Keynote speaker
Panelist
Moderator
Aslak de Silva – The Black Belt in Leadership
I’m a passionate advocate for leadership, personal growth, sales, marketing, and customer experience. Today, I host The Black Belt in Leadership podcast and work as a leadership coach. In autumn 2025, I published my debut book, which explores leadership through the lens of martial arts philosophy and offers fresh perspectives on navigating its most challenging moments.
Previously, I served as CEO of Selfly Store, leading the company to become Europe’s top provider of smart vending solutions with customers in over 20 countries and a diverse team representing more than 15 nationalities. The company was acquired at the end of 2024.
My leadership journey has also included roles as CEO of Nordic Business Forum, CRO at Naava, and Sales Director at Keskisuomalainen Plc. I’ve served on multiple company boards and coached martial arts (Han Moo Do) in four different countries.
I’ve delivered keynote speeches and participated in panels across more than 10 countries, and been featured in over 30 international podcasts. I’m a member of the Forbes.com Business Council and contribute articles to Forbes.com. I’m also one of the authors of Winner’s Mindset.
Speaking Experience
Over 300 keynotes given
I have held keynotes in 10 + countries, including USA, Germany, France, Sweden, UK , and in several locations in Finland. My key topics: self-development, value leadership & empowerment, Smarketing, and self-service development and the future
Virtual keynotes
My biggest keynotes have had an audience of 1000+. I do keynotes from studios and from home.
Panelist
I have been an expert panelist in tens of business events internationally (USA, Italy, France, Germany) and locally in Finland. As a panelist I try to bring up new aspects and futuristic views with a touch of humor.
Speaking topics
I like and can tailor speeches to fit the purpose of the event.
Winner's Mindset - 4 focus areas from the similarly named book. I use examples and stories from martial arts and business life. Talk about the path and how to learn to become a self-learner and focus on self-development that will take you far.
Leadership is about working with people. The purpose is to be the person your team trusts. Sometimes it is about leading by example, the other times influencing behind the scenes. Moreover, it is about working and servicing for the team. Your job is to help your team members succeed in a way they would not be able to do on their own.
Sales and marketing are about understanding customers and getting them excited. The functions are not either-or, but about collaboration towards common goals. Sometimes, one needs cold calling and other times building one's brand. Everything ties in together, which means that it makes sense for one to understand the bigger concepts of sales and marketing as well.
