Jan Erik Meidell, Ph.D.

Jan Erik Meidell, Ph.D., is an educator and researcher working at the intersection of sustainability, finance, and technology. With more than 25 years of experience bridging business strategy and quantitative technology, his current work focuses on ESG governance and implementation, sustainable finance, and the application of AI and data science to business and sustainability challenges.

At SUMAS, Jan Erik teaches AI-related courses, including the Capstone: AI for Good. His broader lecturing expertise encompasses Statistics and Machine Learning, Blockchain and Decentralized Finance (DeFi) as well as Applied AI for Business.

As a researcher, his recent scholarship advances Executive Sustainability Cognition (ESC) as a governance mechanism. Developed alongside Pius O. Ughakpoteni and published in Sustainability (MDPI, 2026), this framework explains why ESG commitments translate into substantive action in some firms while remaining purely symbolic in others—with a specific focus on emerging and fragile institutional contexts.

Before transitioning into academic research, Jan Erik spent more than two decades in the finance sector, spanning trading, CFO roles, and entrepreneurship. His notable industry achievements include building automated trading systems on the Oslo Stock Exchange, Founding Lexigo Studios (focused on apps, fintech, and AI) and Heimdal Investment Funds. He earned his Ph.D. from NHH (Norwegian School of Economics), where his doctoral research focused on algorithmic market microstructure.

He professionally operates in five languages: English, French, German, Norwegian, and Russian.