On February 12, 2025, the inaugural CDOIQ Nordic Symposium was held at Aalto University in Espoo, Finland. The event marked a significant milestone in the advancement of strategic data leadership in the Nordic region, bringing together over 180 on-site participants and hundreds of virtual attendees from across Europe, North America, and Asia.

The symposium was organized under the theme “Value from Data for Business and Society”, reflecting the growing recognition of data as a strategic asset. The program addressed three core thematic areas: Data for and by Humans, Analytic Innovations for Business Value, and Responsible Digitalization for Society and Business.

The symposium is part of the international CDOIQ initiative, originally founded at MIT, and now extended to the Nordic region through collaboration with the CDOIQ Program, Aalto EE and a network of community partners and sponsors.

High-Level Participation and Leadership Dialogue

The participant profile at the CDOIQ Nordic Symposium 2025 leaned heavily toward senior leadership, with a notable concentration of titles like Chiefs, Presidents, Directors, and Heads. This composition reflects the strategic relevance of the symposium and its alignment with executive-level data governance and transformation initiatives.

Participants originated from twelve countries, ranging from North America to South Asia, with individuals traveling from the United States, India, and several European nations. The participant base reflected a broad spectrum of leading organizations across the Nordic region. From Finland, companies such as Kone and UPM-Kymmene were present; Sweden was represented by H&M Group and Atlas Copco; Norway contributed with Equinor and Telenor Group; and Denmark brought in Danfoss and Novo Nordisk. In addition to the Nordic countries, the symposium welcomed participants from other European nations, including Switzerland and the Netherlands, with organizations such as Banca dello Stato del Cantone Ticino and Mondelez International. This diversity of participants underscores the growing global relevance of strategic data leadership and the expanding role of the Chief Data Officer across industries and regions.

The exceptionally low no-show rate—only 3 percent—further highlighted the commitment of attendees and the perceived value of the event. Networking sessions, including the cocktail dinner, provided a structured environment for peer exchange among decision-makers, reinforcing the symposium’s role as a platform for high-level dialogue and collaboration.

Elevating the Strategic Relevance of the CDO Role

The symposium emphasized the evolving role of the Chief Data Officer (CDO) as a key driver of enterprise transformation. As outlined in ’The Rise of Chief Data Officers’ article by Laine (2024), organizations that elevate data leadership to the executive level—often reporting directly to the CEO—are more likely to realize strategic value from data investments.

The opening keynote by John Bottega, President of the EDM Council and among the earliest Chief Data Officers in a major corporation, offered a comprehensive historical perspective on the development of the CDO role. His presentation traced the progression of data leadership from its origins in governance challenges to its current strategic integration within executive management. In addition, Bottega emphasized the significance of structured frameworks such as DCAM and CDMC, which encapsulate decades of industry experience and serve as foundational tools for achieving high-quality data—an essential prerequisite for trustworthy artificial intelligence.

Another keynote speaker, Ari Kaplan from Databricks, emphasized that the future benefits of AI increasingly rely on the ability to unify structured and unstructured data, enabling real-time analytics and scaling machine learning across enterprise environments. For Chief Data Officers, his core message was clear: all data must be curated, contextualized, and trusted. Achieving this requires organizations to invest in robust technological infrastructure and develop competencies that extend beyond traditional data management such as structured data and analytics. At the same time, Kaplan’s remarks underscored the importance of combining modern AI innovation with diligent data stewardship to ensure data serves as a reliable foundation for strategic value and societal impact.

Delivering High-Caliber Speakers and Topics

The symposium main track featured a diverse and technically rich speaker lineup, representing leading organizations and thought leaders in data and AI:

• Jens-Henrik Jeppesen (Workday) addressed strategic approaches to AI regulation, focusing on developer-led impact assessments under the EU AI Act.
• Steen Rasmussen (IIH Nordic) explored real-time digital signals as strategic tools for market monitoring and competitive analysis.
• Veera Siivonen, Fredric Lundgren, and Minna Mustakallio discussed responsible AI governance across media, retail, and public sectors.
• Lauri Leppä (Danfoss Leanheat) showcased how AI-powered optimization in district heating and smart building management can unlock entirely new business models and markets—ones that previously did not exist—by harnessing the transformative potential of data.
• Ville Suur-Uski (Supercell) demonstrated the use of reinforcement learning bots in game design, highlighting the role of AI in creative processes.
• Janne Vihervuori and Bharath Vijayaraghavan (Tietoevry Tech Services) presented the SmartGen Suite and a four-pillar framework for scalable enterprise AI.
• Seppo Kuula (Cloud1) and Emil Sievinen (Smartbi) introduced enterprise AI agents and discussed the prerequisites for hyper-automation.
• Alexander Borek (Zalando) presented lessons from enterprise-scale AI transformation, emphasizing stakeholder alignment and data productization.
• Camilla Björkqvist (Mondelēz International) introduced a governance maturity model and a human-centric approach to building data culture.

These and other sessions in the seminar tracks provided deep insights into AI deployment, data productization, governance, and enterprise transformation across sectors. The full program can be found here: link to the CDOIQ Nordic Symposium 2025 program.

Recognizing Sponsors and Community Partners

The symposium was made possible through the support of both corporate sponsors and non-profit community partners.

CDOIQ Nordic Symposium 2025 Sponsors

• Dairdux
• Databricks
• Norrin (earlier Cloud1)
• Tietoevry Tech Services (earlier Tietoevry)
• Workday
• YOOI

CDOIQ Nordic Symposium 2025 Community Partners

• DAMA Finland
• DAMA Norway
• EDM Council
• ICT Leaders Finland ILF
• MyData Global
• NORA – The Norwegian Artificial Intelligence Research Consortium
• TIVIA

These communitypartners, including us DAMA Finland ry, contributed to the program through pre-symposium events, panel moderation, and community-building initiatives. Additionally, the campaign featured a large number of printed magazine articles, digital blog posts, and social media content. Their contributions ensured the event remained anchored in professional experiences, peer-to-peer learning, and the promotion of practical data leadership.

Community Campaign Events

• Press Conference: The CDOIQ Nordic launch at Aalto Executive Education (Aalto EE)
• Tech Summit: A CDO-theme session in the largest Tech Summit at the Nordics (TIVIA, DAMA-FI)
• Pre-Symposium Summit: Data leadership sessions with local non-profit association partners (ICT Leaders Finland, DAMA-FI, MyData global)
  • Pre-Summit Lessons Learned Summary of the Afternoon Sessions
  • Pre-Summit Lessons Learned Summary of the Morning Sessions

Strengthening the Role of Data Leadership in the Nordics

The CDOIQ Nordic Symposium 2025 succeeded in its mission to highlight the role of Chief Data Officers across industries and to address the specific needs of the Nordic region. The event brought together experienced speakers who shared practical insights and personal reflections—both successes and failures—on how data leaders can create strategic business value through data. Discussions focused on wide set of real-world examples, contemporary leadership practices, and the importance of aligning data work with business goals.

Equally important was the opportunity for participants to connect with peers and build networks that support the professional growth of data leaders. The event gathered many of the highest-ranking data professionals in the region, many of whom had faced similar challenges but had not previously had the opportunity to engage directly.

Building on the success of this year’s event, the next CDOIQ Nordic Symposium 2026 will take place on February 11, 2026. It will continue to serve as a platform for advancing the CDO role, sharing practical knowledge, and strengthening the Nordic data leadership community.

Sami Laine is a Senior Advisor at Aalto EE, where he is spearheading the mission to bring the world-renowned CDOIQ Symposium to the Nordics. During his over 20 years career, he has worked in data management practitioner, consultant, researcher, and teacher roles in several business sectors. Throughout his career, Sami has been an active advocate for promoting quality and ethical perspectives in data management and business decision-making, as recognized by his nomination for the DAIR Awards in 2022. He has been a long-time president and board member of the DAMA Finland ry and a program committee member of the MIT CDOIQ Symposium.