Percy Barnevik: CEO and Chairman of ABB and Co-founder of Hand in Hand

Percy Nils Barnevik is a well-known Swedish business executive whose track record in the industry is filled with successes with a few stumbling steps along the way. He is best known for his success as Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Asea Brown Boveri (ABV) from 1988 to 2002 as well as co-founder of Hand in Hand, a non-profit organization.

Barnevik earned his degrees from prestigious schools including the Göteborg University's School of Business, Economics and Law as well as the Stanford Graduate School of Business. His business achievements also led to his honorary doctorate degrees from various universities in Sweden, Finland, and the United States, such as the Goterborg University in 1991 and Linkoping University 1989. He is also a recipient of the 1993 IEEE Engineering Leadership Recognition Award.

He co-founded Hand in Hand, a charitable organization, with Dr. Kalpana Sankar in India. Hand in Hand fights poverty via comprehensive programs in business and job creation across several countries including India, Kenya, South Africa, Rwanda, Swaziland, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Afghanistan, Myanmar, and Cambodia.