Panel 1: Sustainable Architecture and Buildings

The Sustainable Architecture and Buildings panel will discuss the latest trends, challenges, and opportunities in sustainable building design and construction. As the built environment is a significant contributor to global carbon emissions, it's crucial to adopt environmentally responsible practices in the construction industry.

Experts from the architecture, construction, and development sectors will share their experiences and insights on sustainable practices in building design, material selection, and energy efficiency. Topics will include green building certification programs, innovative sustainable building techniques and technologies, and the economic and social benefits of sustainable building practices.

The panel will also feature American experts to provide their perspectives on sustainable architecture and buildings in the United States. This exchange of ideas between Nordic and American experts will enable attendees to gain a comprehensive understanding of sustainable building practices in both regions.

Panel 2: Sustainable Transportation

The Sustainable Transportation panel will address the need for efficient, affordable, and eco-friendly transportation solutions. As the transportation sector contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions, exploring and implementing sustainable practices is critical.

The panel will discuss sustainable transportation solutions across air, land, and sea. Experts from Nordic companies specializing in sustainable transportation practices will provide their unique perspectives on the latest trends, challenges, and opportunities in each area.

American experts will also participate in the panel, sharing their perspectives on sustainable transportation in the United States. This exchange of ideas between Nordic and American experts will provide attendees with a comprehensive understanding of sustainable transportation practices in both regions.

Karin Olofsdotter, Ambassador of Sweden to the United States

Mikko Hautala, Ambassador of Finland to the United States

Scott Sklar, President - Stella Group

Scott Sklar is President of The Stella Group, Ltd. since 2000, a global clean technology owner’s rep firm facilitating optimization of clean distributed energy utilization and technology integration primarily for commercial, industrial, institutional, infrastructure and local government. Sklar is also an Adjunct Professor at The George Washington University (GWU) teaching three unique interdisciplinary courses on sustainable energy and Sklar serves as the Sustainable Energy Director of GWU’s Environment & Energy Management Institute (EEMI).

Prior, Scott Sklar served for 15 years 1985-2000) simultaneously running two Washington, DC-based trade associations, as Executive Director of both the Solar Energy Industries & the National BioEnergy Industries Associations. Before for two years, he was Political Director of The Solar Lobby, a clean advocacy organization founded by the nine major national environmental organizations. Prior, he was Washington Director & Acting Research Director of for three years at the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT). Sklar began his energy career as an aide for 10 years (1970-80) to Senator Jacob K. Javits (NY) where he focused on energy and military matters. During his Senate tenure, he cofounded the Congressional Solar Caucus that lead much of the innovative legislation promoting renewable energy in the 1970’s.  Scott Sklar serves on the Board of Directors of the Business Council for Sustainable Energy. Scott Sklar lives in a self-powered solar home in Arlington, Virginia with solar water heating, geothermal heating & cooling, and a photovoltaics/battery system (which also fully charges his 2022 EV). The Stella Group, Ltd. has a zero energy 2-story VA office building with PV roofing shingles, small wind turbine, a hydrogen fuel cell tied to a battery bank. Sklar has co-authored two books, written peer-reviewed papers, and publishes several articles yearly.

Anna Åsberg, Vice President, R&D IT - AstraZeneca

Anna Asberg is the Vice President for R&D IT for AstraZeneca.  She is responsible for strategy for IT and has a global team that uses technology to help researchers transform the speed and quality of AstraZeneca’s discovery and delivery of medicines to patients:  her team puts the IT in Scientist.  They work to optimize scientists’ daily lives through technology, making lab spaces more digital and improving global connectivity.  They are committed to transforming R&D by enabling data science, AI and digital.  By providing the tech foundations and capabilities to make R&D data findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable (FAIR) they are democratizing AI tools to help scientists make better, faster decisions in the quest for new medicines.  This work is in line with the AstraZeneca priority of leveraging digital innovation and technology to accelerate the delivery of net zero, patient-centric health systems.  To learn more about that work, visit the Sustainable Markets Initiative Health Systems Task Force site here:  https://www.sustainable-markets.org/taskforces/health-systems-taskforce/

Kathleen Lane, Managing Director - The American Institute of Architects

As Managing Director for Climate Action and Design Excellence at The American Institute of Architects (AIA), Kathleen advances the design profession to achieve a zero carbon, equitable, resilient, and healthy built environment.

She served as Executive Director of the Baltimore Chapter AIA, where she worked to establish a new Center for Architecture and Design, and developed significant new programs for professional and public education, and collaboration with industry organizations.

Previously, she was Director of Knowledge Communities at AIA.  She brings over thirty years of experience in design, education, nonprofit, and professional association management.  She has directed nonprofit architecture arts, cultural, and academic programs in Washington DC and San Francisco.

Kathleen is a licensed architect, and holds an M. Arch from Catholic University, MA in American Studies with a graduate certificate in Historic Preservation from University of Maryland, and a BA from the University of California, Berkeley.

Myrrh Caplan, Vice President, Sustainability - Skanska

Myrrh Caplan is the national lead on sustainable construction and advising for Skanska USA Building in the US. This includes many layers of delivering sustainable outcomes, education, and leadership, both internally and externally. She and her team provide sustainability consulting for clients, facilitating workshops and charrettes, developing action plans and strategy for organizations making their first or next move, advising on earning certifications and institutional aspirations, and assisting in research and delivering on the value-equation of cost, resilience, carbon, healthy building, and other criteria.

Myrrh is also responsible for delivering on Skanska’s own progressive sustainability commitments, like their carbon neutrality, maximizing operational efficiency, and implementing the tangible actions Skanska continues to put in place in order to meet and exceed client and other stakeholder expectations.

Myrrh serves on multiple advisory committees, providing expertise on resilience and decarbonization. With more than 25 years in construction and development, and working on hundreds of projects in that time, she is focused on using that experience to leave a lasting, positive impact.

Trond Sørensen, Chief Commercial Officer - Norhybrid Renewables AS

Trond Sørensen is an accomplished entrepreneur and sales expert with more than two decades of experience in building and scaling international sales organizations. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and has a strong commercial and strategic background, gained from working with international growth companies.

As a co-founder and former CEO of Net Trans Services, Trond played a crucial role in establishing the company's strong international sales organization. Through his efforts, the company was able to expand its global footprint and achieve significant revenue growth.

Throughout his career, Trond has demonstrated his expertise in helping businesses build and scale their sales organizations, both domestically and internationally. His sales strategy, market analysis, and business development skills have helped numerous companies achieve their growth objectives and establish a strong market presence. Trond's wealth of knowledge and experience makes him an invaluable asset to any organization looking to drive business growth.

Trond Gjellesvik, President, Hydro Aluminum Metals USA

Trond Gjellesvik is the President of Hydro Aluminum Metals USA with commercial responsibility for Americas. He has more than 20 years of international experience from Europe, Asia and the Americas, including roles as Vice President of Hydro Aluminum Asia and Commercial VP for different Product Segments in Europe including commercial responsibility for the Middle East, Africa, and Turkey. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration and International Finance from the Norwegian Business School.

Kate Olinger, Director, Industry and Regulatory Affairs, Uponor

Kate Olinger is the director of industry and regulatory affairs at Uponor North America, where she oversees the company’s regulatory compliance of its products and sites. She leads a team of experts on national, regional, and local energy and water standards and codes who ensure Uponor continuously meets requirements, and works across industry to improve North American codes and standards. She also oversees procurement of listings and product standard compliance for all new Uponor products and projects, to sustainably deliver clean, safe water.

Kate has more than 20 years of experience in the industry with a background in process engineering, new product development, and product management. She has done extensive work with various industry associations to develop technical data, research, and guidance to facilitate the acceptance of plastic pipe in building applications.

She holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of Minnesota and is the former chairperson of the Plastics Pipe Institute (PPI) Building and Construction Division. Prior to joining Uponor, Kate spent four years as an active-duty officer in the United States Air Force, working in the F-16 fighter jet and B-2 bomber programs.

Nora Wang Esram, The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE)

Dr. Esram is the Senior Director of Research at the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE). She oversees ACEEE’s research programs including Buildings, Industry, Transportation, Behavior, and Health and Environment. Prior to joining ACEEE, she was a chief engineer and team lead at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and spearheaded a variety of multi-disciplinary projects advancing building energy efficiency and decarbonization. She is a licensed architect and holds a Ph.D. in architecture from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Michael McAdams - Senior Policy Advisor, Holland & Knight

In 2008, Michael McAdams formed and has since represented the Advanced Biofuels Association, a Washington-D.C. based association of more than 45 advanced biofuels feedstock, production, marketing, and distribution companies. He formed the Association with more than 30 years of experience in government and public affairs across the public and private sectors, including federal legislative and regulatory areas with specific focuses on energy, fuels policy, climate change, air policy and tax. Mr. McAdams spent 14 years working for BP, where he was the associate group policy advisor to the then Chief Executive Officer Lord John Browne. In addition, he served as the vice president of the Eastern United States for government and public affairs, as well as vice president of government affairs and the environment. He also spent time on Capitol Hill, including as legislative director for Congressman Ralph Hall (R-TX) from 1981-1985.

Morgan Ellis, Senior Advisor, Sustainable Transportation - U.S. Department of Energy

Morgan Ellis is a Senior Advisor for Sustainable Transportation and Fuels where she focuses on coordinating interagency transportation decarbonization work, Bipartisan Infrastructure Law implementation and stakeholder engagement. She comes to DOE with experience in transportation and climate from both the public and non-profit sectors. She worked for the Intelligent Transportation Society of America where she focused on the intersection of safety, technology and sustainability in the transportation sector. She’s also worked on transportation and energy decarbonization at the National Sierra Club and the State of Delaware.

Donna Warndof, Head of Public Affairs - Neste U.S.

Donna Warndof is the Head of Public Affairs, Americas, for NESTE, a global leader in solutions for the hard-to-decarbonize transportation sector. NESTE’s wide range of products include renewable diesel for road transportation fleets, sustainable aviation fuel, and renewable polymers and chemicals.

Donna has over 20 years of experience in U.S. advocacy at the federal, state, and local levels. Her experience in the energy sector includes trade associations and Fortune 500 companies such as Occidental Petroleum. In the public sector, she has represented three of Texas’ most populous counties (Harris/Houston, Bexar/San Antonio, and Travis/Austin), including recovery efforts after Hurricane Harvey. In addition to policy subject knowledge, she is an expert in advocacy strategy, building and leading advocacy teams and coalitions.

Donna holds an MPA from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, and a B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin. She lives in Houston, Texas, with her husband and son.

Dawn Fenton, Vice President - Volvo Group North America

Dawn Fenton is the Vice President for Government Relations and Public Affairs at Volvo Group North America. She has been with the Volvo Group since 2011 and has responsibility for federal government relations as well as California policy issues.

Prior to joining the Volvo Group, Dawn worked for the Diesel Technology Forum and ABB, Inc. Dawn has worked in the government relations field for over 25 years across a range of energy, environment, sustainability, foreign policy and trade-related issues in the public, private and non- profit sectors.

She received a master of science in foreign service degree from the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service and a bachelor of arts degree from Tufts University.

Jasmin Utter, General Manager - Scandinavian Airlines in the Americas

Jasmin Utter is the General Manager for Scandinavian Airlines in the Americas. Together with the organization, she is responsible for passenger sales and cargo, as well as the airport handling across the nine airports SAS fly to in North America. SAS is an instrumental part of the infrastructure of bringing people together, not just in Scandinavia but also here in North America, and to do so in a sustainable way. Jasmin has close to 40 years of experience working in SAS, across various functions. In addition to working at SAS head office in Stockholm, other postings for SAS have been in Brussels, Belgium and London, the UK.