Helena Hedblom, CEO, Epiroc Group

Helena Hedblom is the President and CEO of Epiroc AB

Current positions
• President and CEO of Epiroc AB
• Member of the Board of Stora Enso Oy and Wallenberg Investments AB, and member of the Royal
Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences

Previous positions
• Senior Executive Vice President Mining and Infrastructure and a member of Epiroc Group
Management
• President of the Mining and Rock Excavation business area, Atlas Copco
• President of the Rock Drilling Tools division, Atlas Copco

Education
• M.Sc. in Material Technology from the Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden

Petra is an innovation leader, experienced board member, accomplished investor, and business builder with a track record spanning over 25 years in international markets and advanced technology sectors.

Her diverse skill set has been honed through CEO and executive roles in global corporations, commercialisation, venture capital, and government. In her most recent role, Petra led the NSW government’s initiatives on Innovation Districts, strategically fostering collaboration to drive innovation. Prior to this, she played a pivotal role in identifying and managing early-stage health and tech investments for Minderoo & Tattarang, Australia's largest private investment group.

Preceding these roles, Petra served as the CEO and creator of Cicada Innovations, where her visionary leadership earned global acclaim in 2018 when Cicada was recognized as the "Best Incubator in the World" by inBIA, thanks to innovative models for commercialization and seed investment.

Beyond her professional roles, Petra is an angel investor, a dedicated startup business mentor, a frequent conference speaker, and an educator teaching entrepreneurship and innovation at Australia's leading universities.