The event featured an esteemed panel of football industry leaders, including Fredrik Söderberg, CEO/Club Director of AIK Fotboll, Markus Nilsson, Deputy CEO of Hammarby Fotboll, Lena Gustafson Wiberg, Supporter Liaison Officer at Djurgården, and Adrian von Heijne, Technical Director for Hammarby Fotboll's first teams. Together, they shared insights into the Swedish football model, club culture, commercialization, and the vital role of supporters. The panel was moderated by Anna Laurell Nash, Executive Director at the Center for Sports & Business.

A central theme of the discussion was Sweden's unique 51% ownership rule, which ensures clubs remain member-owned, preserving democratic decision-making, long-term sustainability, and equality within the sport. The panel explored how this structure shapes the Swedish football landscape and the balance between commercial growth and traditional club values. 

Beyond club management and supporter influence, the conversation also delved into opportunities for SSE students in the football industry. As clubs increasingly seek commercialization and organizational development, both Hammarby and AIK highlighted their ongoing collaborations with SSE students on real-world projects. The speakers encouraged students to explore career paths in football, emphasizing the industry's growing demand for business expertise. 

A special thanks to our panelists for their invaluable contributions and to IDU for making this insightful evening possible. 

Apart from the Sport & Business Night, IDU also hosted two lunch lectures. The first featured Jesper Jansson on his career, the football/sports industry as a career option for SSE students, the dark side of the agents' industry in sports, and cognitive learnings from sports. Jesper Jansson is a former football player for Djurgården, AIK, and more. He is the sporting director at Östers IF and has an extensive background as a club executive in Hammarby, Omonia, Copenhagen, and more. He has also an ongoing project with Karolinska Institute, testing the cognitive abilities of athletes. 

The second lunch lecture featured Mikael Tillström, speaking about his career, the importance of following one's passion, how studies after his career made him believe in himself, and how to combine coaching on tour and running a company at the same time. Mikael Tillström is a former professional tennis player for 10 years, 39 ATP Ranking Singles and 15 ATP Ranking Doubles, coached players like Magnus Norman, Grigor Dimitrov and Gael Monfils, as well as voted top 3 coach in the world 2016.