IACEE 2021
Keynote speakers
Dr. Carol O’Donnell
Smithsonian Science Education Center
Sustainability plenary (opening plenary)
Wednesday 26 May, 09:00
Carol O’Donnell is the director of the Smithsonian Science Education Center, which is dedicated to transforming the learning and teaching of science in P–12 classrooms throughout the nation and the world. O’Donnell is responsible for all operational activities and planning for the unit, including building awareness for preschool through 12th-grade science-education reform, conducting programs that support the professional growth of P–12 teachers and school leaders, and overseeing all research and curricular-resource development, philanthropic development and administration.
Before joining the Smithsonian, O’Donnell worked at the U.S. Department of Education where she oversaw nearly $17 billion in annual federal investments under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. These investments focused on education reform, school improvement, teacher professional development, improved student achievement and assistance for states building their capacity to implement and sustain education reforms and achieve improvement in student outcomes. She also oversaw the cognition and student-learning research program at the Institute of Education Sciences, the research arm of the Department of Education.
While earning her doctorate at the George Washington University, O’Donnell managed a five-year, National Science Foundation-funded trial aimed at identifying the conditions under which effective middle school science curricular interventions improve student learning and reduce achievement gaps when scaled-up. Her research on curriculum implementation was published in the Review of Educational Research and earned her an “American Educational Research Association Division of Learning and Instruction Graduate Research Award” in 2008.
Berit Svendsen
Vipps
Innovation plenary
Thursday 27 May, 09:00
Berit started as a scientist at the research institute of Televerket (later Telenor) in 1988 and has until recently worked at Telenor. She had several roles in the company, EVP and CEO for Telenor Norway and from March 2017 to September 2018 she was responsible for all Telenor’s activities in Scandinavia. She has the heart of a true tech enthusiast and curious about innovation and development. In 2016, Berit was named one of Europe’s fifty most inspiring women in the technology world by Inspiring Fifty. In 2017 and 2018, she was named the most powerful woman in Norwegian business by Kapital, the largest business magazine in Norway.
Berit started in Vipps in November 2018 to lead the international expansion of Vipps. Her focus is to create more digitised and cashless societies worldwide.
Berit is also Adjunct Executive in Residence at Norwegian Business School and heads the “Svendsen Committee” on behalf of the Ministry of Defense to assess the future need for competence and diversity in the Armed Forces based on a changed threat picture.
Michael Fors
Boeing
Inclusion plenary
Friday 28 May, 09:00
Michael A. Fors, Ph.D., is an Executive Leader of Corporate Division Development in Boeing’s Leadership, Learning & Organizational Capability (LLOC) Team, driving transformation toward the 2025 corporate vision. His team provides learning and development to 12 major divisions, including Engineering, Supply Chain, IT, HR, Finance, and Program Management. He is deploying role-based, data driven workforce development systems that are tied to business strategic plans, and upskill employees for the 4th Industrial Revolution. He is also driving cross-enterprise development initiatives, technical leadership development, and new aircraft program development initiatives.
Before Boeing, he was Executive Leader of Learning at Microsoft, transforming Microsoft’s sales, consulting services, and other divisions to achieve Microsoft’s Digital Transformation. Prior, Michael led a P&L comprised of 450 ex-CIO consultants who digitally transformed Microsoft Fortune 50 customers. Michael also led business strategy teams in the Microsoft Windows Division and other product groups. Before Microsoft, Michael was Chief Learning Officer of Intel University, where he led all learning & internal consulting, including leadership, management, engineering, manufacturing, and employee development.
Michael is an adjunct professor at Stanford University and the University of Washington, where he teaches on innovation and entrepreneurism in the Engineering & Business Schools. Michael is a member and representative of the World Economic Forum, the Global Engineering Deans’ Council, ReWork America, & the International Federation of Engineering Education Societies. As a Senior UN Fellow for 22 years, Michael leads United Nations post-conflict strategy, leadership, and frontier technology development programs in Afghanistan, Iraq, South Sudan, and other parts of Africa. Michael has a Ph.D. that focused on Education, Leadership, and Business.