New Board members of Nobel Media AB, Nobelmuseet AB and Nobelhuset AB

New Board members of Nobel Media AB, Nobelmuseet AB and Nobelhuset AB

The Nobel Prize is surrounded by a number of organisations and institutions that carry out various tasks related to the Prize. During the past decade, this organisational structure has grown, especially when it comes to companies engaged in activities that are aimed at spreading knowledge about the Nobel Prize and stimulating interest in science, literature and peace. The ambition is that these companies shall be represented by individuals who are knowledgeable about their respective fields of activity.

At its annual meeting on April 25, 2014, Nobel Group Interests AB approved a decision to appoint a number of new members to the Boards of Directors of its wholly owned subsidiaries Nobel Media AB, Nobelmuseet AB and Nobelhuset AB.

“The people who have been recruited have solid expertise in communications and media production, research and museum activities and property-related matters. We are convinced that the new Board members will contribute fresh perspectives and approaches to the respective activities of these companies,” says Carl-Henrik Heldin, Chairman of Nobel Group Interests AB.

Juleen Zierath was elected as a new member of the Board of Nobel Media AB
The composition of the Board now looks as follows: Lars Heikensten, Patrik Hadenius, Marie Nilsson, Ove Joanson, Geir Lundestad, Gunnar von Heijne and Juleen Zierath. Deputy member: Barbro Jonsson.

The following new members were elected to the Board of Nobelmuseet AB (the Nobel Museum): Marika Hedin, Sara Öhrvall and Ulf Danielsson
The composition of the Board now looks as follows: Lars Heikensten, Peje Emilsson, Klas Kärre, Nina Wormbs, Marika Hedin, Sara Öhrvall and Ulf Danielsson. Deputy member: Barbro Jonsson.

The following new members were elected to the Board of Nobelhuset AB: Eva Nygren and Birgitta Ed
The composition of the Board now looks as follows: Lars Heikensten, Lars Anell, Hans Dalborg, Staffan Normark, Anders Nylander, Eva Nygren and Birgitta Ed. Deputy member: Barbro Jonsson.

For detailed information about these companies and other organisations in the Nobel sphere, see the 2013 Annual Review of the Nobel Foundation: http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_organizations/nobelfoundation/annual_review_13.pdf

Contact: Annika Pontikis, Public Relations Manager, the Nobel Foundation
E-mail:annika.pontikis@nobel.se, tel: +46 8 663 14 70, mobile: +46 70 454 76 72

© The Nobel Foundation, 2014. Nobel Prize® and the Nobel Prize® medal design mark are
registered trademarks of the Nobel Foundation.

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Background description concerning the new Board member of Nobel Media AB

Juleen Zierath (born 1961) is Professor of Integrative Physiology and Research group leader of the section of Integrative physiology at Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm. She is also a Professor of Integrative Physiology at the University of Copenhagen, where she is Scientific Director of the Novo Nordisk Foundation Centre for Basic Metabolic Research. She holds a number of other positions, including Director of the Strategic Research Programme in Diabetes at Karolinska Institutet and as Editor-in-Chief of Diabetologia and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Keystone Symposium.

Professor Zierath is Chairman of the Nobel Committee for Physiology or Medicine, a member of the Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet and a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. She has also been awarded various prizes and honours, among them the Fernström Prize (1999), the Sven and Ebba-Christina Hagberg Prize (2001) from Karolinska Institutet and the Minkowski Prize from the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (2001).

Background descriptions concerning the new Board members of Nobelmuseet AB

Marika Hedin (born 1964) is Museum Director at the Museum Gustavianum, Uppsala University.
She was previously Museum Director at the Vasa Museum in Stockholm between 2009 and 2013. Between 1998 and 2003 she was Senior Curator at the Nobel Museum and later Head of Public Programmes from 2005 to 2008. She has an honorary doctorate in technology (Tekn. Dr h.c.) from Uppsala University and earned a Ph.D. in History at Stockholm University as well as a B.A. in History and the History of Ideas from Stockholm University and an MA from the University of Notre Dame (1990) in American History (as a Fulbright scholar).

Dr Hedin is a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Science’s working group on the future of the Observatory Museum in Stockholm, museum advisor and Board member of the Swedish Linnaeus Society, Board member of the International Congress of Maritime Museums and Board member of the Swedish Fulbright Commission. She was also Director of the Whiplash Commission from 2003 to 2005.

Sara Öhrvall (born 1971) was Senior Vice President Research & Development at Bonnier AB, parent company of Sweden’s largest media group, between 2008 and 2013. She previously worked as Niche Concepts Development Manager at Volvo Car Corporation, was CEO and partner at the brand strategy agency Differ and founder and CEO of the innovation consulting firm Ninety Concept Development. She has also received various awards, including min’s Best of the Web Award during her time at Bonnier AB.

Sara Öhrvall is a Board member of Expressen, Adlibris, Umeå University and Bonnier Publications.

Ulf Danielsson (born 1964) has been Professor of Theoretical Physics since 2000 and works at Uppsala University.His research deals with string theory with a focus on applications in cosmology. He was awarded to 2008 Göran Gustafsson Prize in physics and the 2009 Thuréus Prize.

Professor Danielsson is a member of the Swedish Royal Academy of Sciences, the Royal Society of Arts and Sciences and the Royal Society of Sciences. He has also devoted himself to popular science activities and is the author of a number of books.

Background descriptions concerning the new Board members of Nobelhuset AB

Eva Nygren (born 1955) has many years of experience in the construction and property sector, among other things as President of Sweco Sverige and most recently as CEO of the engineering consultant Rejlers. She is also a trained architect and a Board member of the property company Norrporten and the construction company JM.

Birgitta Ed (born 1968) is an entrepreneur and co-founder of the business development agency Six Year Plan. She also is also a founding partner and consultant for the communications agency Springtime. For about 15 years, she has worked internationally as an advisor to corporate managements and boards on communications matters. Between 1991 and 1994, Birgitta Ed worked in the Swedish Government Offices as a Political Adviser in the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Finance. Between 2001 and 2003 she was CEO of the campaign organisation Sverige i Europa and led the Yes campaign for the Swedish referendum on euro zone membership. 

She is a Board member of Uppsala University, the Swedish Institute of International Affairs, the Sweden China Trade Council, the Swedish Chamber of Commerce in China and the Swedish National Museum of Science and Technology. 

Public activities related to the Nobel Prize
The Nobel sphere also includes a number of externally financed entities with the primary task of disseminating information about the Nobel Prize as well as engaging and inspiring people around the world through the discoveries and stories of the Nobel Laureates. The non-profit Nobel Foundation Rights Association serves as an umbrella organisation for the following six entities:

NOBEL GROUP INTERESTS AB, Stockholm
NOBEL MEDIA AB, Stockholm
NOBELMUSEET AB, Stockholm
NOBELHUSET AB, Stockholm
NOBEL PEACE PRIZE RESEARCH & INFORMATION AS, Oslo
NOBEL PEACE CENTER FOUNDATION, Oslo

The above entities are all externally financed, for example through contributions from national or local authorities, educational organisations or philanthropic entities or through partnerships with companies.

The companies within the Nobel sphere, listed above, have no influence over or access to the nomination or selection procedures of the Nobel Prize.  Only after the public announcement of the Nobel Laureates can these organisations spread information about each year’s Laureates.