Hans Dalborg awarded prize for socially conscious leadership

Hans Dalborg, Nordea's chairman of the Board and former Group CEO, has been awarded Anne Wibble's prize for outstanding pioneer work and socially conscious leadership. The ceremony was held in the Riksdag, Sweden's parliament on Thursday.

The jury's reason for nominating Hans Dalborg for the prize was because he has for many years displayed socially conscious leadership in business as well as in cultural and academic spheres. "In exercising leadership he has demonstrated cultural awareness, a high level of academic ambition and a down-to-earth manner that is far too uncommon in business circles. He has carried out his work in an exemplary way, for example, by learning Finnish in connection with the merger with Merita."

The creation Nordea was also a big part of the jury's motivation. "Hans Dalborg has accomplished several major tasks: the transformation of Nordbanken from a bank in deep crisis into profitability, and the successful merger of the Nordic banks Merita of Finland, Unibank of Denmark and Kreditkassen of Norway, thus creating the pan-Nordic financial group Nordea."

Anne Wibble, was Swedish Finance minister 1991-94, and died of cancer in March 2000. Anne Wibble's memorial fund with its annual prize brings to mind how she as a politician showed courage and resilience and took a stand for deeply held convictions, at the same time as she possessed a rare ability to listen and show respect for the opinions of others).