BIOGRAPHY
Malene Rydahl is a writer, keynote speaker and executive coach specialising in well-being and happiness inspired by the Danish leadership model. She was born in Denmark and has lived in Paris for more than 20 years.
She is the author of the best-seller, Happy as a Dane (2014), which has been published worldwide in more than 12 languages and won the prize for the most optimistic book of 2014. In the book, she explores why the Danish are some of the happiest people in the world and how their leadership style in business fosters trust, creativity and engagement.
Certified as an executive coach from the renowned school of coaching Manning Inspire in Copenhagen, Malene provides individual and collective programmes of executive coaching for CEOs and executive boards who wish to improve the engagement, well-being and performance of their employees. She also lectures on the Danish leadership model at the prestigious French business school HEC Executive Education
Malene Rydahl has 18 years of experience in the corporate world, most recently as Director of Corporate Communication for Hyatt Hotels & Resorts in EMEA, overlooking 42 hotels. For her work she was elected one of the “24 women of the year” by the French magazine L’Express in 2012.
Her second book Le Bonheur sans illusions (2017) explores some of the surprising and nefarious side effects of money, power, beauty, fame and sex, and looks at how we might better avoid disillusionment to find our own true path to happiness.
In 2018, Malene was part of the official delegation of the French President Emmanuel Macron for his state visit to Denmark, and she has been awarded the medal of Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. She also holds the honorary title of Goodwill Ambassador to Copenhagen.
Malene Rydahl also served on the advisory committee of the Positive Economy Forum in 2012, an initiative led by Jacques Attali under the sponsorship of the French President. She is also an associate of the Danish start-up, 42° Raw, a healthy fast food concept with four restaurants in Copenhagen. She is also a supporter of Europe Tomorrow, a French social start-up which aims at mapping local social and environmental innovations across Europe.
MALENE’S TALKS
Based on her research and extensive corporate experience, Malene argues that happiness of employees is essential for business success.
From her study of Danish culture, she provides her audiences with concrete steps they can take to improve the well-being of both themselves and their teams at work, and thereby improve the functioning of their organisation as well.