Theory in Practice Conference 2026:
FUTURE-PROOF BUSINESS
26th March 2026
Xamk, Kouvola and Online
PROGRAM SCHEDULE
Thursday, 26.03.2026
- 9.00 Opening
- 9.30 Keynote: Building resilient and sustainable service business in Asia Pacific by Aksh Rohatgi, Managing Director, Asia Pacific, ISS
- 10:30 Keynote: From problems to opportunities by Petteri Kolinen, Leading Consultant in Strategic Design
- 11:15-12:15 Lunch break
- 12:15: Workshop: Bridging the gap between research and business realities
- 13:00: Presentation of conference papers (simultaneous sessions)
- 14:30-15:00 Coffee break
- 15:00-17:00 Presentation of conference papers (simultaneous sessions)
Speakers
Aksh Rohatgi
Managing Director, Asia Pacific, ISS
Aksh Rohatgi is the Managing Director, Asia Pacific, at ISS. Under his leadership, ISS APAC has become a key player in the facility management industry, serving a wide range of sectors with integrated facility services solutions across the Region. Aksh’s expertise and leadership have been crucial in driving the company’s growth and success in the APAC region.
A Harvard Business School alum, Aksh holds deep expertise in strategy, finance, and risk management. Prior to joining ISS, he has held key positions in EXL Services and Deloitte.
Petteri Kolinen
Leading consultant in strategic Design
Industrial Designer and Master of Arts in Design Leadership, Petteri Kolinen has a long experience in various leadership positions in design from diverse industries. In 1993–2007, Kolinen worked at Nokia as a lead designer of over 20 phone models. Then further as a Design Manager, responsible for various teams, as well as e.g. managing the Design Studio at the Keilaniemi headquarters. After this, he was a member of the Group Management Team and Design Director at the Martela Group Oyj.
Petteri joined Design Forum Finland CEO position from Nanso Group Oy, where he held the post of Creative Director. From DFF he was recruited for the CEO Punda Brands.
Nowadays, Petteri works as a Leading Consultant in Strategic Design at LINK Design, is a teacher, active top management coach and a passionate speaker for the human centric thinking.
Organizational development and leadership are undergoing rapid transformation as businesses navigate digital disruption, sustainability demands, and evolving expectations for inclusive and resilient workplaces.
TiP2026 Conference will explore how future-proof businesses can thrive through resilience, sustainability, digital transformation, AI-driven management and inclusive leadership. Bringing together experts in these domains, the conference will highlight emerging trends, new research and practical solutions that bridge theory and real-world application
The conference is organised by the South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences Xamk.
The event has received funding from the Foundation for Economic Education
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