positions with the Haniel Group, a privately held, diversified German multinational company.

Mark is a member of the Board of Directors of Roche Holding, the World Economic Forum’s Board of Trustees and International Business Council, the European Round Table for Industry and the Board of the Consumer Goods Forum, as well as a member of the Advisory Board of the Tsinghua University School of Economics and Management (SEM). He holds a master’s degree in finance and accounting and a doctorate in business administration from the University of St Gallen and an MBA from Harvard University.

Merete Hverven - Chief Executive Officer of Visma

Merete Hverven become CEO of Visma in 2020. Previously Deputy CEO and Chief HR Officer, Merete has focused on strengthening Visma’s position through recruiting and retaining the right people, and by working closely on acquisitions and restructurings. She has developed the organisation with a strong customer focus while unifying Visma’s culture through go-to-market strategies. She is a passionate advocate for diversity and equality in the workplace and has initiated several programmes aimed at increasing diversity across the organisation. Merete was voted one of the three most influential women in technology by ODA in 2019.‍

With her direct leadership style, ability to execute and passion for diversity, Merete is described as a driven, talented and dedicated leader by her colleagues. Her work and dedication have earned her a reputation as an important role model both in and outside Visma. Before joining Visma in 2011, Merete had several leading positions at Ernst & Young (now EY). She holds master’s degrees in international leadership and finance from the University of St Gallen and NHH Norwegian School of Economics.

Morten T. Hansen - Professor of Management at University of California, Berkeley and bestselling author

Morten T. Hansen is a Professor of Management at University of California, Berkeley. He is the coauthor (with Jim Collins) of the New York Times bestseller Great by Choice and the author of the highly acclaimed Collaboration and Great at Work.

Formerly a professor at Harvard Business School and INSEAD, Morten holds a doctorate from Stanford Business School, where he was a Fulbright scholar. His academic research has won several prestigious awards, and he is ranked one of the world’s most influential management thinkers by Thinkers50. Morten was also a manager at the Boston Consulting Group, where he advised corporate clients worldwide. He travels the world to give keynotes and help companies and people become great at work.