Europe’s Digital Transformation:

As Microsoft’s vice chair and president, Brad Smith leads a team of more than 1,900 business, legal and corporate affairs professionals located in 54 countries and operating in more than 120 nations. He plays a key role in spearheading the company’s work on critical issues involving the intersection of technology and society, including cybersecurity, privacy, artificial intelligence, environmental sustainability, human rights, immigration and philanthropy. In his recent bestselling book, coauthored with Microsoft’s Carol Ann Browne, Tools and Weapons: The Promise and the Peril of the Digital Age, Smith urges the tech sector to assume more responsibility and calls for governments to move faster to address the challenges that new technologies are creating. In his new podcast by the same name, Smith and his guests expand on the themes in the book, exploring potential solutions to the digital issues shaping the world today. The New York Times has called Smith “a de facto ambassador for the technology industry at large” and The Australian Financial Review has described him as “one of the technology industry’s most respected figures.” He has testified numerous times before the U.S. Congress and other governments on these key policy issues.

Paolo Benanti is an Italian presbyter, theologian and academic of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis. He teaches at the Pontifical Gregorian University and is advisor to Pope Francis on issues of artificial intelligence and technology ethics. Since 2008 works as a professor at the Pontifical Gregorian University, the Theological Institute of Assisi and at the Pontifical College Leoni d'Anagni. In addition to the institutional courses on sexual morality and bioethics, he deals with neuroethics, technology ethics, artificial intelligence and posthuman intelligence. From 2015 he tries to apply and develop an ethical framework for artificial intelligences by developing the concepts of algorithm and algocracy. From 2020 in collaboration with Sebastiano Maffettone, political philosopher, he explores the vital, relational, social and communicative, labour and economic dimension, seen as the result of an interaction, with complex ethical implications, between the resources offered by the virtual and interactive reality and social and individual existence.

Béatrice de Mahieu is CEO of BeCode, a social impact school for learning tech and digital skills in Belgium. From 2019 to September 2021, she was CEO of Co.Station Belgium (a co-working space for technology start-ups and an innovation hub), where she created and developed several open innovation ecosystems. Since starting her career in 1999, Béatrice de Mahieu has worked successively for major telecommunications, technology and media companies (Telenet, Microsoft, Elle Belgium, etc.), where she contributed to growth strategies and digital transformation. From 2011, Béatrice de Mahieu began working as a mentor and investor for technology and digital start-ups, guiding them in their search for investors, strategy development and growth. Béatrice de Mahieu is currently a member of the board of Proximus, Fintech Belgium, Slimme Regio Vlaanderen, BeeFounders, a member of the investment committee of Miles Ahead (startup studio in artificial intelligence and deep tech) and a member of the advisory board of Veolia Belux. She has a strong social commitment to digital inclusion, regularly supporting initiatives in this area within the King Baudouin Foundation, and is a member of the board of Les Petits Riens and the United Fund for Belgium. Béatrice de Mahieu has a degree in Applied Communication - Advertising from the Institut des Hautes Etudes en Communication Sociale (IHECS) and is co-author of "Pimento Map: assessing the strength of your business plan" (2014) and "Shiftmakers: The Art of (self)leadership in the 2020s" (2022). Passionate about healthy food and sustainable wine, she obtained a degree at the New York Institute of Integrative Nutrition, and is co-founder of the organic, biodynamic and natural wine concept Chill Living Wines.

Brando Benifei is an Italian MEP in his second term and the head of the Partito Democratico delegation to the European Parliament. He is the rapporteur for the Artificial Intelligence Act as a member of the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection. He also deals with employment, legal and constitutional affairs. He was also shadow rapporteur of the Special Committee on Artificial Intelligence in the Digital Age. In 2016, he was included by Forbes in its list of 30 under 30 to watch out for.

Anna Michelle Asimakopoulou has studied economics and law in the USA and in the UK and worked for several years as a lawyer in New York, specializing in financial transactions and international banking law. She worked as director of an NGO in Greece, focusing on ICT deployment and regional development. She also worked as an evaluator of projects funded by the European Commission and as a consultant in the private sector in Brussels and Luxembourg. She served as Deputy-Mayor of the City of Ioannina (2010-2012) and an elected member of the Hellenic Parliament (2012-2019). She was appointed Spokesperson of the New Democracy Party in 2013. She was Head of Fiscal Policy Sector (2015), Head of the Development and Competition Sector (2016) and Head of the Digital Policy, Telecommunications & Media Sector for New Democracy (2016-2019). She is currently a Member of the European Parliament and Vice Chair of the Committee on International Trade.

Szabolcs Székács currently leads a team in the Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (DG GROW) that supports various European Commission initiatives around the digital transition of industry. He is a Hungarian economist, specialised in information management. He started his career in the private sector in various financial and IT development projects, before becoming a European Commission official in 2008. For the first years, he was responsible for managing the European Union’s ISA and ISA² Programmes (Interoperability Solutions for European Public Administrations, Businesses and Citizens), which aim at facilitating the efficient and effective electronic cross-border and cross-sector interaction between European public administrations, businesses and citizens. Since January 2017, he is working in the field of industrial policy at DG GROW, facilitating initiatives around industrial ecosystems, the digitalisation of industry and the uptake of advanced manufacturing in Europe.

Ralph Haupter is the current President of Microsoft EMEA at Microsoft. Ralph has been in this position since January 2005. Prior to that, they were the CEO & Chairman of Microsoft Greater China from January 2003 to December 2005. In this role, they led sales, marketing and services for all Microsoft subsidiaries across Greater China. Ralph Haupter has also worked for IBM as the Senior Director of the Channel Software Group from January 2003 to December 2005. Ralph Haupter completed a Master’s Degree in International Business from Berufsakademie Stuttgart and Export Akademie Reutlingen.

Since April 2022, Pedro Tavares is the Portuguese State Secretary for Justice. Previously, he worked as General Coordinator at eBUPi – Simplified Land Digital Registry Mission Unit, the Portuguese public agency responsible for the expansion of a new cadaster and registry initiative using a digital approach (Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Environment). From 2015 to 2020 he was a Senior Advisor at the cabinets of the Minister of Justice and of the State Secretary for Justice, where he managed different innovation and transformative projects and policies, including a Justice Innovation Lab, transparency and participation projects, or new digital Citizen-centric services. He acted as the Ministry’s contact point for the OECD report on Justice Innovation in Portugal and for several international projects with the European Commission. In the public sector, Pedro worked on innovation projects such as the new concept for the citizens’ one-stop shops (Lojas de Cidadão), or the Citizens’ Portal. Pedro also worked in the private sector as marketing & innovation director at different IT companies, including Vision-Box, PHC Software and Inetum. Moreover, he was a digital marketing & communications lecturer and trainer at INA, Lisbon Digital School, Universidade Católica Portuguesa and Instituto Politécnico de Santarém. Pedro holds a master’s degree in Digital by Universidade Nova de Lisboa, a post- graduation in Business Administration by ISEG – Lisbon School of Economics & Management, a BA in Communication Studies by Universidade Nova de Lisboa and an advanced course in Digital Innovation by The University of Chicago.

Carine works at Agoria, where she leads the DigiCoach programme, that aims to help companies understand and grasp the possibilities of digital technology. She advises on building a digital culture, incorporating digital in innovation and building the right partnerships to achieve this. After getting a PhD in computer science, Carine worked at the Flemish government for 16 years as an advisor for software-related research and innovation projects in a broad range of domains. She developed and managed different funding programmes and coordinated international cooperation initiatives. Over the years the focus shifted from technological, R&D-driven innovation to the question how to create and capture value through digital products and services. This eventually led to her transfer to Agoria. Carine co-authored a book on startups with Omar Mohout and is a valued public and TEDx speaker.

Gerald Ertl is Managing Director and Head of Digital Banking Solutions at Commerzbank AG and responsible for digitalization and digital products for retail and corporate customers and leads an international delivery team for these products. He has over 25 years’ experience in retail and corporate banking and is strictly customer oriented and agile. His current focuses are mobile banking apps and digital assistant products including the usage of artificial intelligence.

Dr. Michel van Genderen is an accomplished medical professional, specialized in intensive care and in internal medicine at the Erasmus MC Intensive Care, the largest University Medical Center (UMC) in the Netherlands. Alongside his medical responsibilities, Dr. van Genderen has actively contributed to the advancement of AI and intensive care medicine through his numerous scientific publications. Notably, Dr. van Genderen is also the youngest staff member at the Erasmus MC Intensive Care. Driven by a vision to integrate IT innovation into healthcare, he founded the "Datahub" department at the Erasmus MC, serving as a a platform that brings together researchers, medical professionals, and IT specialists in a unified governance structure. This collaborative effort facilitates the development and implementation of AI solutions in healthcare. Under the umbrella of the Datahub, Dr. van Genderen also established the Responsible and Ethical Artificial Intelligence for Healthcare Lab, which has been officially recognized as an Innovation Center for Artificial Intelligence (ICAI). The lab’s primary objective is developing and deploying AI technologies that prioritize safety, transparency, and ethical principles. The labconducts research, designs and implements AI systems, and translates ethical principles outlined by the World Health Organization (WHO) into feasible guidelines for the development and deployment of AI technologies in healthcare. Through collaboration with healthcare professionals, organizations, and regulatory bodies, the lab strives to promote responsible and ethical use of AI in healthcare and to advance the field towards a future that prioritizes a more ethical and equitable future of patient care. The lab includes 5 PhD students and is actively collaborating with the WHO. The lab is also in the process of being officially recognized by the WHO.

Nanna–Louise Linde is Microsoft’s Vice President of European Government Affairs with responsibility for Microsoft’s government affairs and public policy work across Europe since September2022. Nanna–Louise leads a team of government affairs professionals tasked with strengthening Microsoft’s external relations with the EU institutions and governments across Europe and ensuring the company is a constructive partner in supporting policy makers in Europe achieve their goals and adapt smart legislation. A competition lawyer by training, Nanna–Louise brings with her almost two decades of experience at Microsoft. Most recently, she has been leading Microsoft’s Corporate External & Legal Affairs team in 32 countries in Central and Eastern Europe, responsible for legal matters and relations with governments and other authorities. Prior to that, she was leading Government Affairs for Microsoft in Western Europe.

Dr. Cinzia Alcidi is Director of Research at the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS) in Brussels, where she is also head of the Economic Policy Unit and the Jobs and Skills Unit. A macroeconomist by training, over the last 15 years, Cinzia provided evidence-based policy analysis to EU institutions and national governments by completing research projects in the field of economic policy analysis and policy evaluation, related to labour markets, macroeconomics and financial services. Her main research interests are EU economic policy, public finances and economic governance as well as macroeconomics and labour economics. She is currently guest lecturer at the University of Ghent (BE) and Member of the Joint Board of Studies of the “Economics of Globalisation and European Integration (EGEI)” Erasmus Mundus Master Degree. She is member of the editorial Board of Intereconomics, and Editor of Applied Economics Quarterly. Dr. Alcidi holds a Ph.D. degree in International Economics from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva (Switzerland). She also holds a Doctorate in Statistical and Mathematical Methods applied to Economics and Social Sciences from the University of Perugia (Italy).

Since 2019, Rajesh is serving as the Global Chief Digital Officer of ABB Process Automation, where he leads the digital strategy, innovation, platform development, solution portfolio, and digital business growth initiatives. With a focus on addressing the needs of the industry 4.0/5.0 ecosystem, Rajesh has built and transformed a strategy-focused, KPI-driven digital organization. Under his leadership, Rajesh and his global team have delivered many digital innovations, including the ABB Ability Genix Suite, and have achieved a fourfold growth in the digital business. He has established a Digital Center of Excellence and a Digital Solution Factory driving six industry digital value pillars, fueling ABB's digital business growth and profitability. Additionally, Rajesh leads ABB Group's common Ability Platform engineering, ensuring the provision of core platform and cybersecurity services across ABB. He is an active participant in the Microsoft Azure customer advisory board, IoT Analytics advisory board, Industrial Cybersecurity Alliance leadership board, and Global CDAO leadership board. Rajesh brings over three decades of global leadership experience and a successful track record in building and transforming technology innovation-driven organizations worldwide. He possesses a unique combination of expertise in digital, technology, business, industry domains, organizational leadership, and intrapreneurship. Rajesh's diverse experience includes 13 years in digital, 12 years in enterprise/cloud software, and 7 years in operational and engineering technology (OT/ET). He has led strategic Industry 4.0 digital transformation programs alongside Fortune 500 CXOs, driving transformative business outcomes with a strong customer-centric focus. Prior to joining ABB, Rajesh held various CXO and senior leadership positions with Oracle, eBay, PayPal, Siemens, Danfoss, and Rolta, working across multiple geographies, including India, the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, China, and South Korea., He has successfully strategized, led, and built award-winning platforms, products, and converged industry solutions, employing a hybrid product strategy model that leverages the best of "business-driven technology innovation" and "technology-driven business innovation." Rajesh holds a bachelor's degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering, a master's degree in Computer Science from the Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago and an Executive MBA from IIM Bangalore. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Industrial AI and a Doctorate in Product Management. Rajesh is a highly sought-after digital/industrial AI evangelist and actively participates in numerous customer and technology advisory boards.

Raf Buyle is involved in strategic e-Government projects for local and regional governments since 2002. As an Information Architect at the Flanders Information Agency, Raf tries to implement solutions for a more rational and more interoperable e-government. Raf also is a board member of Open Knowledge Belgium, promoting Open Data. In the Flemish Steering Committee for Information and ICT-policy Raf Chairs the working group on Open Data Standards. As an advisor at Digital Flanders and the CIO at the Flemish Data Utility Company, Raf tries to implement a more rational, digital transformation of society by promoting open data and standards. Raf holds a PhD in Information Engineering Technology. He is a post-doctoral researcher at Ghent University, actively researching the potential of interoperability. Raf is also a member of the board of Open Knowledge Belgium.

Natalia Aristimuño Pérez is the Digital Services Director at DG DIGIT, European Commission. Before she has been the head of the unit delivering solutions on human resources, decision making, document management and knowledge management domains. Since she joined the European Commission in the year 2000, she has always been involved in providing solutions allowing making users’ life easier and the institution more efficient. She has an IT background, graduated in Deusto University (Bilbao, Spain) and has a deep knowledge of the business domains she works with.

Emre Ergun is Global Digital, Retail and Operations Director at telecom firm Vodafone. He has been with the company since 2017, and previously worked in the financial sector at companies including Fibabanka, Credit Europe Bank, Finansbank, and Citi. Ergun holds a BA in Business from Boğaziçi University and an MA in Banking from Marmara University.

Based in Brussels, Eline Chivot is a senior adviser on digital policy at the European People’s Party (EPP), the centre-right, pro-European political party which gathers over 70 national parties from 40 countries. Her role includes consolidating and fostering the party’s knowledge and positions regarding the public policies that impact the technology sector, its actors, and the data economy. Throughout this experience and her previous positions, Eline covers European technology policies as diverse as those relating to content liability and moderation, disinformation, data protection and privacy, emerging technologies like AI, competition policy and antitrust. Prior to joining the EPP, Eline was a senior policy analyst at the Center for Data Innovation, a D.C. and Brussels-based research institute affiliated with the Innovation and Technology Information Foundation (ITIF). Eline also worked at DIGITALEUROPE, one of Brussels’ largest trade associations where she managed relations with representatives of the tech industry, and as policy analyst at the Hague Center for Strategic Studies (HCSS) in the Netherlands, developing research projects on defence, security, and economic policy issues.

Pedro Andrade is Vice President of AI and Digital Channels at Talkdesk, wherein he oversees a suite of AI-driven products aimed at optimizing Contact Center operations and enhancing customer experience. Possessing a fervent interest in the influence of AI and digital technologies in the market, Pedro is particularly keen on exploring the potential of Generative AI as a source of innovative solutions for the Contact Center industry.

With more than 20 years in the optoelectronic industry, Andrew is a seasoned veteran of the industry with extensive, expert knowledge of both the business and technical aspects of the sector. As a founding member of both Vexica and Vertically Urban, Andrew has consistently displayed a vibrant entrepreneurial spirit, with his finger well and truly on the pulse of the latest developments in the industry. Having spent 12 years of his childhood growing up in South America, Andrew is fluent in Spanish, which helped him as he attained a degree in International Business Studies from Staffordshire University in the UK. Starting his professional life working for a multinational electronics company, where his experience as an expatriate gave him a keen awareness of multicultural environments and the ability to conduct business globally. In 2010, Andrew's journey took an exciting and pivotal turn when he joined the solid-state lighting market, co-founding architectural LED lighting specialists Vexica in the process. Driven by his vision and unwavering passion for LED technology, he strategically developed a range of cutting-edge LED products and services, backed by expert technical knowledge. This approach captured the attention of early adopters and enabled Vexica to quickly establish itself as a leader within the sector, securing many high-profile projects including the Address Hotel Dubai, Opera House Dubai, and Apple Stores across the USA. Andrew's close connection to the industry and his visionary mindset empower him to continuously innovate product lines and identify new market opportunities. In 2019, this guided him to explore the green (indoor) pastures of the Agri-Tech industry, resulting in the formation of Vertically Urban, a specialist horticultural lighting, control, and software company. With Andrew at the helm as CEO, the team at Vertically Urban has created a technically superior product range and successfully acted as a disruptor to the industry, supplying high-tech, high-efficiency solutions to both greenhouses and vertical farms around the world. Excitingly, 2023 will witness the launch of even more disruptive technologies from Vertically Urban, including the HORISS platform. Developed in partnership with Microsoft, this cutting-edge platform uses powerful artificial intelligence (AI) coupled with an array of environmental and vision sensors to monitor and control indoor farms, maximizing the desired harvest while minimizing resource consumption, revolutionizing farming practices for a sustainable future. At Vertically Urban, Andrew and his team firmly believe that AI technologies are crucial for the future success of Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) environments. Recognizing the current shortage of plant scientists, they see AI, combined with focused natural language chatbots, as the foundation for supporting the future of indoor farming. With their commitment to innovation and sustainability, Andrew and Vertically Urban are leading the way towards a more efficient and eco-friendly agricultural future.

As VP of the SAP Customer Data Office, Claus is responsible for SAP’s use of customer data for the development of intelligent features in SAP’s portfolio. Besides AI/ML his focus is on data protection and privacy, security and governance processes to ensure the compliant use of customer data within SAP. He is also a member of the SAP AI Ethics Steering Committee. Before leading the Customer Data Office he was head of the SAP Platform & Technologies Global Center of Excellence, focusing on Data Management, Database, Big Data and Data Science topics. He joined SAP in 2012, before that, he worked for Teradata and Oracle. Claus holds a degree in theoretical physics from the University of Frankfurt.