the world of
Sissel Heiberg
I’m a former senior director in investment banking and an auditor by trade, now founder of sensory jewellery business Foss & Bjørn, Non-Executive Director and promoter of neurodiverse and inclusive workplaces.
I’m also the author of Quiet Leader, a book encouraging inclusion and diversity in leadership, published internationally by Pearson Education.
the person
About me
After growing up in Norway, I left for the UK to study when I was 23. Two Master’s degrees and close to 20 years of work experience later, I’ve worked at senior levels in multiple global financial services companies including Deutsche Bank, Lloyds Banking Group and Aviva.
I have a BA in English and International Market Communicationfrom Norway, an MA in International Business Management from Newcastle University in the UK, and an MSc in International Relations from London School of Economics (LSE). I’m a qualified accountant, hold the project management qualification PMP and am also a Certified Internal Auditor having spent my corporate career as a financial services auditor.
In 2024, I left financial services to found Foss & Bjørn, a sensory jewellery business, which I now run and own. In late 2024, my book Quiet Leader was published internationally by Pearson. I live in East London with my fiance and our toddler.
the book
Quiet Leader
Quiet Leader is a book borne from frustration of seeing good people overlooked in corporate environments, time and time again. Wanting to expand the neurodiversity conversation, I undertook – over several years – in-depth research to understand the group dynamics and biases at play that makes us assume extroverts are better leaders, read extensively about the science behind the physiological differences between introverts and extroverts, and conducted a number of personal interviews with other senior leaders to hear their stories as introverted leaders.
Quiet Leader is the result.
My goal is to generate more awareness about the assumptions we make about others, to help leaders understand how introvert skills can help them in particular situations – regardless of whether they see themselves as introverts or not – and elevate the conversation about what makes a good leader with a view to develop higher-performing teams.
Quiet Leader is a book borne from frustration of seeing good people overlooked in corporate environments, time and time again. Wanting to expand the neurodiversity conversation, I undertook – over several years – in-depth research to understand the group dynamics and biases at play that makes us assume extroverts are better leaders, read extensively about the science behind the physiological differences between introverts and extroverts, and conducted a number of personal interviews with other senior leaders to hear their stories as introverted leaders.
Quiet Leader is the result.
My goal is to generate more awareness about the assumptions we make about others, to help leaders understand how introvert skills can help them in particular situations – regardless of whether they see themselves as introverts or not – and elevate the conversation about what makes a good leader with a view to develop higher-performing teams.
Praise for Quiet Leader
As seen in…
the business
Foss & Bjørn
Foss & Bjørn was born in 2024 when I decided to leave financial services after working in internal audit for almost 20 years. Having spent so many years working with spreadsheet and PowerPoint slides, I was keen to do something creative and hands-on, and found inspiration in an old hobby: Jewellery design. I combined this with my knowledge of wellbeing derived from leading the Deutsche Bank UK Mental Health First Aider Group, from being a steering committee member of the award-winning Neurodiversity Group at Deutsche Bank, and leveraging the research used in writing my bestselling book about inclusive leadership.
Every piece created by Foss & Bjørn is inspired by specific locations in Scandinavia, where I’m originally from.
What is sensory jewellery?
Sensory jewellery offers significant benefits for both neurotypical and neurodivergent individuals – it helps to increase calm and focus, reduce sensory overload, and acts as a replacement for unwanted repetitive behaviours. Click here for more about the benefits of, and science behind, sensory jewellery.
get in touch
Contact
Please use this form if you’d like to discuss collaboration opportunities, press coverage, becoming a Foss & Bjørn stockist, or any other enquiries. I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.