Speakers
Top experts and thought leaders who are set to deliver invaluable insights and cutting-edge knowledge
Meet our executive speakers
As part of the FutureTech Summit, each speaker brings a wealth of experience, innovative ideas, and unique perspectives that will be instrumental in shaping the future of our industry. Click on a speaker to view their full bio.
Anja Lange
Moderator
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Anja Lange
Anja Lange is a moderator who lives in Stuttgart and has been working successfully as a freelance moderator for several years. She completed a moderator training course at the Institute for Moderation at SWR/Hochschule der Medien and has been regularly on stage or in front of cameras since then. In addition to events, she also presents conferences, trade fairs and film festivals. Her focus topics are digitization, IT, media and marketing. Due to long term stays abroad, she also moderates in English. Her second mother tongue is Dutch. She holds a master degree in cooperate communications.
Event Sessions
Tuesday, November 25 2025 9:00 am | Location:
Welcome and introduction to the topic
Carla Arend
Associate Vice President, Research, Cloud in Europe
IDC
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Carla Arend
Carla Arend is a senior program director with the European software and infrastructure research team, and heads up IDC’s European cloud research. Arend provides industry clients with key insight into market dynamics, vendor activities, and end-user adoption trends in the European cloud market. As part of her research, she covers topics such as how European organizations are adopting cloud, how cloud drivers and inhibitors are evolving, cloud management, cloud security, data management in the cloud, IoT and cloud, AI and cloud, Devops and cloud, as well as GDPR impact on cloud and cloud code of conduct.
In addition to syndicated research, Arend has worked on many custom consulting projects identifying opportunities in the European cloud market and has authored white papers on subjects such as cloud management, cloud security, data management in the cloud.
Arend is regularly asked to speak at industry events, strategy workshops, sales kick-offs and training, partner events, and end-user events.
Arend holds a BA in business administration from University of Mannheim and an MSc in business administration and management of technology from Copenhagen Business School, in addition to course work at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) in Bangkok.
Event Sessions
Tuesday, November 25 2025 9:10 am | Location:
IDC Keynote: The Importance Of A Tech-first Business Strategy
Ferdinand Speidel
Enterprise Account Executive
DeepL
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Ferdinand Speidel
Event Sessions
Tuesday, November 25 2025 11:20 am | Location:
Language Barriers in the Platform Economy: AI Integration for Global Workflows
In an increasingly interconnected business world, integrated platforms are key to agility and competitiveness. However, language barriers remain an often underestimated challenge in global enterprise workflows. This session will demonstrate how Language AI can be seamlessly integrated into existing enterprise platforms to accelerate processes and enable collaboration across language barriers. Using concrete use cases, you will learn how Language AI acts as an enabler for platform strategies, what integration options modern AI solutions offer, and how companies can increase scalability and efficiency through intelligent language processing. Discover best practices for implementation in complex IT landscapes and how leading companies are using Language AI to drive their digital transformation—without compromising security, compliance, or data sovereignty.
Uwe Pferr
Sr. Solutions Architect
Digital Realty
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Uwe Pferr
Event Sessions
Tuesday, November 25 2025 3:05 pm | Location:
Partner presentation Digital Realty: Artificial intelligence-based projects from the perspective of a data center operator
Frank Heinzinger
Account Director
Digital Realty
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Frank Heinzinger
Event Sessions
Tuesday, November 25 2025 3:05 pm | Location:
Partner presentation Digital Realty: Artificial intelligence-based projects from the perspective of a data center operator
Robin Mager
Leiter Digital Transformation Office
Siemens Energy
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Robin Mager
Event Sessions
Tuesday, November 25 2025 9:50 am | Location:
Leveraging AI for Enhanced Operational Efficiency
Artificial intelligence is fundamentally changing operational excellence in the energy sector. Siemens Energy demonstrates how AI solutions such as digital twins, autonomous plant control, and generative AI in engineering automate processes, unlock efficiency potential, and increase reliability. Practical examples illustrate how intelligent platforms master complexity and accelerate innovation. Sustainable success arises from the close integration of technology, data integration, and digital expertise across the entire company.
Marc Stanke
Enterprise Architect & Data Officer
DB Systel
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Marc Stanke
Event Sessions
Tuesday, November 25 2025 11:00 am | Location:
Building and enabling AI governance – Why the entire organization is involved!
In an increasingly interconnected business world, integrated platforms are key to agility and competitiveness. However, language barriers remain an often underestimated challenge in global enterprise workflows. This session will demonstrate how Language AI can be seamlessly integrated into existing enterprise platforms to accelerate processes and enable collaboration across language barriers. Using concrete use cases, you will learn how Language AI acts as an enabler for platform strategies, what integration options modern AI solutions offer, and how companies can increase scalability and efficiency through intelligent language processing. Discover best practices for implementation in complex IT landscapes and how leading companies are using Language AI to drive their digital transformation—without compromising security, compliance, or data sovereignty.
Dr. Daniela Simone Kappler
AI Officer
DB Systel
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Dr. Daniela Simone Kappler
Martin Flechl
GenAI Lead & TechEvangelist
Dynatrace
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Martin Flechl
Event Sessions
Tuesday, November 25 2025 1:35 pm | Location:
Partner Presentation Dynatrace: Trends in Agentic AI: From Tool to Partner
The rapid development of agentic AI is changing the way companies use artificial intelligence. Instead of merely acting as tools, AI systems are increasingly evolving into proactive, autonomous partners that can support decision-making and act independently. This presentation highlights the key trends driving this paradigm shift and shows how companies can leverage this new generation of intelligent systems today and in the future.
Daniel Kleine-Albers
Head of Digital Financial & Central Solutions
KGAL GmbH & Co. KG
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Daniel Kleine-Albers
Event Sessions
Tuesday, November 25 2025 1:55 pm | Location:
Between individual products and standardized processes… and what a data platform has to do with it
KGAL’s holistic, strategic digitalization approach combines process optimization and standardization with data management and governance. This takes place in an environment where the three asset classes—real estate, infrastructure, and aircraft—couldn’t be more different. A presentation on challenges and solutions.
Andreas Messing
Head of BMC Infrastructure, Data & AI
Materna Information & Communications SE
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Andreas Messing
Armin Hoffmann
Enterprise Architect
Siemens Healthineers AG
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Armin Hoffmann
Event Sessions
Tuesday, November 25 2025 1:15 pm | Location:
Planning a Target Architecture in a Volatile Environment: The Example of ERP Migration
IT departments must grapple with increasingly rapid technological and geopolitical changes. How does this impact strategic focus areas, architectures, and digitalization initiatives, using Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) as an example?
Kai Eisele
IT Strategy Manager
Siemens Healthineers AG
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Kai Eisele
Event Sessions
Tuesday, November 25 2025 1:15 pm | Location:
Planning a Target Architecture in a Volatile Environment: The Example of ERP Migration
IT departments must grapple with increasingly rapid technological and geopolitical changes. How does this impact strategic focus areas, architectures, and digitalization initiatives, using Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) as an example?
Matthias Vetter
Senior IB Strategy & Controlling Manager
KGAL GmbH & Co. KG
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Matthias Vetter
Event Sessions
Tuesday, November 25 2025 1:55 pm | Location:
Between individual products and standardized processes… and what a data platform has to do with it
KGAL’s holistic, strategic digitalization approach combines process optimization and standardization with data management and governance. This takes place in an environment where the three asset classes—real estate, infrastructure, and aircraft—couldn’t be more different. A presentation on challenges and solutions.
Thomas Mannmeusel
CIO
Webasto
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Thomas Mannmeusel
Event Sessions
Tuesday, November 25 2025 9:30 am | Location:
IT strategy in turbulent times – thoughts on dogmas and sacred cows
Pia Fischbach
Chief Transformation Officer
OTTO
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Pia Fischbach
Event Sessions
Tuesday, November 25 2025 3:15 pm | Location:
The Platform Turbo: Accelerator or Even Brake on Transformation?
“Platform approach,” “platform economies,” and the need to “build platforms” are on everyone’s lips. It sounds like the ultimate solution for everything, the turbo that will catapult us through digital transformation at light speed. But is that really the case? Or can this turbo also sputter, slow us down, or even steer us in the wrong direction?
Meike Escherich
Associate Research Director, European Future of Work
IDC
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Meike Escherich
Meike Escherich is an associate research director with IDC’s European Future of Work research service, based in the UK. In this role, she provides coverage of key technology trends across the Future of Work, specializing in how to drive and monitor productivity in a flexible work environment. This includes research into workforce management, agile performance measures, employee engagement/innovation programs and AI driven wellness solutions.
Prior to joining IDC, Meike was a Principal Analyst at Gartner (20 years) – covering Personal Computing, IT Services and Consumer Technologies – and a freelance consultant working with several UK analyst firms and international technology providers (3 years). An expert at identifying and solving strategic pain points Meike has worked with C-level executives across a multitude of industries such as IT, Education, Government, Health, Media, and Finance.
Having studied in Germany (University of Konstanz), Switzerland (University of Geneva, ERASMUS) and the UK (University of Exeter, ERASMUS) Meike holds a bachelor’s degree in Law as well as a master’s degree in Clinical Psychology.
Event Sessions
Tuesday, November 25 2025 4:05 pm | Location:
IDC Keynote: Shift Happens – Shaping Tomorrow’s Workforce and Business Value
Axel Simon
Field CTO
HPE Deutschland
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Axel Simon
Event Sessions
Tuesday, November 25 2025 2:15 pm | Location:
Partnervortrag HPE & Wipro: AI for Networking – Networking for AI
HPE’s acquisition of Juniper Networks is more than a strategic move—it marks the beginning of a new era: the dawn of AI-powered, self-driving networks. Experience how the combination of cutting-edge AI technologies with HPE’s edge-to-cloud portfolio sets completely new standards for automation, transparency, and security—and how these innovations are transforming not only networks, but entire businesses.
Immerse yourself in the future of networking: “AI for Networking” enables self-optimizing, adaptive networks that detect and solve problems before they arise. At the same time, “Networking for AI” provides the stable foundation on which AI applications can reach their full potential – with ultra-fast, scalable, and reliable infrastructure.
Look forward to exclusive insights into the strategic roadmap highlights from HPE Networking: Network-as-a-Service, AI-powered operations management, energy-adaptive fabrics, and an open platform strategy. Get practical recommendations on how to make your business fit for the era of AI—with networks that not only think along, but ahead.
Matthias von Alten
Managing Partner and Consulting Leader for Germany, Austria and Switzerland
Wipro
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Matthias von Alten
Matthias von Alten is Managing Partner and Consulting Leader for Germany, Austria and Switzerland at Wipro. His focus is on strengthening client relationships and accelerating growth across the DACH region, leveraging a unique blend of strategy, transformation and industry expertise to deliver measurable results.
Matthias has over 30 years of experience across consulting and industry roles. His distinguished career spans many industries like e.g. manufacturing, consumer product, financial services, and pharma companies, where he led value creation and efficiency programs for global organizations. He is well known for blending strategic vision with technology and operational excellence.
Matthias holds a degree in industrial engineering and business administration and is a published thought leader in the industry.
Event Sessions
Tuesday, November 25 2025 2:15 pm | Location:
Partnervortrag HPE & Wipro: AI for Networking – Networking for AI
HPE’s acquisition of Juniper Networks is more than a strategic move—it marks the beginning of a new era: the dawn of AI-powered, self-driving networks. Experience how the combination of cutting-edge AI technologies with HPE’s edge-to-cloud portfolio sets completely new standards for automation, transparency, and security—and how these innovations are transforming not only networks, but entire businesses.
Immerse yourself in the future of networking: “AI for Networking” enables self-optimizing, adaptive networks that detect and solve problems before they arise. At the same time, “Networking for AI” provides the stable foundation on which AI applications can reach their full potential – with ultra-fast, scalable, and reliable infrastructure.
Look forward to exclusive insights into the strategic roadmap highlights from HPE Networking: Network-as-a-Service, AI-powered operations management, energy-adaptive fabrics, and an open platform strategy. Get practical recommendations on how to make your business fit for the era of AI—with networks that not only think along, but ahead.