Dr. Lena Kemna

As a speaker, I draw on experience in some of the ocean’s most extreme environments to translate high-risk decision-making, uncertainty, and resilience into leadership insights for the business world and wider audiences.

With a PhD in Management and over a decade of experience in marketing, I combine analytical expertise with intuitive, experience-based knowledge, offering a distinct female perspective on leadership under extreme conditions while exploring themes of intuition, courage, and purpose.

Through my keynotes, I bring these ideas to life with powerful big wave surfing and freediving visuals, combined with practical tools such as breathing techniques to create immersive and immediately applicable experiences.

  • I design and facilitate workshops that prepare teams to perform and decide under pressure.

    Inspired by big-wave surfing and freediving, they combine scientific insight with applied practice, equipping participants with a clear, transferable toolkit for leadership in high-pressure environments.

  • I support organisations in developing coherent 360° brand strategies, spanning market research, brand strategy, and community development.

    My work focuses on actionable frameworks that align stakeholders, strengthen brand equity, and guide consistent decision-making for long-term impact.

PREVIOUSLY WORKED WITH

Text logo reading 'Logistics Connect' in bold, white letters on a dark background.
Close-up of the TEDx logo in black and white.
Close-up view of a logo that says 'PROLOG INNOVATION' in bold, white, uppercase letters on a black background.
The logo of the European Marketing Academy (EMAC), featuring a world map in black and white with the acronym EMAC and the full name European Marketing Academy underneath.
The logo features the word 'SPO' in white text with a geometric snowflake symbol to the right on a black background.
Logo of Universidade da Madeira with stylized bridge illustration above the text
The logo of OSEAN, a program for the Outermost Regions Sustainable Ecosystem for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, with a black background and a white geometric spiral design.
Logo with concentric circles and text 'Economics of Mutuality' on a black background.
Logo of the American Academy of Marketing, featuring stylized letters 'AAM' and the number '100'.
NOVA School of Business & Economics logo

  • “Lena´s talk was clearly one of the top highlights of the entire trade show — both for me personally and for ISPO itself. It was relevant, authentic, and very well structured. Working with Lena before and during the session was highly pleasant and professional. She communicates clearly, is reliable, and brings a calm, positive presence that made preparation and execution very smooth. I can highly recommend working with her.”

    – Ole Wolter, Organiser of ISPO

  • "Lena's story, her personality, and her passion as a big wave surfer to ride the biggest waves of our time made a lasting impression on the participants of our leadership program. Her simultaneous connection to the worlds of extreme sports and business makes her an impressive storyteller who vividly illustrates to her audience the parallels between preparation, asserting oneself in the lineup, and today's challenges in leading and developing teams and organizations."

    – Prof. Dr. Sven Hermann, Managing Director of ProLog Innovation

  • "Lena Kemna presented her film L E N A as part of the Surf Film Night in the summer of 2025 on the large stages of open-air cinemas in Berlin, Munich, and Hamburg to sold-out audiences. During the Q&A with the viewers, she captivated them with her modest yet confident manner and gave exclusive insights into the life of a big-wave surfer — often the only woman in the monster waves of Nazaré. Thank you for the fantastic performance!"

    – Jens Steffenhagen, Nouvague Events

It all begins with an idea.

I look forward to exploring opportunities through a personal call.

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