FICCI FLO, under the leadership of its 42nd National President Ms. Poonam Sharma, hosted a special interactive session with Ms. Lena Bäcker, Founder and Chairperson of the Good Government Affairs (GGA) Group, Sweden. A globally respected leader in diplomacy, governance, and strategic advisory, Ms. Bäcker brings over 35 years of experience working with royal families, heads of state, Nobel laureates, and global CEOs.
Her distinguished career includes serving as Enforcement Director in the Swedish Government, where she chaired the High-Level Government Think Tank for key EU institutions such as the European Commission, European Parliament, European Central Bank, and European Investment Bank. She also played a pivotal role in Sweden’s fiscal and rescue initiative—the Task Force for Greece—undertaken in collaboration with the IMF, ECB, and European Commission.
In her special address, Ms. Bäcker expressed her appreciation to FICCI FLO for the invitation and lauded the organisation’s continued efforts in empowering women through policy advocacy, entrepreneurship development, and capacity-building initiatives. She commended FLO’s dynamic leadership and its members’ contributions in driving impact through programs that upskill women, create opportunities, and strengthen participation in economic and social development.
The session witnessed an engaging participation from FLO Past Presidents, Governing Body members, and FLO members who interacted closely with Ms. Bäcker over lunch. Discussions centred around women-led enterprises, global market access, governance models, and strengthening cross-regional collaborations. Ms. Bäcker was accompanied by Ms. Preeti Duggal (FLO Member, Bangalore), Ms. Palak Mehta (Founder, Vegan First and organiser of the Festival of Womanhood), and Ms. Thea Klincov (Founder & CEO of MHouseMedia and Member, Mohanji Foundation Global Council), each contributing valuable perspectives to the dialogue.
The interaction also revisited FLO’s longstanding engagement with the Nordic-Baltic region. Last year, FLO led a high-level delegation to the region, during which Ms. Bäcker played an instrumental role in facilitating an MoU with the India-EU Trade Council and with Good Government Affairs International. These collaborations have laid a strong foundation for strengthening trade, entrepreneurship, and women-centric partnerships between India and EU nations. This interaction was a step forward in this direction.
Moderated by Ms. Ankurita Pathak, Additional Director, FICCI FLO, the session concluded with a shared commitment to continue fostering meaningful alliances that benefit women entrepreneurs, enhance bilateral trade linkages, and build global networks of knowledge and innovation. The interaction marked a significant step forward in FLO’s global engagement agenda and reaffirmed its mission of amplifying women’s leadership on international platforms.