The NFU Conference 2017, June 20 and 21, Reykjavik

The notion of social capital through collective bargaining is an essential building block of the Nordic economies. Trade unions have for decades balanced power, cooperative relationships on the labor market and coordinated wage formation. But what is the status of the Nordic model anno 2017? Are we seeing a Nordic model in disruption?

Digitalization, relocation of jobs and new forms of work are some of the issues that trade unions in the Nordic finance sectors are faced with today. Finance plays a key role in society but how can the Nordic finance sectors stay competitive and sustainable in a more globalised world?

Nordic Financial Unions (NFU) invites you to a two-days conference in Reykjavik, Iceland to discuss the future of the Nordic bank and insurance sector and the importance of cross-border trade union work.

The NFU conference will gather a wide range of contributors and high-level speakers that will shed light on the following sessions:

• Session 1: Effects of EU’s Finance Legislation on the Nordic Model
• Session 2: The Nordic Model in a Time of Change
• Session 3: The Future of Financial Advice
• Session 4: The Way Forward for the Nordic Finance Sector

Welcome to Reykjavik on June 20-21, 2017!

Program

June 19

Day of arrival

June 20

Venue: Grand Hotel Reykjavik (Sigtún 38, 105 Reykjavík, Iceland)

Conference room: Gullteigur B

08:30 Registration and coffee

09:00          Opening of the NFU Conference 2017

Michael Budolfsen, President of NFU

Session 1: Effects of EU legislation on the Nordic model

09:20           Introduction

Ella Sjödin, Head of EU Affairs, NFU

09:30           Key note: Nordic implementation of EU’s finance legislation

What effects does EU’s finance legislation have on the core principles of the Nordic model such as collective bargaining and trade union rights?

Alexandra Horváthová, Postdoc Research Fellow at the Centre for Enterprise Liability at Copenhagen University

10:15            Coffee break

10:45            Panel debate: EU’s finance legislation and the effects on                                  employees and consumers

How is the EU’s finance legislation being implemented in the Nordic countries? Has the EU legislation provided improvements of employees’ rights and conditions and has the consumer protection in Europe been strengthened? Do the current policies take into consideration both the employee and the consumer perspectives?

• Lars Christian Ohnemus, Managing Director at the Centre for Corporate Governance, Copenhagen Business School
• Dominic Lindley, Financial Services Consultant and member of the Financial Services Consumer Panel in the UK and member of the European Banking Authority (EBA) stakeholder group
• Michael Budolfsen, President NFU, President UNI Europa Finance, Vice- President FSU-DK

Moderator: Arvid Ahrin, General Secretary, NFU              

12.00            LUNCH

Session 2: The Nordic model in a time of change

13.00          Key note: Nordic cooperation from the Icelandic perspectiv

How has the Icelandic financial sector recovered since the financial crisis and what are the major challenges for the Icelandic and Nordic financial sectors today? What is the Icelandic perspective on Nordic cooperation and the future of the Nordic model?

Benedikt Jóhannesson, Icelandic Minister of Finance

13:45            Seminar sessions

a) Artificial intelligence and its impact on the labor market

Hanne Shapiro, Head of Innovation, Danish Technological Institute

b) The rise of digital platforms: How are trade unions responding?

Anna Ilsøe, Associate Professor, Employment Relations Research Centre, FAOS

c) Employees under pressure – the latest research projects from NFU

Ella Sjödin and Annika Stenström, Head of EU Affairs and Policy Advisor, NFU

15:00           Coffee break

15:20           Key note: The importance of a strong Nordic trade union                               movement

What role do the Nordic trade unions play in a European and global context?

Philip Jennings, General Secretary, UNI Global

16:00           Reflections from day one

Arvid Ahrin, General Secretary, NFU

19:00           Aperitif and dinner at Bryggjan Restaurant

Grandagardur 8, Reykjavik

Hosted by SSF

June 21

09:00           Welcome back

NFU Secretariat

Session 3: The future of financial advice

09:10            Key note: A new, old form of banking?

Expansion of physical branches in the age of digitalization. Experiences from Handelsbanken

Mikael Sørensen, Head of UK Operations, Handelsbanken

10:00            Coffee break

10:30            Panel debate: The Future of Financial Advice

The panel will discuss what financial advice will look like in the future. What are the demands from the customers and how can financial institutions use this to their advantage? What will be the impact on trust and consumer relations with the increased use of robot-advice in financial services?

• Mikael Sørensen, Head of UK Operations, Handelsbanken
• Katrín Júlíusdóttir, Managing Director, the Icelandic Financial Services Association
• Hanne Shapiro, Head of Innovation, the Danish Technological Institute
• Pål Adrian Hellman, Vice-president of NFU and President of FSU-NO

Moderator: Ann-Helen Hopland, European Coordinator NFU

11:45            LUNCH

Session 4: The way forward for the Nordic financial sector

13:00           Key note: The competitive edge of the Nordic financial sector

What role will the Nordic financial sectors have in the development of the Nordic region? Does the Nordic model of both social partners and corporate governance provide a competitive advantage in this scenario?

Lars Christian Ohnemus, Managing Director, Institute of Corporate Governance at Copenhagen Business School

14:00            Coffee break

14:15            Reflections on the Nordic labor market in the years to come

What are the future labor market dynamics in the Nordic region and what implications will this development have on skills supply?

Hanne Shapiro, Head of Innovation and expert on labor market developments, Danish Technological Institute

14:45           Closing of conference

Michael Budolfsen, President of NFU

Free evening

June 22

Day of depature

Presentations from the NFU Conference 2017

Key note: Lars Christian Ohnemus, Managing Director, Institute of Corporate Governance, Copenhagen Business School
Seminar: Anna Ilsøe, Associate Professor, Employment Relations Research Centre, FAOS
Key note: Benedikt Jóhannesson, Icelandic Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs
Seminar: Hanne Shapiro, Head of Innovation, Danish Technological Institute
Key note: Hanne Shapiro, Head of Innovation, Danish Technological Institute
Key note: Mikael Sørensen, CEO, Handelsbanken UK
Key note: Alexandra Horváthová, Postdoc Research Fellow at the Centre for Enterprise Liability, Copenhagen University