Speaker

Alberto Alemanno
Professor of EU Law at HEC Paris, and social entrepreneur

Alberto Alemanno is the Jean Monnet Professor of European Union Law at HEC Paris and permanent visiting professor the University of Tokyo School of Public Policy.

Alberto’s research has been centered on how the law may be used to improve people’s lives, particularly through the adoption of power-shifting reforms countering social, health, economic, and political access disparities within society. He is the founding editor-in-chief of the European Journal of Risk Regulation published by Cambridge University Press.  He’s the author of more than sixty scientific articles and a dozen books. Alberto is a regular contributor to Le Monde, The Guardian, Project Syndicate, Le Grand Continent and a frequent TV commentator on Euronews, BBC World News, France24, and Al-Jazeera. His scholarly analysis and public interest work are often featured in the Financial Times, The New York Times, The Economist and in by-lines across other international media outlets.

Due to his commitment to bridging the gap between academic research and policy action, he was recognised Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum, Social Thought Leader by the Schwab Foundation on Social Entrepreneurship, Ashoka fellow, as well as European Young Leader  by Friends of Europe, one of the top 40 influencers in Europe by Politico and featured in Project Syndicate’s inaugural Forward Thinkers list.

He has previously held positions at the European Court of Justice and New York University School of Law. He has received fellowships from Harvard Kennedy School, the Institute for Human Sciences (IWM) in Vienna, and the Harvard Center for European Studies. He has also served as a visiting professor at Georgetown University, Amsterdam University, and the University of Tokyo.

Originally from Italy, Alberto graduated from Harvard Law School and the College of Europe and holds a PhD in International Law and Economics from Bocconi University.

Speaker

Teresa Amabile
Professor of Business Administration, Emerita at HBS.

Teresa M. Amabile is the Edsel Bryant Ford Professor of Business Administration, Emerita, at Harvard Business School. Her most recent book, Retiring: Creating a Life That Works for You, presents insights from a decade of research on the psychological, social, and life restructuring challenges of retiring. Before turning her research interests to the retirement transition, Teresa devoted over 40 years to researching creativity and innovation. She was instrumental in establishing the social psychology of creativity – the study of how the social environment can influence creative behavior, primarily by influencing motivation. Her research on creativity appears in her books, Creativity in Context and Growing Up Creative, as well as numerous articles for scholars and practitioners. Extending that research, Teresa next studied how everyday life inside organizations can influence people and their creativity, productivity, commitment, and collegiality, by affecting inner work life – the confluence of motivation, emotions, and perceptions. The findings of that research appear in her book, The Progress Principle: Using Small Wins to Ignite Joy, Engagement, and Creativity at Work.

Teresa’s work has appeared in over 100 scholarly journal articles and many other outlets, including Harvard Business Review, as well as several edited books. She has presented her work to audiences in a variety of settings, including Pixar, Genentech, TEDx Atlanta, Apple, Pfizer, and The World Economic Forum in Davos. She has consulted to companies and nonprofits and served on a number of boards. Her honors include the Distinguished Scholar Award from the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Academy of Management’s Organizational Behavior Division, the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Israel Organizational Behavior Conference, and an honorary doctorate from BI Norwegian Business School. In 2024, she was named to the Thinkers50 Hall of Fame.

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Speaker

Eva Asselmann
Professor of Differential and Personality Psychology at HMU Health and Medical University in Potsdam

Eva Asselmann is a Professor of Differential and Personality Psychology at HMU Health and Medical University in Potsdam and a Visiting Professor at UCLA. Her research explores how personality develops and adapts in response to major life and career transitions, with a special focus on resilience, leadership, and change. She investigates key questions such as: How does personality shape professional success? How do leadership experiences transform who we are? What psychological skills do we need to navigate today’s fast-changing work environment—and how can we strengthen them? As a keynote speaker, she translates cutting-edge science into actionable insights, equipping individuals and organizations with the tools to foster growth, adaptability, and long-term success. Her expertise makes her one of the most sought-after voices in the field.

Speaker

Helen Bevan
Expert on large scale change in health care

Helen Bevan is Professor of Practice in Health and Care Improvement at Warwick Business School, England and Senior Fellow of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, USA. She acts as a strategic advisor to many organisations and systems in the English National Health Service and to leaders and policymakers in health and care systems globally.

She has more than three decades experience as an internal change agent, leading large scale change initiatives in one of the biggest organisations in the world.  Helen has been instrumental in leading numerous improvement initiatives that have significantly impacted patient care and healthcare systems. Early in her career, she led the Leicester Royal Improvement Re-engineering Programme, which won the Hewlett Packard Golden Helix Award for the best healthcare innovation initiative in Europe. She founded NHS Change Day with a group of young clinical and managerial leaders from the NHS. It was the largest day of voluntary collective action to improve healthcare services in the history of the NHS and spread to 21 other countries and territories around the world. NHS Change Day won a global “Leaders Everywhere” award from Gary Hamel’s Management Innovation Exchange.
She also established the School for Change Agents, a virtual school for people in healthcare and beyond to build their skills for change. It is the largest online learning community based within the NHS, with more than 100,000 people from 60 countries having taken part. Helen was named an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for Services to Healthcare.

Helen is known for her innovative approach to change, blending new ideas with a deep understanding of complex systems. Her work has been featured in various publications, including the Harvard Business Review and best-selling books like "Humanocracy: how to create an organisation as amazing as the people in it" and "New Power." Helen is one of the top social influencers in healthcare leadership globally, with more than a million interactions each month through her thought leadership social media activities, virtual presentations, commentaries and blogs.

Speaker

Eduardo P. Braun
Leadership expert, consultant and author

Eduardo Braun is a leadership expert and consultant, keynote speaker, and author. For more than 15 years Eduardo has traveled the globe and interviewed -both on-stage and before cameras- world-renowned management leaders, heads of state, and top academics and entrepreneurs, including personalities such as Pope Francis, Bill Clinton, Tony Blair, Mikhail Gorbachev, and Jack Welch, among others. His new book "People First Leadership" is the result of these many conversations, where he shares intimate stories and practical life lessons of successful leaders who use culture and emotion to drive unprecedented results, and introduces a new vision of leadership where The New CEO -Chief Emotions Officer- establishes stronger connections that get better results and create a culture of inspiration and success. Eduardo is an industrial engineer from the University of Buenos Aires, he has an MBA from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. He worked in the US, Europe and Latin America for more than two decades in companies such as Booz Allen & Hamilton, Etex Group, and The HSM Group -global multimedia management company and organizer of the World Business Forum. Eduardo lives in Buenos Aires, Argentina, with his 6 children.

Speaker

Niren Chaudhary
Former CEO of Pandera Brands. Non-profit & Philanthropy Leader

Niren Chaudhary was the Chairman of the Board of Panera Brands 2023-2024, one of the world’s largest fast casual restaurant companies with nearly 4,000 locations in 10 countries. Panera Brands is comprised of Panera Bread, Caribou Coffee and Einstein Bros Bagels.

Prior to becoming Chairman in 2023, Niren served as CEO of Panera Brands and Panera Bread. During his four-year tenure, Panera Brands strengthened its leadership in the fast casual segment by expanding its leading digital capabilities, which as of 2023 account for 51% of total sales at Panera Bread, while increasing its loyalty base to more than 53 million members and launching an innovative loyalty subscription model that resulted in 25% of all Panera transactions coming from Unlimited Sip Club members. Panera also increased its pace of innovation, strengthened franchisee partnerships and led the creation of a strong, people-first culture, resulting in industry-leading retention rates for GMs and associates, earning Black Box Intelligence’s Employer of Choice Award in 2022. Under his leadership Panera was also voted the Most Innovative Company by Fast Company in 2021 and rated as amongst the Top 20 Most purpose driven companies and Top 10 most sustainable companies in 2022.

Previously, Niren served as Chief Operating Officer and President of Krispy Kreme where he implemented a new operating model to elevate consistency across the global brand and created a path for enterprise value growth of 3x over 5 years. Prior to that, he spent 23 years at Yum! Brands serving in global leadership positions including Global President of KFC and President of Yum! India. KFC India and Pizza Hut India were rated as the most trusted brands during his tenure and the company also received the President of India’s award for their work on equal opportunity for hearing and speech impaired employees.

Niren is guided by his deep passion for serving others and building future leaders. He spends his personal time sharing his personal and professional journey with students and professionals, often wielding a guitar to sing about his life or even a new Panera menu item. He was on the Board of DKMS, a leading non-profit with the world’s largest stem cell donor registry form 2023-2024 and also on the Board of Tufts Hospital 2022-2023. He is an Executive in Residence at the Columbia Business school and a frequent guest lecturer at top Ivy league schools. Go forward Nien’s mission is to “to help unlock human potential “as a coach / mentor / academic / book writer and investor. He is now Founder CEO at RA Inspired Leadership LLC , an Executive Coach at ExCo, Executive Fellow at Harvard Business School at the Strategy Unit , Board Member at SIG Group and Advisor to 6th Street , Fireside Ventures and ChrysCapital.

Niren has faced some significant personal challenges with the loss of 2 of his daughters which has shaped him profoundly as a human and as a leader and deepened his commitment to live a life of service. The story of his family has been captured in a movie called “The Sky is Pink” and a documentary called “Black sunshine baby” on Netflix.

As a lifelong learner, Niren focuses on both formal and informal education. Formally, Niren holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from St. Stephen’s College in Delhi, an MBA in marketing from the University of Delhi, Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School and is also a fellow at Harvard’s Advanced Leadership Initiative. Niren is International Coaching Federation Accredited, Certified on Constellation Systemic Coaching and  also Certified by Team Coaching International. Informally, Niren speaks 4 languages – Hindi, English, Dutch, German and is now learning Spanish. He holds a black belt in Shotokan karate and is an avid golfer, tennis player and musician with his own rock band. Niren is also a passionate and powerful keynote speaker at many corporate leadership events across the country.

Speaker

Veit Dengler
Member of the Austrian Parliament

Veit Dengler is an Austrian entrepreneur, media executive, and politician. Born in Graz in 1968, he studied economics in Vienna and earned a Master of Public Administration from Harvard. He began his career in journalism at the Eastern Europe bureau of Time Magazine, before moving into leadership roles at global companies such as McKinsey, T-Mobile, Dell, and Groupon. He later served as CEO of the Swiss NZZ Media Group and as COO of the German Bauer Media Group. A co-founder of the liberal party NEOS, he has been a member of the Austrian National Council since 2024. Alongside his political work, he founded the consulting firm Draw.Solutions and was a Visiting Fellow at the Reuters Institute in Oxford. He is the father of four children.

Speaker

Amy Edmondson
Professor of Leadership & Management, Harvard Business School

Amy C. Edmondson, PhD is the Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management at the Harvard Business School, a chair established to support the study of human interactions that lead to the creation of successful enterprises that contribute to the betterment of society.

Edmondson has been ranked by the biannual Thinkers50 global list of top management thinkers since 2011 (most recently #1). She teaches and writes on leadership, teams and organizational learning.  Her most recent book, The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety for Learning, Innovation, and Growth offers practical guidance for leaders who are serious about building a thriving organization in the today’s uncertain environment. Her prior books, Teaming: How Organizations Learn, Innovate and Compete in the Knowledge Economy and Teaming to Innovate (Jossey-Bass, 2012, 2103) and Building the Future: Big Teaming for Audacious Innovation (Berrett-Koehler, 2016) explore teamwork in dynamic, unpredictable work environments.

Before her academic career, she was Director of Research at Pecos River Learning Centers, where she worked on the design and implementation of transformational change in large companies. In the early 1980s, she worked as Chief Engineer for architect/inventor Buckminster Fuller, and her book A Fuller Explanation: The Synergetic Geometry of R. Buckminster Fuller (Birkauser Boston, 1987) clarifies Fuller's mathematical contributions for a non-technical audience. Edmondson received her PhD in organizational behavior, AM in psychology, and AB in engineering and design, all from Harvard University.

She lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts with her husband, George Daley, a physician-scientist and Dean of Harvard Medical School, with their two college-age sons.

Speaker

Claudio Fernández-Aráoz
Executive Fellow for Executive Education, Harvard Business School

Claudio Fernández-Aráoz is a top global expert on leadership and talent, family businesses, and personal growth. He was ranked by Bloomberg as one of the most influential executive search consultants in the world and selected by Thinkers50 as one of the world’s leading thinkers on talent.

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Speaker

Lynn Forester de Rothschild
Founder, Chair & CEO, Council for Inclusive Capitalism Chief Executive, E.L. Rothschild

Lynn Forester de Rothschild is Founder & CEO of the Council for Inclusive Capitalism, a global not-for-profit organization which develops groundbreaking initiatives with global CEOs and distinguished leaders in government and civil society to catalyze actions that transform capitalism and make our economies and societies more inclusive, dynamic, sustainable and trusted.

Lynn is also Chief Executive of E.L. Rothschild LLC, a family office with interests in private companies, public markets and real estate. She is a member of the Board of Directors and Nominating & ESG Committee of The Estee Lauder Companies, and previously served on the boards of The Economist Group, Gulfstream, General Instruments, Bronfman-Rothschild and Weather Central.

As part of her charity work, she serves on the Advisory Board of Focusing Capital on the Long Term (FCLTGlobal), the McCain Institute for International Leadership and the Eranda Rothschild Foundation (a de Rothschild family foundation) and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and Chatham House.

Previously, she served as a member of the National Information Infrastructure Advisory Committee and the Secretary of Energy Advisory Board under President Clinton, the Board and Executive Committee of the Peterson Institute for International Economics and as a member of the United Nations Advisory Committee on Inclusive Financial Services (2006-2011).

Lynn has been a featured speaker at global forums and corporate and university events, including the World Economic Forum, United Nations, World Bank, G20, OECD, Bloomberg New Economy Forum, Future Investment Initiative, Aspen Ideas Festival, University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, Tsinghua University, and Peking University. She has also published in Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Time and The Guardian. In 2007, Forester de Rothschild was awarded the Commendatore Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana. She graduated magna cum laude and beta kappa from Pomona College in Claremont, California and from Columbia University School of Law, with a Juris Doctor degree with honors as Harlen Fiske Stone Scholar.

Speaker

Gary Hamel
Director, Management Lab; Visiting professor, London Business School;

Gary Hamel is one of the world’s most influential and iconoclastic business thinkers. He has worked with leading companies across the globe and is a dynamic and sought-after management speaker. Hamel has been on the faculty of the London Business School for more than 30 years and is the director of the Management Lab.

Hamel has written 17 articles for the Harvard Business Review and is the most reprinted author in the Review’s history. His landmark books have been translated into more than 25 languages. His most recent bestsellers are The Future of Management and What Matters Now. In these volumes, Hamel presents an impassioned plea for reinventing management and lays out a practical blueprint for building organizations that are “fit for the future.”

Fortune magazine describes Hamel as “the world’s leading expert on business strategy,” and the Financial Times calls him a “management innovator without peer.” Hamel has been ranked by The Wall Street Journal as the world’s most influential business thinker and is a fellow of the Strategic Management Society and of the World Economic Forum.
Hamel’s groundbreaking concepts such as “strategic intent,” “core competence,” “industry revolution,” and “management innovation,” have changed the language and practice of management in organizations around the globe. 

Hamel’s work inside of organizations has been equally pioneering. Highlights include:

• Building one of the world’s first “idea markets” inside a global energy leader.
• Using crowdsourcing to help a European high tech company build a game-changing strategy.
• Orchestrating a comprehensive effort to turn a venerable durable goods manufacturer into one of the world’s most innovative companies.
• Helping a leading Korean company re-engineer its management practices around the principles of openness, community and meritocracy.
• Designing and deploying an online platform that allowed the employees of a top fashion house to share and develop ideas for strengthening their company’s core values.
• Developing innovation tools and platforms that have helped companies around the world de-commoditize mature industries and accelerate growth.
• Running an online “hackathon” in which more than 1,700 senior executives collaborated to reinvent the HR function.

In his work, Hamel has led transformational efforts in some of the world’s most notable companies and has helped to create billions of dollars in shareholder value.

Hamel is one of the world’s most sought-after management speakers on the topics of strategy, leadership, innovation and change.

Speaker

Rasmus Hougaard
Founder, CEO Potential Project

Rasmus is the Founder and CEO of Potential Project. He leads the firm’s pioneering work at the intersection of science-backed research and wisdom traditions to transform the way leaders and organizations operate. Rasmus was nominated by Thinkers 50 as one of the eight most important leadership thinkers in the world today.

Rasmus has partnered with forward-thinking organizations like IKEA, Deutsche Telekom, Unilever, Accenture and Cisco to create a more human world of work by helping individuals, leaders, and teams to unlock the full potential of the mind. Rasmus is an experienced and engaging speaker, having led more than 1,500 keynotes and workshops. He is a sought-after leadership developer who coaches and supports C-suite executives at global organizations. Rasmus is also the co-author of the ground-breaking books by Harvard Business Review Press, Compassionate Leadership – How to Do Hard Things in a Human Way (HBR Press, 2022) and The Mind of the Leader – How to Lead Yourself, Your People and Your Organization for Extraordinary Results (HBR Press, 2018). His new book, More Human: How the Power of AI Can Transform the Way You Lead, will be published in March 2025 by Harvard Business Review Press.

Speaker

Michael Kaschke
Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), President of the Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft

Michael Kaschke is a German manager and scientist. He is chairman of the supervisory board of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and president of the Stifterverband, an association of the German industry for the promotion education, science and innovation During his professional career, Michael worked for the ZEISS Group for 30 years. He was a member of the Executive Board of Carl Zeiss AG for more than 20 years and its President and CEO from 2011 - 2020. Under his leadership, ZEISS developed into a successful, future-oriented portfolio company with leading global positions in all hi-tech areas of its businesses. The ZEISS Medizintechnik IPO, which he initiated as the first reverse IPO on the German stock market, resulted in the listing of Carl Zeiss Meditec AG on the German stock exchange MDAX making it one of the world's leading medical technology providers. Michael has sat on several supervisory boards in large, listed companies such as Henkel and Deutsche Telekom. From 2014 to 2020, he was a Member of the Wissenschaftsrat (German Science and Humanities Council), one of Germany's most important scientific-political advisory committees. In 2019, he was elected to the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina. Following his retirement from ZEISS, Michael has become a member of Robert Bosch Industrietreuhand KG (industrial trust), which carries out the entrepreneurial ownership functions at Robert Bosch GmbH. He is also a member of the supervisory board of Robert Bosch GmbH and a member of the Management Board of Ottobock Management SE.

Michael teaches at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology on optical medical technology and innovation process management. He received an honorary doctorate from Friedrich Schiller University in Jena in 2018. Michael graduated with a degree in physics from the University in Jena in 1983 and obtained a PhD in physics from the same University.

Speaker

John Kay
Founding Dean of Oxford University‘s Said Business School

Sir John Kay is one of Britain’s leading economists with wide practical experience in business and finance. He has served as director of several public companies, founded his own business, and managed investment portfolios. A Fellow of the British Academy and Royal Society of Edinburgh, he was the founding dean of Oxford University’s Saïd Business School and held chairs at London Business School and the London School of Economics.

He is a winner of the Senior Wincott Award for Financial Journalism for his Financial Times columns. Other People’s Money won the Saltire Prize for non-fiction and was shortlisted for the Orwell Prize for Political Writing. His recent books include Obliquity, The Long and Short of It, Greed is Dead (written with Paul Collier) and Radical Uncertainty (with Mervyn King).His lates book, The Corporation in the Twenty-First Century, is published on August 29th.

Speaker

Christian Lüdtke
CEO, Bryck

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Speaker

Michael Lurie
Chief Catalyst, Bayer

Michael Lurie is Chief Catalyst for Bayer, where he is leading the organization’s extraordinary journey to Dynamic Shared Ownership (DSO). DSO is a fundamental evolution of our global life sciences company into a highly collaborative and continually learning network of thousands of entrepreneurial “micro-businesses”, focused individually and collectively on maximizing value for the millions of farmers, patients, consumers and other stakeholders we serve.

Over the past thirty years, Michael has worked with over 200 organizations across many sectors around the world. Through this work he has led the evolution of a powerful and practical approach to building and leading this new kind of organization, that is enabling hundreds of leadership teams to thrive personally, build thriving organizations, and help shape a thriving world.

Speaker

Kevin Nolan
President & CEO, GE Appliances, a Haier Company

Kevin Nolan is a seasoned engineer and passionate maker with more than 30 patent awards and a 35-year career at GE and GE Appliances today, including ten years as GE Appliances’ Chief Technology Officer.

He took innovation to a new level when he conceived and co-founded FirstBuild, the first corporate makerspace in the world and a global co-creation community that harnesses the power of the maker movement to change the way home appliances are conceived, designed, and manufactured.

Originally from Stamford, Connecticut, Kevin opened CoCreate in 2023. Part manufacturing facility, makerspace, and design and experience center, CoCreate is an innovative, creative playground for the community, where doors are open for people to make, connect, and be inspired.

Kevin’s leadership and commitment to the communities across the U.S. where GE Appliances does business has been broadly recognized, including being named one of the “Most Admired CEOs” in GE Appliances’ hometown of Louisville, Kentucky. He works directly and through several organizations to attract new businesses to the area, promote STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) programs in public schools and community centers, and mobilize resources to close the digital and educational gap. In 2020, he was recognized by Louisville Business First for exemplary leadership with a focus on employees and the community during the COVID-19 response.

Kevin was inducted into the University of Connecticut Academy of Distinguished Engineers in 2019 and has earned the Kentucky Board of Education’s Kelly Award for outstanding business and public education partnership. In 2022, the University of Louisville presented him with an honorary doctoral Degree of Science.

Kevin is a frequent speaker at international conferences and business schools, where he shares his thoughts and experiences on his passion areas: lean enterprises, entrepreneurship, innovation, and change.

In his spare time, Kevin’s an avid clockmaker, which he builds in his home garage.

Speaker

Parmy Olson
Technology Columnist at Bloomberg LP

Parmy Olson is a technology columnist with Bloomberg focused on artificial intelligence, social media and regulation. Her book “Supremacy: AI, ChatGPT and the Race That Will Change The World” (Macmillan) won the Financial Times and Schroders Business Book of the Year award for 2024. She has written about the evolution of AI since 2016, when she covered Silicon Valley for Forbes, before becoming a technology reporter for The Wall Street Journal. She was named by Business Insider as one of the Top 100 People in UK Tech in 2019 and has two honourable mentions for the SABEW Awards for Business Journalism for her reporting on the technology industry. She is also the author of “We Are Anonymous,” a 2012 exposé of the infamous hacker collective.

Speaker

Alexander Osterwalder
Founder & CEO of Strategyzer, Visiting Professor IMD

Dr. Alexander (Alex) Osterwalder, founder & CEO of Strategyzer, is one of the world’s most influential strategy and innovation experts. A leading author, entrepreneur, and in-demand
speaker, his work has changed how established companies do business and how new ventures get started.

Ranked among the top 10 of the leading 50 management thinkers worldwide and a visiting professor at IMD, Osterwalder is known for simplifying the strategy development process and turning complex concepts into digestible visual models. Together with Yves Pigneur, he invented the Business Model Canvas, Value Proposition Canvas, and Business Portfolio Map - practical tools that are trusted by millions of business practitioners from leading global companies.

Strategyzer provides online courses, applications, and technology-enabled services to help organizations manage strategy, growth, and transformation effectively and systematically.

His books include the international bestseller «Business Model Generation», «Value Proposition Design», «Testing Business Ideas», «The Invincible Company,» and «High-Impact Tools for Teams».

Speaker

Natalye Paquin
COO Rockefeller Foundation

Natalye Paquin is the Chief Operating Officer of The Rockefeller Foundation, a global institution with a mission to promote the well-being of humanity around the world. Before joining the Foundation, Paquin served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Points of Light Foundation, a nonpartisan global nonprofit, founded by President George H.W. Bush that inspires and mobilizes people to act through volunteerism and civic engagement. She is highly regarded for her engaging leadership style and is committed to social impact work.

A lawyer by training, Paquin began her career in litigation. She spent more than 15 years in legal and executive leadership roles in the education sector focused on civil rights, school reform, and employment matters. Paquin’s expertise sits at the intersection of the public, nonprofit, and corporate sectors, leveraging experience through professional and governance roles, and as an independent director on three corporate boards.

She earned an undergraduate degree from Florida A&M University and Juris Doctor degree from the DePaul University College of Law.  Paquin maintains her connections to community through volunteerism and civic engagement. She is an avid traveler and is married with two young adult sons.  

Speaker

Deborah Perry Piscione
Silicon Valley Entrepreneur and AI expert

Deborah Perry Piscione is a renowned futurist and expert in business strategy and growth, specializing in the transformation of work and organizations in the era of AI and web3 technologies. As the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Work3 Institute, she leads cutting-edge research and advisory services on the convergence of AI, blockchain, and emerging technologies, providing strategic insights on their profound impact on business models, organizational structures, and the future of work.

A seasoned Silicon Valley entrepreneur, investor, board director, and New York Times bestselling author, Deborah has established herself as a preeminent thought leader in AI ethics, innovation, and strategic risk-taking in the digital age. Her expertise in business strategy and growth has made her a sought-after advisor to Fortune 500 companies navigating the complexities of technological disruption and organizational transformation.

Her latest book, Employment is Dead! How Disruptive Technologies are Revolutionizing the Way We Work (Harvard Business Review Press, January 28, 2025), explores the transformative potential of AI and distributed ledger technologies on traditional employment models and organizational hierarchies.

Deborah is the architect of Improvisational Innovation, a groundbreaking bottom-up innovation process that creates a safe environment for employees to propose new ideas, particularly those leveraging AI and web3 technologies. The process came out from her New York Times bestselling book, Secrets of Silicon Valley.  This process has been adopted by industry leaders such as McKinsey & Co, Accenture, Tata, and Qualcomm, demonstrating its effectiveness in fostering AI-driven innovation within large enterprises and consulting practices.

As co-creator of WAGMAS, web3summit.xyz, Deborah leads a hype-free, web3 community and summit series, working to educate and transition enterprises and governments on the practical applications of AI, blockchain, and web3 technologies. Her work in this space has positioned her as a key figure in bridging the gap between traditional business models and the AI-augmented, decentralized future of work.

Deborah is a globally sought-after speaker on AI ethics, the future of work, and technological disruption. Her insights and expertise have made her the subject of a Stanford University Graduate School of Business case study, "Deborah Perry Piscione: Finding Opportunity in Silicon Valley."

Prior to her move to Silicon Valley in 2006, Deborah spent 18 years in Washington, DC as a staffer in the U.S. Congress (for US Sen. Connie Mack and US Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen) and the White House (for President George H.W. Bush). She has also served as an on-air commentator for CNN and a guest lecturer at Stanford University, where she discusses the intersection of AI, the Silicon Valley ecosystem, and the evolution of enterprise growth through AI-driven innovation and entrepreneurship.

Through her multifaceted career, Deborah continues to shape the discourse on how AI and web3 technologies are reshaping the global business landscape and the very nature of work itself.

Speaker

Hans Rusinek
Consultant, Researcher, award-winning Author & Speaker on the Future of Work, Lecturer University St. Gallen, Fellow tt30 Club of Rome, LinkedIn Top Voice ’24, Ex-BCG Brighthouse

Dr. Hans Rusinek researches and teaches on the transformation of work at the University of St. Gallen besides working as an independent management consultant. He is on the supervisory board of a Swiss stock corporation and a Fellow of the Club of Rome Germany. His bestselling book "Work-Survival-Balance" was published by Herder Verlag in 2023 and was shortlisted for the "Das politische Buch" literary prize by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation. In 2024, HR magazine named him one of "Germany's Top 10 HR Influencers". In previous years, he helped establish the transformation consultancy Brighthouse, part of the Boston Consulting Group, and led it as Associate Strategy Director. He studied economics, philosophy, and international relations at the London School of Economics and the University of Bayreuth, as well as design thinking at the Hasso Plattner Institute in Potsdam.

Speaker

Thomas Sattelberger
Former Member of the German Bundestag; Angel Investor

Thomas Sattelberger (1949) has served from 2017-2022 as Member of Deutscher Bundestag and was appointed 2021 Parliamentary State Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. Prior to his political career he has been on the Executive Board of Deutsche Telekom AG as Chief Human Resources Officer from 2007 – 2012. Before, he had held operational as well as HR positions on the Executive Boards of Lufthansa German Airlines (1999 – 2004) and Continental AG (2004 – 2007). He was longtime Vice President of the European Foundation for Management Development (Brussels) and is Fellow of the International Academy of Management.

Thomas has published and authored over ten books as well as numerous articles on corporate transformation, leadership and strategic human resources management. His book on Democratic Organizations has been named Management Book of the Year 2015 in Germany. In 2023 he published his latest book “Radikal Neu -Gegen Mittelmass und Abstieg in Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft”(Radically New – Against Mediocracy and Decline in Economy and Politics”). Thomas is active as investor and business angel. He also is serving on several advisory boards

Speaker

Jean-Dominique Sénard
Chairman of Renault Group

Jean-Dominique Sénard, HEC alumnus and holder of a master’s degree in law, began his career with various financial and operational responsibilities within the Total Group from 1979 to 1987, then at Saint Gobain from 1987 to 1996.

He served as Chief Financial Officer and an Executive Committee member of the Pechiney Group from 1996 to 2001, then headed its Primary Aluminium segment until 2005.

Jean-Dominique Senard joined Michelin in March 2005 as Chief Financial Officer and an Executive Committee member.

He became Managing Partner of the Michelin Group in 2007, then Managing General Partner on 13 May 2011. He then took over from Michel Rollier as Chief Executive Officer of Michelin, holding the position until 17 May 2019.
He was elected Chairman of the Board of Directors of Renault Group on 24 January 2019, then Chairman of the Renault–Nissan–Mitsubishi Alliance Operating Board on 1 March of the same year.
In March 2018, he presented the French government with a report he co-wrote with Nicole Notat on the role of “a company as an object of collective interest”.

In April 2023, following a national forum on work, he presented the French government with a report he co-wrote and co-sponsored with Sophie Thiery entitled “Reconsidering work”.
He serves as Chairman of the Supervisory Committee for the FIVES Group and as director of the La Montagne–Centre France press group. He was Lead Independent Director of Saint-Gobain (until 2024).

He is a Commander of the Legion of Honour.

Speaker

Giuseppe Stigliano
Adjunct Professor at UCL School of Management

A recognized thought leader, sought-after advisor, and keynote speaker on Marketing, Management, Leadership, Business Transformation, and Corporate Innovation, Giuseppe is an entrepreneur and manager with over two decades of international experience. He has served as CEO three times at international marketing agencies, partnering with more than 300 companies globally.

With a Ph.D. in Marketing and Economics, Giuseppe has co-authored three business books with Philip Kotler: Retail 4.0, Onlife Fashion, and the most recent Redefining Retail. His books have been translated into twelve languages, reaching a total readership of over 120,000 people worldwide.

As a keynote speaker, he has been invited to give talks in more than 30 countries across various industries. As an advisor and board member, he leverages his international, cross-industry experience to help business leaders develop actionable strategies that exceed customer expectations and maximize ROI.

A member of the Advisory Council of HBR, a columnist at Forbes, and a LinkedIn Top Voice, Giuseppe was recognized by Thinkers50 in 2024 as one of the most inspiring global leaders whose ideas are set to make a significant impact on management thinking.

Giuseppe is also an active angel investor and an Adjunct Professor of Marketing at prestigious international universities and business schools. His TEDx talk, How to Become a Marketing Superhero, has garnered over 1 million views worldwide.

Speaker

Johnny C. Taylor, Jr.
SHRM-SCP President and CEO, SHRM

Johnny C. Taylor, Jr. is President and Chief Executive Officer of SHRM. Recently named one of the “Most Influential People Shaping Public Policy” in our nation’s Capital by the Washingtonian Magazine, Mr. Taylor’s career spans more than 20 years as a lawyer and an executive, serving at IAC, Paramount Pictures, Blockbuster Entertainment Group and the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, among other organizations. He is a Vice-Chair of the Board of Trustees at his alma mater, the University of Miami; a member of the United Way Worldwide Board of Trustees; Independent Director of the Flores & Associates corporate board and a member of the corporate boards of Guild Education, and XPO Logistics (NYSE: XPO). He previously served as chairman of the President's Advisory Board on Historically Black Colleges and Universities and on the White House American Workforce Policy Advisory Board. Mr. Taylor is a weekly contributor to USA Today, a Fellow of the National Academy of Human Resources and a SHRM Certified Professional.

Speaker

Tom Tugendhat
Member of Parliament of the United Kingdom; Former UK Minister

biography upcoming soon.

Speaker

Dave Ulrich
Professor of Business at Ross School of Business

Dave Ulrich has been the Rensis Likert Professor at the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan and a partner at the RBL Group (http://www.rbl.net). He has published over 200 articles and book chapters and over 30 books. He edited Human Resource Management for ten years, served on editorial board of four other journals and on the Board of Directors for Herman Miller (16 years), has spoken to large audiences in 90 countries; performed workshops for over half of the Fortune 200; coached successful business leaders, and is a Distinguished Fellow in the National Academy of Human Resources. He posts weekly and comments daily on LinkedIn (over 350,000 followers and 3,300,000 page views in 2024) and has a free weekly newsletter with over 220,000 subscribers (https://lnkd.in/gbRqJHkW). His work creates ideas with impact about how to deliver stakeholder value through human capability (talent + organization + leadership + HR).

Organization. With co-authors, he has influenced thinking about modern organizations (Reinventing the Organization) by empirically showing how organization delivers four times business results over talent (Victory Through Organization), defined organizations as bundles of capabilities (Organization Capability) and worked to delineate capabilities of talent management (Why of Work; Talent Accelerator), culture change (GE Workout), learning (Learning Organization Capability), and collaboration (Boundaryless Organization).

Leadership. With colleagues, he has also articulated the basics of effective leadership (Leadership Code and Results Based Leadership), connected leadership with customers (Leadership Brand), shown how leadership delivers market value (Why the Bottom Line Isn’t), shapes investor expectations with an ability to measure leadership (Leadership Capital Index), and synthesized ways to ensure that leadership aspirations turn into actions (Leadership Sustainability).

Human Resources. He and his colleagues have shaped the HR profession and he has been called the “father of modern HR” and “HR thought leader of the decade” by focusing on HR outcomes, governance, competencies, and practices (HR Champions; HR Value Added; HR Transformation; HR Competencies; HR Outside In). He spearheaded a “gift” book on the future of HR (The Rise of HR) distributed to over 1,500,000 HR professionals, in which 70 thought leaders freely shared their insights.

VITA 2025

Speaker

Avivah Wittenberg-Cox
Founder and CEO, 20-first

 Avivah is CEO, writer, speaker, coach, consultant, change agent – depending on the call and the context. She is a global expert on 21st century leadership, gender and generational balance, longevity and the future of work and careers, helping individuals and organisations manage the transitions and extensions of the 2nd and 3rd Quarters of 100-year lives. Themes summarised in her graphic book Thriving to 100 – Through Life’s 4 Quarters and regularly featured on her longevity-focused podcast 4-Quarter Lives and weekly substack, elderberries.

Avivah is a Visiting Lecturer at OXFORD Said Business School, runs a Thriving To 100 programme for INSEAD alumni, and is co-Director of Catolica Lisbon’s Longevity Leadership executive education programme. She’s an Adjunct Professor at DePaul University in Chicago and has published several LINKED IN Learning courses. She’s also an Ambassador for the Stanford Center on Longevity, and the Global Peter Drucker Forum, and sits on the Boards of the National Innovation Centre on Ageing (NICA) and the Chartered Management Institute’s ‘Everyone Economy’ Board. A Fellow of Harvard’s 2022 Advanced Leadership Program, in 2023, Avivah was inducted into the  Thinkers50 Hall of Fame.

Born in Canada of European parents, she is a bilingual tri-national (French, Swiss and Canadian), now based in London with her British husband after several decades in Paris, and has two very charming, gender-balanced children (a son and daughter) who occasionally visit from Dakar and New York city.

Speaker

Adrian Wooldridge
Global Business Columnist at Bloomberg Opinion

Adrian Wooldridge is the global business columnist for Bloomberg Opinion. Before taking up that role, he worked for the Economist for 32 years, writing, at various times, the Lexington, Schumpeter and Bagehot columnists. An Oxford graduate, he is the author or co-author of eleven books, most recently The Aristocracy of Talent: How Meritocracy Made the Modern World.

Speaker

Michele Zanini
Co-founder, Management Lab

Michele Zanini is the cofounder of the Management Lab, a firm dedicated to developing knowledge, technology and tools to support breakthrough management innovation. The goal: to help large organizations become more daring, resilient, creative, and inspiring places to work.  He is co-author of the Wall Street Journal bestselling book, Humanocracy: Creating Organizations as Amazing as the People Inside Them (Harvard Business Review Press, 2020; 2nd edition due out in 2025), and his work frequently appears on the pages of the Harvard Business Review, the Financial Times, the McKinsey Quarterly. Fast Company, and Fortune.

As an advisor, Michele has led change initiatives in many of the world’s most admired companies. He helps clients build break-out strategies and enlarge their entrepreneurial and creative edge.