Press Release: Women in Leadership Forum

February 22, 2023

Copenhagen

Why is Denmark ranked 95th in the world when it comes to women in leadership? Why is the United States ranked 29th? What can Denmark and the United States learn from each other to accelerate this important agenda?

The Ambassador of the United States of America in Denmark, Alan Leventhal, joins Above & Beyond Group to co-host the Women in Leadership Forum in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, Topsoe, A.P. Moller-Maersk, and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners on December 14 from 08:30-11:30 am at Eigtveds Pakhus in Copenhagen. The event features Indra Nooyi, the former CEO at PepsiCo., as the keynote speaker.

“Despite years of progress made for women in Denmark, the United States, and across the globe, research continues to show that the percentage of women in leadership, even in countries known for gender equality, still leaves great room for improvement,” says Alan Leventhal, Ambassador of the United States of America. “There is much the United States and Denmark can learn from each other in generating this improvement, and that is the reason this forum is so important. It is especially a great honor for me to welcome keynote speaker Indra Nooyi, author and former CEO of PepsiCo. Nooyi is a fantastic role model and change agent on this important agenda, and I am looking forward to exploring new ways to advance women’s leadership together with her, and the other experienced leaders joining the forum as panelists and guests.”

The Women in Leadership Forum is the latest in a long list of initiatives both from the Biden Administration and the U.S. Embassy in Copenhagen to promote Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I). It comes in the wake of the first-ever National Strategy on Gender Equity and Equality, which was released by the White House in 2021. The strategy, and this Forum, come at an inflection point for the economic security, safety, health, and well-being of women and girls in America, Denmark, and around the globe.

“When it comes to women in leadership, there is a lot the Danish business community can learn from the United States. During the past decade, we have at Above & Beyond Group worked towards creating more balanced leadership and inclusive workplaces in close corporation with some of the largest companies in Denmark. With the new gender split legislation coming in 2023, organizations have yet another reason to strengthen their DE&I initiatives to boost the female talent pipeline. I am very proud of the collaboration with the Ambassador, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and all the strategic partners, because there is no doubt, that it is only by learning from each other, we can create new solutions and change,” says Tine Arentsen Willumsen, CEO at Above & Beyond Group.

“Any institution — regardless of size or industry or history — is wholly dependent on talent as a competitive advantage or disadvantage,” says Indra Nooyi, Amazon Board Member, and former CEO of PepsiCo. “And I believe attracting and retaining the best talent requires that we look beyond gender, ethnicity or background and focus simply on an individual’s core skills, energy, and ability to contribute. I benefited from exactly this thinking by many forward-looking mentors, bosses and colleagues throughout my 40-plus years in corporate America. It’s a great honor for me to come to Denmark to share my thoughts on the initiatives that moved me along, and those I implemented as CEO of PepsiCo to build a world-class leadership group. I very much look forward to exploring these topics with all of you.”

The forum is kindly supported by Topsoe, A.P. Moller-Maersk, and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, where DE&I is already high on the agenda. The speakers, which include among others the CEOs of Microsoft Denmark and Lundbeck as well as the Managing Director of BlackRock, have all been carefully selected for the Women in Leadership Forum, as they represent different perspectives on how a strategic approach to gender balance can make a remarkable difference for well-being, innovation, and retention at a time where the battle for talent has intensified.

The forum’s panel discussion is moderated by Mette Kirkeby Østergaard, Editor-in-Chief, at Berlingske Tidende and the panelists are Indra Nooyi, author and former CEO, PepsiCo., Jakob Stengel, Founder and Chairman, Board Network, Christina Grumstrup Sørensen, Senior Partner, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, Sundus Cordelia Ramli, Chief Commercial Officer, Power-to-X, Topsoe and Susana Elvira, Chief People Officer, A.P. Moller-Maersk.

About Above & Beyond Group

Above & Beyond Group is an international consultancy with Nordic traits specializing in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I). Within DE&I, Above & Beyond supports global companies and organizations with achieving their strategic goals and hence strengthening the bottom line, following best practice, and attracting, retaining, and developing the entire talent pool.