Erik Årnell

Erik Årnell is CEO of Åkestam Holst / NoA, one of Sweden’s most acclaimed and effective creative agencies. He leads the business with a clear ambition: create communication that delivers real value for clients, customers and society.

Årnell brings rare perspective from both agency leadership and high-growth brand building. Before joining Åkestam Holst, he served as CEO of BBDO Nordics, leading a full-service creative operation across Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö. Earlier, he was Global Marketing Strategy Lead at Klarna, where he was responsible for global marketing and brand strategy during a defining period for the fintech’s international growth.

His career has also included senior strategic responsibilities across major Nordic and international brands, including McDonald’s and Unibet. This mix of client-side and agency-side experience makes him a compelling voice on the changing role of creativity: not simply as communications output, but as a business capability that can create distinctive brands, cultural momentum and commercial value.

At Helsinki Marketing Summit, Erik’s keynote explores creativity in the time of AI: how agencies and brands can harness new technology while protecting the creativity, talent and strategic clarity that make great work matter and still compete internationally from the Nordics.