Nordic-Baltic Summit: Speakers
The programme for the Nordic-Baltic Summit is currently being finalised, which will include keynote speakers and talks from the nations participating in the event. We will update this section in the lead up to the event.
James Russell
Senior Director of Transformation, Skills Development Scotland and Interim Co-chair of the Career Services Collaborative
James was appointed as Director of CIAG Operations at Skills Development Scotland (SDS) in November 2017 following his previous role as Head of CMS Development and Delivery since 2015 and became Interim Senior Director of Transformation in December 2023.
James’s portfolio supports the design, development and implementation of our transformation as an organisation so that we can provide the best possible services for our customers in a financially sustainable way.
James was the Senior Responsible Officer for the Career Services Collaborative before taking up the post as Co-Chair in June 2025.
James’s career includes roles as Director of Training and Development at Microcom Training and Director of Quality and Performance at Street League, the sport for employment charity.
Jaana Kettunen
President for the International Association for Educational and Vocational Guidance (IAEVG); Professor (Lifelong Guidance) and Vice director at Finnish Institute for Educational Research, University of Jyväskylä
Dr. Jaana Kettunen is Professor of Guidance and Vice-director at the Finnish Institute for Educational Research (FIER) of the University of Jyväskylä. Her research that has a strong international orientation revolves around career guidance practice and public policy development with a special interest on the design and use of information and communication technology in career guidance.
Dr. Kettunen is research associate at the Florida State University’s Centre for the Study of Technology in Counselling and Career Development, USA. She is on the Board of the International Centre for Career Development and is a chair of ICT Strategy working group of the IAEVG and Technology Committee of the National Career Development Association NCDA. She is a nominated national expert at Cedefop’s CareersNet expert network for lifelong guidance and career development and member of its Advisory Board.
Jenni Parker
Founder & Director, Humanly
Jenni is a designer, social innovator and systems thinker. She is passionate about the power of human-centred design to develop solutions to some of the world's most pressing problems, and to transform the organisations that are at the front line of addressing these challenges.
Jenni has led design and innovation projects with organisations in the third, public and private sectors in the UK and internationally, and has carried out user research, co-creation and prototyping activities in 16 countries in 4 continents.
Ali Fawkes
Head of Social Innovation, Humanly
Ali is a creative professional with a wide range of experience, spanning fine art; special education and human-centred design. She is an expert communicator who specialises in designing creative and inclusive approaches to research, co-creation and prototyping.
During Ali’s diverse career she has worked as a teacher in specialist schools; at the national charity VoiceAbility and as Asperger's Syndrome Project Officer at the University of Cambridge.
Lynne Robson
Head of Evaluation and Impact, Skills Development Scotland
Bio to follow
Nordic-Baltic Summit
Initially starting out as the Nordic Summit for Digital Careers Services, the event has been expanded in recent years to include Baltic countries and also Scotland and has now become the Nordic-Baltic Summit for digital careers services.
Nordic-Baltic Summit Programme
The programme for the event is in draft format as we continue to engage external speakers and nations in providing inputs
Nordic-Baltic Summit: Register
We’re really looking forward to you joining us in Scotland for the 2026 Nordic-Baltic Summit for digital careers services and delighted that you are taking the step top register.