ERIK ALMQVIST, BARON OF KEITH MARISCHAL, FOUNDER AND CEO SENSE STRATEGY
Erik Almqvist, Baron of Keith Marischal is the Founder and CEO of Sense Strategy and the Owner of The Almqvist Family Office. He has led and contributed to several world first innovations throughout his career.
His pioneering work includes conducting the world's first scientific measurement of the economic impact of broadband speed upgrades in 2011.
With extensive experience driving digital transformation across Africa, the Middle East and Asia, Erik has led significant projects focusing on connectivity and cybersecurity—including establishing Africa's first supranational cybersecurity authority in 2025. He is a creator of the Networked Society City Index.
His financial leadership includes assisting the formation, strategy and development of a USD 1 Trillion Investment Council in the UAE, the successful rescue operations for Mobily in Saudi Arabia and the Stockholm School of Economics in Riga.
Furthermore, Erik significantly boosted the international ranking of the Stockholm School of Economics, positioning it as a top ten business school in Europe and globally. He also played an important role in advising the world's first internet bank in its early international growth.
Erik is the Baron of Keith Marischal, a Scottish noble dignity established in AD 1150, granted by King David I of Alba (Scotland).
Coming from a family with a storied tradition in innovation, engineering and entrepreneurship, Erik carries forward the legacy of his great-grandfather, Sven Alexander Almqvist, who built the world's first oil tanker with Ludvig Nobel in 1878. Erik is further a descendant of Daniel Fraser, who built Gota Canal, the largest engineering project in 19th century Sweden.
Erik holds a Master’s degree in Economics and Business Administration from the Stockholm School of Economics and is fluent in English, French, and Swedish.
KAROLINA TEMELJ ALMQVIST, BARONESS OF KEITH MARISCHAL
Karolina Temelj Almqvist, Baroness of Keith Marischal, is our Director of Corporate Affairs, and Co-Owner at The Almqvist Family Office.
Karolina has played a pivotal role at Sense Strategy in numerous financing and strategy assignments in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
She has 23 years experience from diplomatic and foreign affairs services, management consulting and investment banking.
She has served in multiple creative, managerial, research and administrative positions for the Croatian Embassy, The Boston Consulting Group, and Union Bank of Switzerland.
During her tenure at the Croatian Embassy, the Republic of Croatia joined the European Union and NATO.
Karolina is fluent in English, Swedish and Croatian, with a working knowledge in German.
DR. CHIHEB GHAZOUANI, PHD
Dr. Chiheb is an accomplished legal expert with deep insights in digital and innovation ecosystems, with over 20 years of experience across Francophone Africa. He is a Professor of Law at Tunis Business School, I.S.G. Tunis, and High Institute of Management, Tunis, and Université Panthéon-Sorbonne in Paris combining academic insight with practical expertise.
As part of Team Sense Strategy he has made important contributions to African Continental Blueprints on Cybersecurity, Data Protection and Privacy (DPP), and Internet of Things (IoT).
Chiheb has provided critical legal counsel to numerous startups throughout Africa, working with more than 50 startups from early stage to expansion, and with big tech companies such as Uber, Microsoft and Temenos representatives in the region. He has a track record of more than 300 investment and M&A deals, working with major investment funds and incubators.
He's known as a Business Angel.
He has played a key role in shaping Tunisia’s legislative landscape, notably working on the Tunisian Data Protection and Privacy Act, and E-commerce Act, as well as participating actively in committees dedicated to reforming civil, criminal, and ICT-related laws.
Chiheb holds a PhD and a Master's degree in Law from Université Panthéon Assas (Paris II), and a Law License from Université Toulouse 1 Capitole. He is fluent in French, English, and Arabic.
TÕNU GRÜNBERG
Tõnu is a senior executive and telecom expert with over 30 years experience.
He has served as CEO of Greenergy Data Centers, CEO of Ucell Uzbekistan, CTO and VP of Telia Company Eurasia, and VP of Telia Company Nordic Mobility.
He is a previous Vice President of the American Chamber of Commerce in Uzbekistan, a Member of the Management Board of GS1 Estonia, Supervisory Council Member of Telecommunications & IT Faculty at the Tallinn Technical University, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Estonian Broadband Development Foundation, Vice President of the Association of Estonian Information Technology & Telecommunications (ITL), Member of the Supervisory Council of the Estonian Information Technology Foundation (EITSA), and Chairman of the Supervisory Council of the Foundation Look@World.
He has led the technology strategy for the first mobile operator worldwide to launch 4G (LTE) commercial services, and enabled the first Mobile-ID assisted parliament elections in the world.
Tõnu advises on technology strategy, network rollouts, innovation & new service development, performance management and governance issues.
ERIK HALLBERG
Erik is a senior executive with over 30 years of operative experience.
He has held various executive leadership positions for Telia Company (Head of Global Business Segment and EVP & President of Eurasia, President International Carrier, SVP Head of Broadband Sweden, SVP Head of Mobility Sweden, Head of Baltic Region at TeliaSonera) and served as Chairman of Eesti Telecom, Latvijas Mobilais Telefons, Omnitel, SIA, TEO, Ncell, Ucell, Tcell, Geocell, Azercell. He has been a board member of Yoigo Spain and Northwest Telecom St Petersburg. He is a former Chairman and co-founder of Glocalnet AB and has served as CEO of Carl Lamm System AB and Diners Club Sweden.
He presently serves as Chair of the Board of Directors at Fidesmo, Chairman of Zynapp, and is a Board Member of HiQ.
He advises on strategic, operational, commercial and board matters.
DR. HÅKAN HEDERSTIERNA
Dr. Håkan is a renowned international expert on building world-class organisations in the private and public sector, for profit and-non profit organisations, with a particular emphasis on branding, pricing, funding, revenue generation and sales transformation.
Håkan is a Previous President and CEO of the Stockholm School of Economics Executive Education, President of the Stockholm School of Economics in Riga, Chairman Stockholm School of Economics in Riga. He has served as a President and CEO of Mercuri International Group, a global leader in sales transformation.
Håkan has participated in and organised workshops with Bill Clinton, Bill Gates, Steve Ballmer, George Soros and others.
He advises on organisational excellence, branding, pricing, funding and revenue generation matters.
GEORGE KOVACIC
George is a senior energy advisor to Sense Strategy with nearly 3 decades of experience in the upstream oil and gas industry.
George has advised some of the world’s most recognized corporations including ExxonMobil, IHS Markit and advises other leading corporations. His diverse expertise and knowledge provide him a unique perspective that facilitates results for his clients. He has been able to design legally supportable models that create projects, facilitate the receipt of permits as well as hydrocarbon exploration and production licenses. Throughout his career, George has played a leading role in the launching of hydrocarbon license rounds; the establishment of regulatory and fiscal regimes, investment attraction and receipt of drilling and oilfield service contracts. His work has resulted in dozens of new market entries and has generated well over a half of a billion dollars in contracts for his clients.
George has an MBA High Honors from the Université Libre de Bruxelles (Solvay Business School) in Brussels, Belgium and a BA from the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada.