Jean-François Segalotto is the Associate Research Director for IDC Energy Insights in Europe. In his role, he is responsible for conducting region-focused research providing full coverage of the utilities industry value chain. Segalotto leads the “European Utility IT and Operational Technologies Strategies” advisory service, which provides full coverage of the utility industry value chain. In his role, Segalotto covers a wide range of industry-specific themes, including smart grids, mobility, Internet of Things, connectivity and networks, and business systems supporting smart customer operations and digital transformation.

Leading up to his role in IDC, Jean-François spent over nine years as a market analyst in the telecoms, broadcast and digital media sectors, working first at ThinkTel (Milan), and e-Media Research (Milan, London). He has also collaborated as a research fellow and co-author with the IMF’s Monetary and Capital Markets Department on monetary institutional frameworks and monetary policy.

Segalotto is bilingual Italian-French and fluent in English.

He is based at the IDC Italy office in Milan.

Fabrizio Degni is a distinguished AI Ethics and Governance researcher, technology evangelist, and President of the Italy Chapter for the Global Council for Responsible AI. Guided by his philosophy “Ask not if it can be done, nor how, but only if it should be done,” he is deeply committed to exploring technological frontiers while ensuring AI serves humanity’s common benefit through ethical, transparent, and accountable innovation.

Recent Recognition & Leadership: Degni was honored with the “Premio per l’Impegno Etico nella Cultura Algoritmica” (Award for Ethical Commitment in Algorithmic Culture) at the inaugural AI Awards Italy 2025, hosted by ENTE NAZIONALE per l’INTELLIGENZA ARTIFICIALE – E.N.I.A.® in Milano. This prestigious recognition celebrates his commitment to education and critical reflection on algorithms, ethics, and AI governance. As President of the Italy Chapter for the Global Council for Responsible AI, he leads a growing community of 500+ members across 71 nations dedicated to shaping responsible AI through ethics, transparency, and accountability principles.

 Professional Expertise: As Chief of Artificial Intelligence, Degni’s research focuses on sociotechnical risks introduced by emerging AI technologies, particularly AI agents and autonomous systems. His analysis of AI agent systems in IBM’s 2025 AI Ethics Report highlighted critical challenges of opacity, complexity, and non-reversibility in autonomous systems, contributing to frameworks for evolved governance models and ethical oversight.

 Certifications & Credentials: Degni holds the AI CERTs™: AI+ Executive Certification (scored 90/100, May 2025) and specialized certifications from Stanford University (“AI Awakening: Economic and Society Implications”), edX (“AI Ethics for Professionals”), Copenhagen Business School, Microsoft, and Politecnico di Milano. His advanced credentials include ISO 42001:2023 AI System Management / ISO 9001 certifications and designation as a Certified AI Ethics & Governance Professional (CAEGP).

 Thought Leadership: A frequent speaker and panel participant, Degni recently contributed to the “Alfabetizzazione e Innovazione” (Digital Literacy and Innovation) panel, discussing human and digital memory alongside leading experts. His work encompasses value alignment, bias mitigation, transparency, and actionable governance frameworks for AI implementation across multiple sectors.

As Head of Digitalization & IT at the Swiss Electricity Industry Association (VSE/AES), Markus is a seasoned executive with a strong track record in leadership, management, and digital transformation. With extensive experience as a CIO and CDO in various industries, Markus brings a deep understanding of business strategy and IT strategy to the table.

Markus has a proven ability to develop and implement comprehensive digital business strategies and ecosystems. He is well-versed in agile methods and structures, strategic marketing, product management, and business development. Markus has led digital transformations and large-scale projects in international multicultural environments, developing data-driven business models to enhance competitiveness.

Markus’s expertise extends beyond digital transformation. He has led boards, steering groups, and task forces to orchestrate cultural change and develop winning digital experiences. He is also highly skilled in creating data strategies, governance models, and managing cyber security and risk & compliance (GRC).

Before joining VSE/AES, Markus served as an interim CIO/CDO and senior advisor for digital innovation and transformation in various organizations. Notably, he was the Global Head of IT and Digital Services for a global water system and e-mobility manufacturer, where he developed a digitalization strategy and roadmap, focusing on building a modern digital platform that includes e-commerce, IoT, connected vehicles, cloud services, big data analytics services, RPA, Industry 4.0 and ERP on SAP HANA for the shopfloor and corporate services.

Markus’s experience as the CIO at the Electricity Works of the Canton of Zurich (EKZ Group) has been instrumental in developing IT into a respected and valued business partner. He developed a customer-centric digital strategy that led to a high increase in EBIT contribution through annual operating cost reductions every year while improving business process efficiency and revenues through continuous digitalization and automation investments.

Markus holds an IT Degree, a degree in Business Engineering, and an Executive MBA in International Management from the University of Applied Sciences in Bern. He is knowledgeable in M&A due diligence and post-merger integration projects and holds a Strategic Marketing Certificate from the University of Cambridge. Markus has also completed the Oxford Blockchain Strategy Programme at Said Business School, University of Oxford.

John Diklev, born in 1994 and raised in Stockholm, is the founder and CEO of Flower (short
for Flexible Power). The idea for Flower began to take shape during John’s final year at the
Royal Institute of Technology (KTH). After his ideas were rejected at Vattenfall – where he
completed his degree project – John instead chose to found Flower, driven by a mission to
enable the energy system of tomorrow.

At its core, Flower leverages industry-leading software to make renewable energy stable and
always available by optimizing and trading flexible energy assets such as battery systems,
solar and wind farms, EV chargers, and more. Today, Flower is the market leader in the
Nordics, employing more than 130 people and operating across eight countries. The
company has been named one of the world’s top 100 impact companies and has secured
total funding exceeding €100 million.

Yann Fromont is a seasoned industry leader with 30 years of experience across the global electrical landscape, spanning low- to medium-voltage applications. Throughout his career at Schneider Electric, he has held key leadership roles in commercial strategy, marketing, production, factory management, and M&A.

Currently specializing in industrial affairs and standardization, Yann is a prominent voice in international energy policy. He holds several high-level mandates within the European energy sector, including:

• Deputy President of T&D Europe
• Chairman of the CEN-CENELEC Industry Advisory Forum (IAF)
• Sherpa of the EU Green Electricity System Alliance (High-Level Forum for Standardization)
• Vice-President of Afnor (Rational Production & Usage of Energy)
• Member of the IEA (SGAN 3DEN) and the European Commission’s SEEG (Smart Energy Expert Group)

Louis Hennequin, Sales Director for Europe leads Schneider Electric’s utility software sales teams. With 15 years of experience supporting utilities worldwide in their Digitalisation journey, Louis is passionate about energy related questions. Successfully unlocking the full economical, societal and geopolitical potential of energy projects is the objective that he always aims to keep in clear sight.

Ted is the Chief Product Officer at Bidgely, leading product strategy, innovation and AI-driven solutions to empower utilities worldwide. With 15+ years of experience scaling organizations and delivering enterprise-grade products, he combines a builder’s mindset with a strategic, data-driven approach. Ted is passionate about creating impactful customer experiences and driving measurable business outcomes.

Nipun leads strategy, growth and partnerships across the EMEA and APAC regions for Bidgely. With 20+ years of global experience managing P&L, consulting and business transformation, he combines a strategic, multicultural mindset with deep expertise in infrastructure and utilities.
He is always committed to building long-term client partnerships by driving measurable business impact.

Ian Dennis is the Director of Operational Performance at Cadent, the UKs largest Gas Distribution Company with 11 million customers.  Bringing over 20 years of experience in the energy industry.

He leads transformational and regulatory performance programmes and is shaping the future of operations.

His remint includes technology-driven transformation, strategic planning, and the development of commercial services.

This is alongside accountability for asset data, operational resilience and fleet and logistics operations across the UK.

Ian also plays a leading role in Cadent’s European partnerships for shared learning and innovation, renewing and developing MOUs with organisations such as Italgas and GRDF and representing Cadent in the pan European Gas Distributors for Sustainability (GD4S) group which is focused on developing a decarbonisation strategy and the evolving role of gas networks in delivering net zero.

Andrew Huckerby serves as Head of Gas Escape Management at Cadent, bringing extensive operational leadership experience across the organisation. He has led large teams across multiple networks, delivering major change programmes and driving improvements in customer satisfaction, operational efficiency, and regulatory performance.

His career includes senior roles in Gas Emergency and Repair operations and Investment Planning. He has contributed to award‑winning customer performance and helped develop new operating models and digital tools that reduce risk and enhance service delivery

Paolo Bergamo is the CEO and Chairman of OverIT, a global leading company in Field Service Management software.

He holds a PhD in Computer Engineering from the University of Ferrara and began his career at UCLA, working in the research group led by Leonard Kleinrock, widely known as the “Father of the Internet.”

In 2004, Paolo transitioned from academia to the startup world, joining Sendia, a mobile technology company focused on enabling enterprise applications on smartphones. Sendia was acquired by Salesforce in 2006, now one of the world’s leading software companies.

During his tenure at Salesforce, Paolo played a pivotal role in the design and evolution of several key products, with a strong focus on mobile innovation.

In 2008, Steve Jobs selected Paolo and his team to develop one of the first five applications launched on the original iPhone App Store.

In 2017, Paolo led the launch of Salesforce’s Field Service Management business unit, scaling it into a global market leader by 2020.

After nearly 20 years in California, Paolo returned to Italy in 2021 to become CEO of OverIT, with the ambition of transforming the company into a global SaaS player.

Paolo is also a Senior Advisor to Bain Capital, one of the most important private equity firms in the world.

Paul brings more than two decades of senior executive experience within the utilities sector, having led commercial operations, M&A transitions, and large-scale digital transformation programmes across Mercury NZ and Trustpower. He has held full P&L accountability, overseen complex technology and customer platform portfolios, and built high-performing teams through periods of significant organisational change.

His experience enables him to bridge commercial strategy with operational reality, ensuring digital investment delivers measurable performance improvement and long-term enterprise value.

He is currently Vice President of Sales, EMEA at Gentrack.