Dr. Gunhild A. Stordalen is the co-founder and executive chair of EAT. Recognized as a leading voice in her field, she has played a pivotal role in bringing together diverse stakeholders to address these interconnected global challenges.
In 2011, Gunhild co-founded the Stordalen Foundation with her then-husband, Petter A. Stordalen, and subsequently launched the EAT Initiative in collaboration with Professor Johan Rockström and the Stockholm Resilience Centre. Under her leadership, EAT expanded significantly in 2016 when Wellcome Trust joined as a core partner, helping to establish it as a global platform for food system transformation.
In 2020, Gunhild was appointed Chair of Action Track 2 for the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit, where she led efforts to promote healthy and sustainable consumption patterns. She built a broad coalition of stakeholders, leveraging EAT’s influence to advance this agenda.
She serves on several boards and advisory groups, including the UN’s Scaling Up Nutrition Movement Lead Group, the World Economic Forum’s Stewardship Board on Food Systems, the Stockholm Resilience Centre’s International Advisory Board, and REQ Capital’s Advisory Board. She is a member of the Africa Europe Women Leaders Network, an ambassador for Friends of Ocean Action, a member of HELENA, and part of the World Economic Forum’s Champions for Nature community.
A published scientist and an engaging public speaker, Dr. Stordalen is widely respected for her advocacy and expertise. She was named “Environmental Hero of the Year” by WWF Sweden in 2014 and was recognized as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in 2015. She has been listed among the most influential business communicators in Sweden and is ranked among Norway’s most powerful women by Kapital. In 2019, she received the UN Foundation’s Global Leadership Award for her work on food systems and was included among the most influential female leaders in climate and Norwegian agriculture. In 2022, she was named one of ELLE’s 100 Women Change-Makers Who Are Shaping the World.
Gunhild holds a medical degree and a PhD in pathology and orthopedic surgery from the University of Oslo. She is a Norwegian national.