Founder and Chairman F-Secure Corporation
Risto Siilasmaa is the founder and Chairman of the Board of Directors of F‐Secure Corporation having served as President and CEO of the company in 1988-2006. He is also an active venture capital investor with over 30 active investments via First Fellow Partners, a fund management company where he is both a general partner and the only limited partner.
Risto was the Chair of the Board of Directors of Nokia Corporation in 2012-2020. He joined the Nokia Board in 2008 and became Chair in 2012. Prior to that he also served as the Chair of the Board of Directors of Elisa Corporation in 2008-2012.
Risto is a Board member of Futurice and Picosun and a member of Komatsu International Advisory Board, a member of the International Advisory Board at IESE Business School and a member of the Global Advisory Board of Yonsei University School of Business (YSB). In addition Risto is a Senior Advisor to the Boston Consulting Group. Since 2017 Risto has served as a Finnish Chairman of the China-Finland Committee for Innovative Business Cooperation.
Risto was a member of the European Roundtable of Industrialists (ERT) in 2012–2020 and a member of the Tsinghua SEM Advisory Board at Tsinghua University in 2012-2020. He is a member of the Global Tech Panel, an initiative of former EU High Representative Federica Mogherini.
Risto holds a Master of Science degree from the Helsinki University of Technology and he was awarded Honorary Doctorate in Technology by Aalto University schools of technology in 2018 and by L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University in 2019.
Risto is based in Finland.
Executive Chairman Webit Foundation
Dr. Plamen Russev is the initiator and focal connector of one of the world’s largest impact networks and curator of the global Webit community, reaching out to over 800,000 digerati, policy makers, innovators and media. His success stories include creating the global Webit brand from scratch, supporting founders and brands in establishing and growing a successful marketing strategy, creating meaningful relations with potential partners, customers and media. Plamen supports causes which impact the achievement of the UN’ SDGs.
He is an investor, philanthropist and serial entrepreneur and proven success record in developing business ventures in multicultural and challenging business environments.
Plamen Russev is B.Sc in Marketing and Management, M.Sc in Electronic Education/Mathematics and Physics, and Ph.D in Healthcare Management.
Plamen Russev has been appointed Goodwill Ambassador for Digital Affairs of his home country – Republic of Bulgaria and a member of European Commission’ BOF.
Dr. Russev’ work and impact have been recognised and awarded by governments, associations and NGOs along with 2 honorary doctorates from Universities in Europe and South America. Plamen Russev is featured in hundreds of international and local media including The Economist, Bloomberg, CNBCe, Forbes, Venture Beat, CNN to name a few.
Dr. Russev is the Founder and Executive Chairman of Webit Foundation and host of Webit Virtual.
He is happily married to the most wonderful girl in the world and father of 2 boys.
Special Panelists
Host
