Kjell Nordstrom was born in Sweden in 1958 and grew up on a small island in Finland. After studying engineering initially, he went on to get a Ph.D from the Stockholm School of Economics in 1991. He taught there until 1994 as Assistant Professor in the Institute of International Business. CareerNordstrom is seen as a guru of the new economy and in 2000 he wrote "Funky Business - Talent Makes Capital Dance" with Jonas Ridderstråle. In the book they explain that business as usual is no longer an option and call for creative, unique organizations like Apple or IKEA as blueprints for the future. It was rated as one of the five best business books of the year by Amazon and became an international best-seller. In their next book "Karaoke Capitalism - Management for Mankind" they argued that imitation had become institutionalized and that instead of copying what is already out there, companies should have the courage to develop new and original ideas. In his talks around the world, Nordstrom tells leaders how to stand out in the 'the new global bazaar' and how to access the talent for innovation they need to succeed. The ideas behind Karaoke Capitalism went on to form the basis of an extended interview on CNN’s Global Office programme.Nordstrom has advised several large corporations as well as the UK government. His specialist areas of research include corporate strategy, multi-national corporations and globalization. He is now a full-time international speaker.AccoladesNordstrom and Ridderstrale have appeared in the Thinkers 50 Biennial ranking of the Top Management Thinkers every time since its inception in 2001, regularly coming in the top five list for Europe.Praise for Nordstrom"If you loved Funky Business as much as I did, you'll love Karaoke Capitalism. Weird? Most certainly. Different? Most definitely. But, if you want to re-imagine your organization and your career, it's a thought-provoking place to start." Tom Peters, 2004