Speakers
Top-notch professionals are taking the stage at Textile & Fashion Forum 2023! Get to know the speakers here.
Maria Intscher-Owrang, CEO, Simplifyber
Maria Intscher-Owrang is the Co-Founder and CEO of Simplifyber; an American fashion tech startup transforming fashion’s supply chain into plant-based 3D manufacturing. Before starting Simplifyber, she was a luxury fashion designer for 24 years, working for well-known brands such as Vera Wang, Calvin Klein, Edun and Alexander McQueen.
Tiina Alahuhta-Kasko, President & CEO, Marimekko
Tiina Alahuhta-Kasko started as the President of Marimekko Corporation, the leading Finnish design house renowned for its bold prints and colors in April 2015. A year later she also became the company's CEO. Prior to her current role at Marimekko, Tiina acted as the Chief Operating Officer since 2014. Since 2011 Tiina also led the company's Marketing Communications and Public Relations until her current role.
Kai Mykkänen, Minister of Climate and the Environment of Finland
Kai Mykkänen is the Minister of Climate and the Environment of Finland since June 2023. Prior to this, he
was the Chairman of the Parliamentary Group of the National Coalition Party. Mykkänen has worked as the
Minister of Foreign Trade and Development 2016-2018 and as the Minister of Interior 2018-2019. Mykkänen describes himself as a pro-market, pro-environment reformer.
Kirsi Niinimäki, Associate Professor, Aalto University
Kirsi Niinimäki is a leading scholar in the field of sustainable fashion. She is an Associate Professor in Aalto university where she leads a research group Fashion/Textile FUTURES. The research done in this group integrate closed loop, bio-economy and circular economy approaches in fashion and textile systems and extends the understanding of strategic sustainable design.
Martin Böschen, CEO, TEXAID
Martin Böschen is the leading authority for shaping circularity in the textile industry. With years of experience and expertise, he brings a comprehensive and unique perspective to any discussion. Böschen is also President of the Bureau of International Recycling (BIR) Textile Division, and Vice President of EuRIC Textiles. In business for over 40 years, TEXAID is the leading textile collecting, sorting, reselling and recycling company in Europe, with operations globally.
Jukka Pesola, Co-Founder and Chairman of the Board, Pure Waste
Jukka Pesola is the Co-Founder and Chairman of Pure Waste Textiles Oy. Pesola is also the Co-Founder of Rester. He is a long term specialist in textile industry, having over 25 years experience of textile production and a strong know-how intextile recycling and circular economy in the textile industry.
Eriika Melkas, Senior Expert, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment
Eriika Melkas works as a senior expert at the Finnish Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment where her responsibilities circle around energy and climate policy. She is the lead for the Finnish representation in the negotiations on the new EU Regulation establishing a framework for setting ecodesign requirements for sustainable products.
Inka Orko, Lead, Circular Economy, VTT
Inka Orko is Lead for circular economy at VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland. Orko’s work is currently focusing on data-enabled circular economy, and she leads the Gaia X circular economy data group with Sitra. Orko has previously worked with startups, circular economy business development, and IPR commercialization.
Anne Valli, COO, Gugguu
Anne Valli is one of the original owners of Gugguu, Chief Operating Officer, who has been in charge of the Gugguu.com online store and internationalization since the beginning of Gugguu in 2013. Gugguu grew rapidly and part of Gugguu was sold at the end of 2018 to venture capitalist Panostaja, with whom the journey continues to make Gugguu an internationally renowned brand.
Taru Jokinen, Director, Concept Development & Sustainability, Lindström
Taru Jokinen has worked in Lindström, a 175-year-old textile service company, for more than 20 years in different roles both in head office operations and in Lindström UK. Since 2007 her positions have been related to product and service management and development. Since 2022 she’s been working as Director Concept Development & Sustainability in Lindström’s global Service & Product Concept team.
Marcus Hartmann, Head of Public Affairs & Sustainability, H&M
Marcus joined H&M in 2022 to head public affairs & sustainability across in North Europe. H&M has high ambitions to lead the fashion industry towards a more circular and sustainable future with Science Based Targets to achieve net zero by 2040.
Before H&M, Marcus has worked in the food industry and telecom sector. He has also worked in the Swedish Parliament as political advisor and in the Swedish Government Offices as political advisor and chief of staff at the Ministry for Culture.
Carl Baekelandt, CEO, Concordia
Carl Baekelandt is the CEO and shareholder of the Concordia textile Group, specialized in Proctective textile for people, animals and things preferably in a circular way. He is also a member of the board of Fedustria, Rehubs and 5 other companies. With a background in textile engineering, Baekelandt feels passionately about textiles and the new circular approach of the textile industry.
Liljana K. Forssten, Range Strategist, IKEA
Liljana has worked within the field of range and product development for more than 25 years, and most of them in the service of the many people and IKEA. Since 2021 her assignments within IKEA of Sweden have been with focus on CMF design strategies, leading and developing the strategic approach, from a life at home perspective, for colours, material, finishes, pattern and expressions to secure IKEA unique Range and Product Identity that the many people can trust, love, and afford.
Mikko Linnaluoma, Digital Programs Director, Reima
Mikko Linnaluoma is a digital development- and CX leader with +15 years of experience in the field of clothing, sports and wearable tech. He works as a Digital Programs Director at Reima, driving the digital development for a greater customer experience, focusing in ecommerce and loyalty in children’s clothing business. Currently he is looking for services and solutions around reselling and recycling of children’s clothing.
Timo Huhtamäki, CEO, Emmy Clothing Company
Timo Huhtamäki is the CEO of Emmy Clothing Company, the largest second-hand clothing e-commerce company in the Nordics, and an expert in the circular economy. Emmy Clothing Company is the leading Nordic online store for second hand brand apparel - with more than 90,000 branded clothes available online.
Mikko Siukosaari, Co-founder, Ninyes Inc.
Mikko has a background in branding & marketing communications, co-founding & managing marketing agencies in the Nordics, Baltics and Asia. In 2021 he co-founded Ninyes, a managed resale startup which offers resale services for responsible fashion brands in the Nordics and DACH area. Mikko also advises other circular and sustainably minded start-ups with their strategy and communications.
Anniina Nurmi, Sustainability Specialist, Pro Ethical Trade Finland (Eetti ry)
Anniina Nurmi works as a Sustainability Specialist at Pro Ethical Trade Finland (Eetti ry), an NGO that promotes trade justice, sustainable value chains, and active citizenship. Her role involves examining the global impacts of companies, engaging in open dialogues with them, and raising public awareness. Nurmi has over 15 years of experience in corporate responsibility and is one of the pioneers in the sustainable fashion industry.
Virva Vesanen, Head of Investor Relations, Spinnova Plc
Virva Vesanen is the Head of Investor Relations at Spinnova Plc. Spinnova is a textile fibre technology company transforming the way textiles are manufactured globally. Based in Finland, Spinnova has developed breakthrough technology for making textile fibre out of wood or waste, such as leather, textile or agricultural waste, without harmful chemicals. Previously Virva worked +10 years as a private equity investor.
Jetta Liukkonen, Founder, CEO, FabPatch
Jetta Liukkonen is the Founder, CEO & Repair Revolutionist in FabPatch Ltd. The textile repair innovation FabPatch™ (Vaatelaastari®) is innovated by Finnish mothers to make mending clothes & gear super easy, fun & stylish. During the first 5 years over one million FabPatches have extended the lifetime of various textil
es from clothes and gear to motorbike seats and furniture. The company has been awarded with Design Deed of the Year and Sustainability Deed of the Year 2022 in Finland. Now the company is aiming strongly to international markets.
Heli Mehtätalo-Takala, Director, Innovestor
Heli is a director for one of the most active venture capital firms in the Nordics. She brings 20 years of experience in leadership, commercialization, and the Nordic financial sector. She has spearheaded several new business launches and commercial turnarounds. Heli believes that commercialization is at the heart of a growth company, and with the right kind of financing, they form the keys to success.
Dr. Richard Federowski, Partner, Roland Berger
Dr. Richard Federowski is a partner in Roland Berger’s Consumer Goods & Retail team focusing on fashion, luxury and lifestyle - from brand building to production – supporting clients along the whole value chain. Current core topics are ESG, selective and omni-channel distribution, strategy & business models of the future, time-2-market, merchandising, sourcing optimization as well as performance improvement and business audits. His versatile background include corporate finance and retail.
Elina Holkko, Partner, CFO, Lifeline Ventures
Elina works as Partner and CFO at Lifeline Ventures, an early stage VC investor that has invested in e.g. Wolt, Supercell, Sulapac, Origin by Ocean and Swappie. She has over 15 years of experience in finance and business development from small to large companies as a management consultant and investor. Her passion is to support founders that want to build new success stories and disrupt status quo in existing industries.
Jennie Rosén, CEO, Swedish Fashion Council
A visionary in her field, Jennie Rosén is dedicated to take fashion forward by encouraging collaborations within and across disciplines. Driven by design, culture and technology her focus is set on innovation to reform the fashion system on a regional and global level.
Swedish Fashion Council (SFC) is an industry organization that aims to guide the fashion industry into the future, establishing Sweden as the global leader of the industry’s new era. SFC is owned by the Swedish Trade Federation.
