Global Child Forum
2026




STOCKHOLM
ROYAL PALACE

Global Child Forum
2026




STOCKHOLM
ROYAL PALACE

Global Child Forum
2026




STOCKHOLM
ROYAL PALACE

Global Child Forum
2026




STOCKHOLM
ROYAL PALACE

A Royal Anniversary Edition

The Shifting Stakeholder

Why children, why now?

On 13 October 2026, Global Child Forum will convene an invitation-only gathering of global CEOs, chairs and senior investors at the Royal Palace in Stockholm, hosted on behalf of  Their Majesties The King and Queen of Sweden. 

Marking His Majesty The King’s 80th birthday and seventeen years of Royal patronage, the Forum will bring together influential business and investment leaders to address a critical question: how can companies better recognise children as stakeholders in the decisions shaping markets, societies and the future economy? 

Children are among the most affected by business decisions — from supply chains and digital environments to climate, communities and consumer markets — yet they are rarely visible in strategy, risk or board-level decision-making. 

Global Child Forum 2026 exists to change that. 

When it comes to the health, safety and wellbeing of children, there is no room for modest ambitions. We have an obligation to strive for the best.

H.M. King Carl XVI Gustaf

An invitation-only gathering of global leaders

Global Child Forum 2026 brings together, in the presence of Their Majesties The King and Queen, a carefully curated group of CEOs, chairs and senior investors from leading companies across sectors, markets and geographies. 

Participants are united by a shared belief: business leadership and children’s rights are not separate agendas. They are increasingly inseparable. 

Attendance is by invitation only, with places strictly limited to preserve the quality, candour and trust that meaningful dialogue requires. 

Participants join an influential community aligned with Their Majesties’ vision, that business has both the responsibility and the power to help shape a better future for every child. 

A day designed for decision-makers

Your time is your most finite resource. Global Child Forum 2026 is designed to offer what few leadership gatherings can: trusted peer exchange, relevant intelligence and a clear path from conversation to action. 

Peer dialogue with purpose
Candid, high-level conversations with fellow CEOs, chairs and investors — designed for openness, relevance and practical exchange. 

Actionable intelligence
Access to the latest insights, benchmark data and frameworks on children’s rights and business, with a focus on what matters for strategy, governance and risk. 

Tools you can take back
Practical approaches, shared commitments and emerging models that can inform decision-making inside your organisation. 

A signal of leadership
Participation demonstrates a willingness to lead on an issue that is becoming increasingly relevant to investors, regulators, employees, consumers and society. 

A community beyond the day
The Forum is not only a one-day event. It is an entry point into a global community of action committed to placing children at the centre of responsible business leadership. 

Forum 2026 Speakers

Additional speakers will be announced in the lead-up to the event

H.M. King Carl XVI Gustaf

H.M. Queen Silvia

Ekin Björstedt

Secretary General

Global Child Forum

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Ekin Ergün Björstedt is Secretary General of Global Child Forum. Ekin joined us from Save the Children Sweden, where she was Chief Development Officer and Director of Funding, Partnerships, and New Business Models. Her career includes impactful roles such as Head of External Relations at Stockholm University, Project Director of Sustainability at TeliaSonera, and she also served as Sweden’s Trade Commissioner to Turkey. At Save the Children, she spearheaded innovative funding streams, demonstrating her adeptness in leading change management processes. She also holds an MBA from Stockholm University. She is Chairwoman of the Centre for Child Rights and Business and a Deputy Board Member of the Ethical Trade Initiative among other appointments.

Helena Helmersson

Board Professional and Advisor

Former CEO of H&M Group

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With more than 26 years in the H&M Group, the last four as CEO, Helena is an experienced leader with a passion to grow businesses that can have a positive impact in the world. After leaving the H&M Group she joined the Board of Directors at Quizrr, and took on the role of Chairwoman at Circulose. In 2025 Helena joined the Board of Directors of sports brand On, and became a Member of the Board of fashion brand Mango. In February 2026, she became an advisor for the AI platform eComID. Helena participated in the Stanford Executive Program 2024-2025, becoming an Alumni of Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business. Other recognitions include an Honorary Doctorate by the Faculty of Social Sciences at Umeå School of Business, being named one of retail’s most influential leaders 2020, and being recognised as Sweden’s most powerful businesswoman for 2014. 

Stefan Krook

Chairman and Co-founder Kivra and the GoodCause Foundation

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Stefan Krook is a serial entrepreneur and impact investor with more than two decades of experience building companies that combine strong commercial logic with real societal impact. He is Chairman and co-founder of Kivra, the digital mailbox serving more than six million users in Sweden, and of the GoodCause Foundation, through which approximately USD 15 million has been donated to non-profit organisations. Stefan is the author of The Laghum Economy – A New Brief for a Healthy Planet, which is published by Volante.

Halldora von Koenigsegg

Chief Operating Officer

Koenigsegg

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Halldora von Koenigsegg is Chief Operating Officer of the hyper car and technology manufacturer Koenigsegg in Ängelholm, Sweden. Together with her husband, Christian von Koenigsegg, she has built the company into a globally renowned brand. Koenigsegg employs 850 people, develops world-leading technology in record breaking vehicles, and serves customers around the world. Since 2024, Halldora has also served as Chair of Företagarna (the Swedish Federation of Business Owners), representing 60,000 entrepreneurs and business owners across Sweden.

Jenny Lindén Urnes

Chair of the Board

Lindéngruppen

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Jenny Lindén Urnes is Chair of the Board of Lindéngruppen, a family-owned investment company focused on sustainable development. She previously served as CEO of Lindéngruppen and AB Wilh. Becker. She is also Chair of the Färgfabriken Foundation and serves on the boards of, among others, Becker Industrial Coatings Holding AB, Colart Group Holdings Ltd, Alex Begg Group Ltd, Tillväxt Helsingborg, Lund University, and the Museum of Artistic Process and Public Art. Lindéngruppen has been a partner of Global Child Forum for many years, reflecting the company’s long-term commitment to social responsibility and sustainability.

Carl Bennet

Founder and CEO

Carl Bennet Group

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Carl Bennet is founder and CEO of the Carl Bennet AB Group, which has approximately SEK 86 billion in annual sales and employs 33,200 people globally. Carl is a Partner Advisory Board member at Global Child Forum. He is also President and CEO of Getinge, a leading global provider of medical devices for intensive care, cardiovascular procedures, operating room equipment, sterile reprocessing, and life science applications. Getinge is serving customers in 132 countries.

Jessica Anderen

CEO

IKEA Foundation

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Jessica Anderen is CEO of the IKEA Foundation, an independent philanthropy dedicated to tackling poverty and the climate crisis. She has over 30 years of business experience as a global leader for IKEA, including roles in India, Singapore, China and Australia. Prior to joining the IKEA Foundation she was CEO and Chief Sustainability Officer of IKEA Switzerland. Her previous positions include Global Market Support Manager, Deputy Country Manager at IKEA Retail Sweden, and Trading Area Manager for South Asia. Jessica Anderen holds several board positions and has served as a strategic partner, senior adviser and coach to Inter IKEA’s Social Entrepreneurship programme.

Mikael Helmerson

CEO

Mellby Gård AB

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Mikael Helmerson is since 2025 CEO at Mellby Gård AB, a Swedish family owned business conglomerate established in 1986. He is Chair of Feralco AB, board member of Roxtec AB, Academedia AB and FPI Group AB. Prior to his role at Mellby Gård AB, Mikael Helmerson served as CEO at Roxtec AB and CEO of Nord-Lock AB (supplier of high-end fasteners owned by Swedish company Investment AB Latour).

Henrik Mitelman

Entrepreneur, Columnist and Financial Commentator

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Henrik Mitelman is an award-winning columnist and financial commentator, now working with EFN, where he also hosts the podcast Börssurr. In addition, he is something as rare as an entrepreneur, an independent analyst, an advisor, and a board member of companies, with a background as Head of Research at SEB. Over the years, Henrik has become known as an enthusiastic speaker who gladly talks about global megatrends, shifts in the world economy, and which countries are performing the best — and the worst. In his book Back to Success (“Tillbaka till framgången”), he shows which countries are making the biggest strides. Henrik is simply a trend-sensitive analyst with his ear to the ground.

Ingmar Rentzhog

Founder and CEO We Don't Have Time and Co-founder and Chairman of W

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Ingmar Rentzhog is a Swedish serial entrepreneur, climate communicator and the founder and CEO of We Don't Have Time, the world's largest media platform for climate action. He is also co-founder and Chairman of W, a new European social media built on a simple idea: real people, real dialogue, and trust in who is on the other side. Ingmar has spent his career at the intersection of climate, technology, media and business, building platforms that turn public engagement into real-world change. He writes regularly on climate and energy as a Forbes contributor. Behind everything he builds is one conviction: people who disagree still need to talk, and trust is what makes that possible.

Linda Nyberg

Moderator, Senior Corporate Affairs and Communications Specialist

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Linda Nyberg is a Senior Corporate Affairs and Communications specialist with over 25 years of experience working with strategic and tactical communication and marketing in global contexts. Linda has a background in national and international radio and broadcast as a news anchor, correspondent and talk-show host. Today she is a PR expert and board professional. Nyberg is a well-known professional moderator, serving as the head moderator for the Techarena, the biggest tech platform in the Nordics. She has also moderated FUSION24, and her recent assignments include InnoEnergy, UKAEA, UNHCR, Business Sweden, The Swedish Royal Family, Danske Bank, Saab and Ambassade de Suède en France.

Forum 2026 Agenda

8.15 - 8.45

Arrival and Registration at the Royal Palace

All guests are kindly requested be seated no later than 8.50

09:00–11:45

Opening Plenary Session

Welcoming address by His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf

Opening remarks by Global Child Forum Secretary General, Ekin Björstedt

Launch of the 2026 Global Child Forum Benchmark Report

Youth representatives will participate as panellists during the Plenary Sessions

Break and Networking Mingle

Keynote speakers and panellists include: Halldora von Koenigsegg - Chief Operating Officer, Koenigsegg; Helena Helmersson - Board Professional and Advisor, and former CEO of H&M Group; and Stefan Krook - Entrepreneur, Chairman and co-founder of Kivra and the GoodCause Foundation

12.00 - 13.00

Luncheon

Hosted by Their Majesties The King and Queen

13.15 - 15.15

ActionLabs: Afternoon Breakout Sessions

Interactive working sessions co-hosted by Norrsken, SALLY, EY Doberman, and Stockholm School of Economics

See below for more information about the ActionLab 2026 themes

15.30 - 16.00

Closing Plenary Session

Key takeaways from Global Child Forum 2026 and commitments going forward

Closing address by Her Majesty Queen Silvia

16.15 – 18.15

Reception and Networking Mingle

In good company

Selected organisations that have recently attended the Forum

Forum ActionLabs

Where conversation becomes action

The Forum’s ActionLabs bring delegates together to share expertise, challenge assumptions and co-create practical responses to some of the most urgent issues at the intersection of business and children’s rights.

This year’s ActionLabs — proudly co-hosted by Norrsken, SALLY, EY Doberman and Stockholm School of Economics — will explore the following defining themes: 

Norrsken
Childproofing the Climate Transition
An ActionLab for CEOs on climate investments and future societal impact .

SALLY and EY Doberman
Four Futures
If you could hear from the future, how would it change your actions today?

Stockholm School of Economics
Return on Generation: Innovating for Youth Wellbeing
How can business meet the health and wellbeing needs of future leaders?

Click below to discover more about each of the sessions, their content and outcomes for participants.

About our ActionLabs 2026

ActionLab 2026 Partners

Forum 2026 ActionLabs are co-created with our valued partners

Reach out today

Global Child Forum 2026 is an invitation-only gathering for CEOs, chairs, senior investors and selected leaders committed to advancing children’s rights through business action. 

For more information about the event, please contact us. 

Oscar Edlund

Senior Event Manager

Contact

Forum FAQ

Your questions answered

Our event FAQ section provides practical information for delegates planning their travel to Stockholm and attending Global Child Forum 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sponsors and Partners

Thank you to our Forum 2026 event sponsors and partners

Photography, video, and media capture during the event

By attending Forum 2026, guests and speakers acknowledge and consent that images – which may include their likeness – can be captured during the event using photography, video, or other media, and used by Global Child Forum in its efforts to promote children’s rights and business.

Global Child Forum’s Benchmark

Engagement with Global Child Forum—whether as a partner, initiative member, event participant, or featured on our communication channels—does not affect a company’s Benchmark score. Benchmark scores are calculated based on publicly available information and in accordance with our public methodology.