ANNA POTAPENKO

Senior Research Engineer

@ Google DeepMind

Anna is a Senior Research Engineer at Google DeepMind (GDM), working on a range of language and bioinformatics problems. Most recently, Anna has been part of the interdisciplinary team of researchers who developed AlphaFold -- the protein structure prediction system that received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2024. 

Prior to Google DeepMind, Anna obtained PhD in Natural Language Processing, where she worked on probabilistic topic modelling and early versions of neural text embeddings. She graduated from Moscow State University, followed by an internship with Prof. Thomas Hofmann at ETH Zürich. 

Prof. Dr. YULIA SANDAMIRSKAYA

Professor @ Zürich University of Applied Sciences

Yulia Sandamirskaya is the Head of a Research Center “Cognitive Computing in Life Sciences” at ICLS/ZHAW. She leads the Neuromorphic Computing Group that develops brain-inspired sensing and processes technologies to enable assistive robots with applications in health- and elderly care. She has a degree in Physics from the Belarussian State University  and Dr.rer.nat. in Neural Computation from the Ruhr-University Bochum. Before joining ZHAW she led the Applications Research team of the Neuromorphic Computing Lab at Intel and the Neuromorphic Cognitive Robots group at Institute of Neuroinformatics at UZH/ETH Zurich. She got a Business Insider Future Maker award and was listed under 30 women in robotics you need to know about by Robohub.  

THEA KLAEBOE AARRESTAD, Ph. D.

Research Fellow

@ ETH Zürich, Institute for Particle Physics 

Thea Klaeboe Aarrestad is a fellow at the Institute for Particle Physics and Astrophysics at ETH Zürich. She holds a PhD in Particle Physics from the University of Zürich and has worked as a research fellow at CERN in Geneva before moving to ETH. Her research centers on how Machine Learning can be applied to particle physics problems, especially focusing on using real-time Machine Learning (ML) and anomaly detection for discovering new physics phenomena. She has worked on tools for performing low-power, nanosecond ML inference on field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), as well as developing new ML-based methods for collecting and analysing proton collision data at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. She holds several publications in the topics of machine learning and particle physics in journals like Nature Machine Intelligence, PRL and JHEP. She also coordinates the Fast Machine Learning for Science Laboratory and the Targeted Systems Group within the Accelerated AI Algorithms for Data-Driven Discovery (A3D3) Institute.

Prof. Dr. MASCHA KURPICZ - BRIKI

Co-lead Applied Machine Intelligence & Generative AI Lab

@ Bern University of Applied Sciences 

Mascha Kurpicz-Briki is a professor of data engineering at the Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH) in Biel, Switzerland, and co-leader of the research group Applied Machine Intelligence and the BFH Generative AI Lab. Her research focuses on applying innovative technology like machine learning and language models to the fields of health and humanities, and on the investigation of bias in natural language processing under consideration of European languages and values. She is author of the book “More than A Chatbot: Language Models Demystified” that was published in an English and a German edition.

ANNA KHOREVA, Ph.D.

Head of Applied Science

@ Zalando SE 

Anna Khoreva is a Head of Applied Science at Zalando SE, where she leads advanced customer-facing projects for Size & Fit recommendations. Her research interests lie in the intersection of Generative AI and Computer Vision. Prior to joining Zalando, Anna was a Senior Research Manager at the Bosch Center for Artificial Intelligence (BCAI) and the Head of the Bosch Industry-on-Campus Lab at the University of Tübingen, developing and integrating Generative AI solutions into Bosch products. Anna obtained her PhD in Computer Vision and Machine Learning at Max-Planck Institute for Informatics in 2017 under the supervision of Prof. Bernt Schiele. She received an Honour’s M.Sc. in Visual Computing from the Saarland University in 2014.

KATHERINE MUNRO

Conversational AI Engineer

@ Swisscom, Switzerland

Katherine is a Data Scientist and Computational Linguist; a speaker, writer, teacher, and passionate workaholic. She entered the tech world with R&D roles at Mercedes-Benz and the Fraunhofer Institute, specializing in user interfaces and Natural Language Understanding, before transitioning into data science. After a stint in the e-commerce and insurance domains, she landed her current role building conversational AI systems for Switzerland’s largest telecommunications provider. Here, Katherine can combine her customer service experience, product instincts, creativity and tech skills to build chat and voice bots people actually want to talk to.

NADYA CHERNYAVSKAYA, Ph.D.

Manager of Predictive Product Development and Innovation  @ TotalEnergies Gas&Power

Nadya is the Manager of the Predictive Product Development and Innovation team at TotalEnergies Gas & Power. She leads the development of production-grade AI software for forecasting, seamlessly integrating cutting-edge machine learning with business intelligence. With a PhD in physics, Nadya spent nearly a decade at CERN, the world's largest physics laboratory. Nadya served as a senior researcher and technical lead of ML Innovation, driving scientific innovation by bringing cutting-edge AI and the complex realm of particle physics, where data can be exceptionally noisy and challenging to interpret. She is a published researcher and a sought-after speaker at international conferences.

SINA RÜEGER, Ph.D.

Associate Director & Senior Principal Data Scientist @ Novartis

Sina is a data scientist at Novartis, where she works in a team focused on biomarker development. Her expertise lies in analyzing genomic and biobank data across various disease areas. Sina is particularly interested in how cross-disciplinary teams collaborate and in leveraging innovative project management methodologies to drive the success of data science projects.

She holds a PhD in Life Sciences from the University of Lausanne, where she developed statistical genetics methods to integrate results from large genomic datasets. Outside of work, Sina enjoys long-distance cycling and exploring the science of sports nutrition.

KATARZYNA WAC

Professor of Information Systems

@Quality of Life Technologies Lab, University of Geneva

A computer scientist educated in Poland (PWr), the Netherlands (UT), the USA (CMU, Stanford), and Denmark (KU), and founder of the Quality of Life Technologies Lab. The lab pioneers the use of digital behavioural markers to quantify and enhance individuals’ Quality of Life, introducing innovative models from computer science. It conceptualizes daily life as an 'organ' to examine, diagnose, and treat it, much like a cardiologist manages the heart. Quality of Life is redefined as a 'longitudinal vital sign,' routinely monitored and reported for patients and the general population, offering new insights into health and well-being through advanced computational approaches.

CARINE POUSSIN, Ph.D. & Executive MBA

Head AI for Life Sciences @ CSEM, Switzerland

Carine Poussin is the Head of AI for Life Sciences at CSEM, bringing 25 years of experience in life sciences, including nearly 16 years in the industry. Her education spans biochemistry, physiology, immunology, data sciences, and business, highlighting her versatile and comprehensive expertise. Carine is passionate about shaping the future of life sciences and healthcare through innovative AI solutions that enhance health outcomes and address societal challenges, such as healthcare transformation. Additionally, she supports start-ups through advisory board roles and mentoring.

EKATERINA BUTYUGINA

Program Manager, Data Science @ Constructor Academy Switzerland

Ekaterina is a PhD in Computational Fluid Dynamics turned Data Scientist. She currently works as a Program Manager for the Data Science Program at Constructor Academy, Zurich focusing on: Teaching Python, DS Toolkit, and Deep Learning; Supervision of Machine Learning and Deep Learning industrial projects; Developing curriculum for the course. She is also actively involved in promoting the latest technology and upskilling. Besides her everyday job Ekaterina also participates as a mentor and jury member in hackathons and related events.

PATRICIA FERREIRO

Technology Strategist, CTO @ Microsoft, Switzerland

In her 9 years of experience in the tech space, Patricia has honed expertise in cloud, big data and analytics solutions, both across open-source and cloud provider native services. She has served multiple data & AI roles at companies like IBM, Databricks and Microsoft, where she currently serves as a Technology Strategist. With a degree in Electrical Engineering and a Masters in Data Science, Patricia's expertise is augmented by her ongoing master studies in Philosophy for Contemporary Challenges, which cement her commitment to develop technology that puts our humanity back at the center.

MARIANNE TEMEROWSKY

 Unit Lead / Line Manager Data Services @ Data Analytics & AI, Swisscom, Switzerland

 Marianne is a Unit Lead at Data Analytics & AI at Swisscom and leads 150 colleagues, primarily engineers, at Data Services. She has worked for about 15 years in the information and communications technology industry for companies such as SAP, Deutsche Telekom, and Swisscom. She has successfully implemented transformations of organizations, technologies, and products on several occasions.

She has many years' experience in leading people (up 150 colleagues in a team) and over € 60 million in profit and loss responsibility. She has lived in 7 countries and is half Chilean, half German.

LENKA KELLEMANN

Ex-Senior Vice President Oncology @ TriNetX, General Manager, Founder, Consultant

 Born in the Czech Republic, she studied economics in Germany before spending a decade in healthcare research at a leading pharmaceutical corporation. A pioneer in Real-World Data (RWD), she founded a niche company dedicated to mining high-quality RWD for cancer research. Her work plays a key-role in advancing European standards for good RWD practices, ensuring robust data-driven insights that drive innovation in oncology and beyond. Passionate about leveraging real-world evidence to improve patient outcomes, she bridges the gap between data science and clinical research, shaping the future of evidence-based healthcare in Europe.

CAMILLE NIGON

Solutions Architect @ Red Hat, Switzerland

 Camille Nigon is an AI Solutions Architect at Red Hat with a Master’s in Data Science from HSLU. She is passionate about open-source innovation and promoting diversity in tech, leveraging AI to drive impactful solutions.

KATHRIN WOLFF SCHMANDT

 Board Member/Managing Director @ N9/SEF, Switzerland

  With over 30 years of leadership experience in the financial industry, Kathrin Wolff has held CMO and global leadership roles at UBS, in Switzerland, US, Germany, UK, Singapore and Middle East. As an entrepreneur in Switzerland, she is dedicated to fostering innovation. She serves as a strategy expert for the Swiss Economic Forum's accelerator program “SEF.Growth” and is active as an angel investor. She also serves as a jury member for start/scale-up competitions such as “SEF.Award” and “venture” (ETH). She leads the B2B Senior Executive Communities at the N9 House of Innovation, connecting over 10,000 decision makers to foster cross-industry collaboration.

CRISTINA ROSSI

Prof. Dr. Co-founder & CEO

@ b-rayZ, Switzerland

  Cristina's background is Physics and she worked as a Data Analyst in Academia (Italy, Germany and Switzerland) before incorporating b-rayZ a spinoff of the USZ. She is the CEO of the company, mostly responsible for fundraising and industry partnerships.

STAVROULA GEORGIA MOUGIAKAKOU, Ph.D.

Associate Professor,

@ University of Bern, Switzerland

  Stavroula Mougiakakou, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Bern, holds a Ph.D. in electrical and computer engineering from the National Technical University of Athens. She leads the AI in Health and Nutrition Lab at the ARTORG Center for Biomedical Engineering Research, Bern. Her research focuses on developing and validating AI and ML approaches for analyzing multimodal health data. Her work supports prevention, personalized diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of acute and chronic diseases. She has successfully led numerous R&D projects, resulting in various publications, patents, and technology transfer activities.

RURI TAKIZAWA

Postdoctoral Researcher @ ETH Zürich, Switzerland

  Ruri Takizawa is a postdoctoral researcher at ETH Zürich, specializing in social and organisational topics related to diversity and inclusion. She holds a PhD in social psychology, and her research examines the career experiences of underrepresented groups, including women and ethnic minorities, with a focus on the barriers to leadership. Beyond her research, she facilitates evidence-based discussions on these challenges in organizations.

ELENA NAZARENKO

ML & AI Research Scientist/Senior Lecturer @Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Switzerland

  Dr. Elena Nazarenko is a Senior Lecturer at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts (HSLU) and an AI expert with over a decade of experience in Natural Language Processing (NLP), Machine Learning (ML), and applied Artificial Intelligence. She specializes in the development of innovative NLP applications and bias mitigation in Large Language Models (LLMs). Dr. Nazarenko is also the Co-Director of the NLP and LLMs Bootcamp, where she guides professionals in mastering cutting-edge AI technologies. 

MARION FOGLI

 Deputy CEO @ Alpian Bank, Switzerland

  As the Deputy CEO of Alpian SA, she is at the forefront of banking innovation, steering Switzerland’s first premium digital bank. Their mission at Alpian is to democratize finance and broaden access to high-quality premium banking services, traditionally reserved for the elite, to a wider audience through digital technology.

CHIARA LESA

 Quantitative Research Analyst @ QRT, Switzerland

  Chiara Lesa is a quantitative researcher working in Quantitative Research & Trading (QRT). She specialises in developing machine learning-driven trading strategies, leveraging financial data to identify patterns and optimize alpha generation. She owns a MSc. in Financial Mathematics and has previously worked as a Quantitative analyst in Barclays in London. Outside of work, she likes endurance sports and she is currently training for 70.3 Ironman races and marathon, pushing the limits in both in financial markets and sports.

YINING LI

 Quantitative Research Analyst @ QRT, Switzerland

  Yining Li is a quantitative research analyst working in Quantitative Research & Trading (QRT).

ROBERT LUNDBERG

 Principal AI Platform Architect @ Red Hat, Switzerland

  Robert Lundberg is in the Red Hat AI business unit where he engages and collaborates with customers, helps enable the field, and influences the product roadmap by providing material and insight into the AI/ML world. Robert has more than a decade of experience in machine learning (ML) and founded an ML start-up before joining Red Hat in 2022.

TATIANA KAINOVA

 Head of Talent Management, Organizational Capabilities & Engagement for Global Corporate Functions @ Takeda Pharmaceuticals Switzerland

 Tatiana Kainova, based in Zurich, Switzerland, is a seasoned executive in Global Talent Management and Organizational Development with over 20 years of international and global leadership experience. She excels in driving transformational change, fostering resilient and agile organizations, and creating tailored solutions in talent management and organizational development to enhance business results. Currently at Takeda, Tatiana leads strategic initiatives in talent management, cultural transformation, and employee engagement, focusing on cultivating inclusive cultures and enhancing organizational resilience. Her educational background includes a PhD in Linguistics and Cross-Cultural Communication, and she is fluent in English, Italian, and Russian.

BRUNELLA MASTROLEMBO, Ph.D.

 Nat Cat Specialist @ Swiss Re Zürich, Switzerland

 Brunella is a Nat Cat Specialist at Swiss Re in Zurich. She works mainly at the implementation of probabilistic seismic risk models for various areas of the EMEA region and globally. Before starting her career in the reinsurance industry, about eight years ago, she worked as a researcher in the academia, where her main focus was on modeling of Earth crustal deformation using GPS data. Brunella holds a Ph.D. in Geophysics from the University of Bologna, Italy.

CRISTINA GAGIU

 Product & Delivery Director @ Swiss Re Finance Data & Analytics Zürich, Switzerland

 Cristina Gagiu is a highly skilled Product & Delivery Director specializing in financial services, with deep expertise in banking and re/insurance. She has a strong track record of successfully implementing large-scale cloud finance transformation programs, effectively managing scope, budget, teams, and stakeholders across complex international environments.

Leading the Finance Data & Analytics department of approximately 150 professionals, Cristina oversees both Group external reporting quarter close operations and transformational change initiatives impacting the end-to-end Finance value chain. Doing that, she ensures strategic alignment while bringing a cross-domain skill set spanning from Finance, Information Technology and Data & Analytics to the table.

STEFANIA VITILLO, Ph.D.

 Senior Data Scientist @ Takeda Pharmaceuticals International, Switzerland

Stefania earned her PhD in Physics at the European Center for Nuclear Research (CERN), focusing on advanced research in fundamental particle physics. She contributed to space exploration projects such as AMS-02, aboard the International Space Station, and DAMPE, a satellite orbiting Earth since 2015 to detect dark matter. Driven by the desire to contribute more directly to human health, Stefania transitioned her expertise to the medical field. She began at a MedTech startup developing machine learning models for predicting antibiotic resistance, and she currently is a Senior Data Scientist at Takeda Pharmaceuticals, pioneering solutions in healthcare analytics and innovation.

NATALYA TARASOVA

Career Coach @ Tarasova Coaching, Switzerland

Natalya is an explorer at heart with a decade of consulting experience spanning delivery in data engineering, sales, and recruitment. With an engineering background and a career that began in data engineering and data science, she worked internationally, from Japan to Silicon Valley, gaining diverse perspectives. She played a key-role in establishing Netlight Consulting in Zurich (2018–2021) before transitioning her focus to running her own coaching business, where she blends her technical expertise with a passion for growth and transformation. She was voted for top 15 coaches in Zurich 2024. Natalya coached 100+ professionals and leaders in tech industry.