Nordic-Baltic Summit: Speakers

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 an internationally recognized Professor of Guidance and Vice-director at the Finnish Institute for Educational Research (FIER), at the University of Jyväskylä. She is the current President of the International Association for Educational and Vocational Guidance (IAEVG). Her research has a strong international orientation and revolves around career guidance practices, practitioner training, quality, strategic leadership and public policy development, with a special interest in the design and use of information and communication technology in career guidance.

Dr. Kettunen’s influence extends well beyond academia, as she collaborates with international organizations, including the European Commission, Cedefop, the European Training Foundation, OECD, ILO, and UNESCO. Her work bridges research and practical application. In recognition of her outstanding contributions to the field, Dr Kettunen has received several prestigious honours, including the IAEVG-APCDA Academic Excellence Award and the NCDA International Practitioner Award.
https://ktl.jyu.fi/en/staff/kettunen-jaana

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.

Malene Vangdrup

Senior Adviser, Nordic Council of Ministers

Malene Vangdrup is a Senior Adviser at the Nordic Council of Ministers, where she works to promote Nordic cooperation in education, lifelong learning, and skills development. Her work focuses on building partnerships, supporting policy development, and creating opportunities for knowledge sharing across the Nordic region.

Didzis Poreiters

Director of Broader Educational Experience Department, State Education Development Agency (VIAA)

Didzis Poreiters is Director of the Broader Educational Experience Department at the State Education Development Agency (VIAA) in Latvia, where he leads initiatives that connect education, career development, skills excellence, and lifelong learning opportunities.

With extensive experience in career guidance and educational innovation, Didzis has played a key role in developing national career information resources and practical tools that help young people and adults make informed learning and career decisions. His work focuses on strengthening links between education and the labour market, promoting skills development, and supporting career management competencies across different stages of life.

Lisa Scott

Head Teacher of Hawick High School.

With 25 years’ experience in education and four years as a headteacher, Lisa is committed to ensuring every young person has access to high-quality learning, meaningful opportunities and a positive pathway beyond school.

Leading a school within an area of significant socioeconomic challenge, Lisa has developed an ambitious and inclusive culture focused on raising attainment, recognising wider achievement and improving outcomes. She works closely with community partners, employers, Skills Development Scotland and further education providers to create a curriculum that reflects young people’s aspirations and the needs of the regional economy.

Lisa has championed employer partnerships, work-based learning and an innovative digital approach to skills profiling. She will co-deliver the keynote 'Classroom to Work', sharing the school's journey towards a connected, skills-focused curriculum that bridges education and the world of work.

Birgitte Trones Markussen

Senior Adviser at the Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills (HK-dir)

Birgitte Trones Markussen is a Senior Adviser at the Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills (HK-dir), where she works with the national platform Utdanning.no. Her current work focuses on developing a personalized user experience ("My Page"). She is particularly interested in content design, user experience, and how to transform complex data and statistics into clear, useful information for everyday users.

Julie Gjengedal

Product lead for Karriereveiledning.no, The Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills (HK-dir).

Julie Gjengedal has led the development and operation of generative AI tools on Karriereveiledning.no since 2023. As product lead for Karriereveiledning.no, she works with the practical questions that arise when AI becomes part of a public service.

Her experience spans product development, testing and ongoing maintenance, including assessing generated responses and adapting tools to changes in the underlying models. A central question in her work is whether new technology translates into better support for users.

Julie’s background combines user research, data analysis and digital service development. She also leads a cross-agency initiative supporting young jobseekers in Norway, and is pursuing a master’s degree in digitalization management in her spare time.

Taylor Stewart

National CIAG Manager – 16+ Participation Portal - Skills Development Scotland

Taylor Stewart is currently responsible for the management of the 16+ Participation Portal which is a key piece of infrastructure to enable effective support to be providing to young people across Scotland; it is a crucial partnership programme led by Skills Development Scotland and working with key education, training and learning providers.

Taylor has a wealth of experience within both the private and public sectors. His early career focused on a range of marketing and communications roles in a range of sectors from one of the world’s largest valve manufacturers to pet food.

From the late 1990’s until 2008 he held a number of positions with Scottish Enterprise from marketing and communications to strategic planning. He joined Skills Development Scotland at its inception in April 2008 and was responsible for the marketing and communication of the careers service as well as National Training Programmes.

Taylor moved into his current role in 2013 and has led the data sharing activities across Skills Development Scotland and the systems which have supported the development of this crucial area for the skills and learning system. This included the development of the new 16+ Participation Portal which was launched in March 2025 and is at the forefront of helping to shape the effective use of data in delivering impactful public services. Collaboration is essential to support the sharing of data from a range of partners which supports a number of policy areas in Scotland.