Agenda

June 2, 2026
09:00 - 09:45
Opening and Registration
10:00 - 10:15
Official Welcome to the ATS
10:20 - 10:40
Quo Vadis AI?
Johann Strauss, CTO AI Solutions at Dell and responsible for the European Union AI ecosystem, will explore why AI is the “new Internet” moving at four times the speed – and why efficiency alone is no longer a competitive advantage. We will discuss AI as a component of digital transformation, why "unsteered AI" doesn’t fail loudly but succeeds quietly in the wrong direction, and how to build an ecosystem approach instead of betting on a single vendor. From “Terminator” fears to “Wall-E” fantasies, he will separate hype from reality, showing how agentic AI and digital twins are already transforming enterprises of all sizes. C level leaders will leave with a clearer view of where to apply AI first – and where not to.
JohannStrauss (Dell Technologies)
AI in Strategy - from Slides to Apps
Actual products of AI used in Strategy and Strategic Intelligence: From the "Gardens of Intelligence" principle, to Deep Research Agents for Competitive Intelligence to World Energy Models first crops of the new AI wave were harvested. Gardens of Intelligence: Unification of strategic relevant data and insights Deep Research Agents: Competitive Intelligence automated across (50k pages evaluated and summarized according to a 15x39 matrix of values of the current year and proclaimed targets values out of text) World Energy Model: Universe 3D App out of a World Energy Model depicting 6k variables
Marc-JoëlFortelny (OMV)
10:20 - 11:00
The AI era is here. Here's the history, the reality, and why you still matter.
A grounded, practitioner's view of where AI genuinely stands today. Eric maps the current pace of AI autonomy and what it already means for you, giving every participant a concrete next step based on their current level of AI fluency.
EricDubern (GE Healthcare)
10:40 - 11:00
Engineering the Future: Harnessing the Power of AI to drive Business Growth
Best practices for integrating AI capabilities into business operations
EvePsalti (Microsoft)
If you are not an AI-native organization, you can become AI-first. The AI transformation Playbook.
Most organizations aren't AI-native. But they can become AI-first by building a system, not just buying tools. This talk shares a practical playbook for diagnosing real adoption levels, selecting your first agents based on feasibility rather than hype, and turning AI transformation from a one-off initiative into repeatable infrastructure
NataliaAndrievskaya (Zalando)
Building up an Agentic Organisation
How to create an agentic organisation, how to balance short-time use cases and strategic transformation whilst delivering tangible business value
ChristianGondek (thyssenkrupp)
11:00 - 11:20
Coffee & Networking
11:20 - 11:40
The Art of Transformation - Why Strategy, Narrative, and Culture Must Move as One
How ready is your organization for what comes next? Most leadership teams have an AI strategy. Far fewer have answered the harder question: what happens when the strategy meets the organization — and the organization isn't ready to carry it? In this session, Oktay Tannert-Yaldiz — Founder of REFRAMICA and a leader with 15+ years navigating organizational change from both sides: as Managing Director driving transformation from within, keeping organizations future-ready through strategy, communication, and cultural activation — and as a trusted advisor guiding clients through their own strategic and cultural shifts. You will leave with a clear framework for where AI transformations break down, what to do in the critical first 90 days, and how to build the internal narrative that turns a strategy document into an organization that actually moves.
OktayTannert-Yaldiz (REFRAMICA)
Beyond Tools and Agents: AI as the Operating System
FelixSchlenther (AI First)
Reimagining Power: The C-Suite in the Age of AI
AI is rapidly improving and already capable of performing many cognitive and office-related tasks, which will significantly impact jobs, including management roles. However, there is very little perspective on how this AI-led transformation will impact the C-Level. The presentation will focus on the hypothesis that four key human skills will remain essential for managers: Understanding AI (AI literacy), defining organizational purpose, making human-centered hiring decisions, and exercising judgment in uncertain or unlikely scenarios. These capabilities are considered crucial because they rely on human reasoning, values, and intuition that AI cannot fully replicate (yet).
Burkhardvon Spreckelsen (Elmos)
11:20 - 12:00
Digital Procurement: Why Technology Is the Easy Part
AI and automation promise quick wins—but the real challenge lies within the organization. In this session, we go beyond theory and share real use cases in practice. Explore where automation truly creates value, build a digitally ready organization, and why change management and mindset shifts ultimately determine success or failure.
PeterTasev (Deutsche Telekom)ElisabethBackes (Deutsche Telekom)
11:20 - 11:40
From Chaos to Capability: Building an AI Upskilling Strategy for 8,000 People at Zero Cost
In mid-2024, most organisations were drowning in AI ambition and short on execution. Competing priorities, fragmented workforces, and shrinking budgets made meaningful AI adoption feel impossible — especially at scale. This session tells the story of how a global People team cut through the noise and turned ambiguity into a structured, business-aligned AI capability strategy — reaching over 8,000 employees across Europe, the US, and ANZ without a single euro of incremental budget. Jessica Kafka will walk through the real roadmap behind HelloFresh's "Own Your Growth, Share Your Recipe" programme — from diagnosing a fragmented learner landscape, to securing a landmark Google partnership, to embedding AI adoption directly into the company's efficiency agenda rather than running it as a parallel initiative. The key insight: AI upskilling only works when it is owned by the business, not the L&D function. This session gives People and business leaders a practical framework for doing exactly that.
JessicaKafka (HelloFresh)
11:40 - 12:00
Beyond the Black Box: Bringing Legal Reasoning to AI
Generative AI is a powerhouse for creativity, but where precision is non-negotiable—such as Law and Compliance—probabilistic answers are simply not good enough. In this session, serial entrepreneur Till Behnke introduces a paradigm shift. You will discover how the Rulemapping method (recognized as a breakthrough innovation by SPRIND) moves beyond the "black box" of LLMs by utilizing a structured legal reasoning architecture. Learn how a rule-based approach makes sure that AI that doesn't just predict the next word, but actually follows legal logic—delivering transparent, verifiable, and hallucination-free decisions for even the most sensitive regulatory environments.
TillBehnke (Rulemapping Group)
Unlocking Technical Asset Data with GenAI Agents
Discover how Deutsche Bahn applies GenAI agents to make complex technical asset and maintenance data accessible through natural-language interaction. The session shows how engineering and operations teams can move faster from fragmented data to actionable insights: improving decision-making, transparency, and efficiency across asset management processes at enterprise scale
Dr. KonstantinJonas (Deutsche Bahn)
Process Intelligence - Global Scaling of AI Impact
Scaling AI in a global organization takes more than ambition—it requires the right structures. Drawing on insights from the copper production value chain, this session shows how end-to-end process management anchors, accelerates, and sustains digital transformation at scale.
Maj-BrittPohlmann (Aurubis)
12:00 - 12:20
From Idea to First Live Call in Under 3 Weeks: How Sky Scaled Proactive Voice AI Across Hundreds of Thousands of Calls
Inbound voice automation is everywhere. Proactive Voice AI at enterprise scale is not, yet that's where the real growth lies. Sky, Europe's leading entertainment and telecom company, went from concept to first live call in under three weeks and now runs proactive AI-driven conversations across customer care and sales unlocking touchpoints that simply weren't possible to tackle before. Michael Resch (Director Service Excellence) and Jeton Gashi (Head of Commercial Program & Sales Support) share the rollout playbook, the business impact, and a live demo plus how to guide employees and other stakeholders to AI adoption at scale.
PhilippBaumanns (Telli)JetonGashi (Sky Deutschland)MichaelResch (Sky Deutschland)
3 key elements to deliver ROI from AI intiatives
I would start by concrete examples of 3 AI projects scaled in 20+ countries with proven ROI in Pernod Ricard : • A tool for marketer to optimized the Adverstising spend by type of activity (TV, Socila Media, Displays in store, …) • An engine recommending every Monday morning the 25 outlets to visit, and in each recommendation of actions (list a new product, check a promotion, … • A promotion optimization app (is it better to give 3€ discount on 2 bottles of 70c Absolut, or 2€ on a liter bottle ?) 1. The 5 forgotten components of successfully deploying AI at scale internationally In a nutshell: Starting with a clear expected ROI, why strong executive sponsorship is also key.. Development of internal data and AI capabilities (rather than reliance on external vendors). Balance between global standardization and local adaptation, and a phased test-and-learn approach before full industrialization. 2. Success of your AI program will depend on adoption, because no adoption means no ROI In a nutshell: ROI is significantly amplified by organizational adoption. When AI tools are embedded into core processes, supported by leadership and linked to performance incentives, usage rates rise materially. Conversely, without cultural buy-in and business ownership, even high-performing AI solutions capture only a fraction of their potential value. Digging this topic, I realized that a strong adoption from executives often relies on 2 dimentions : early involvement of future emabssadors … and an optimized UI.
Pierre-YvesCalloc’h (Pernod Ricard)
Cyber Security in the Era of AI
Cyber-security in the era of AI is a double-edged sword: machine-learning models now generate convincing spear-phishing, deepfakes, and self-mutating malware, yet the same techniques power real-time anomaly detection and autonomous incident response. But attackers also exploit vulnerabilities in models through prompt injection, data poisoning, and model inversion. In this session we will talk about how to mitigate these risks with e.g. robust model governance and secure ML pipelines and how AI-driven defense mechanisms, including behavioral analytics and automated threat detection, can outpace traditional security approaches.
EduardSinger (KI-Bundesverband)
Authenticity & Uniqueness in the Age of AI
In a world where AI writes faster than we think, originality is quietly at risk. This session explores how convenience can erode authenticity—and why a unique human voice still matters. We will take a look at how to use AI without losing what makes communication truly compelling.
KathleenBurzycki (Henkel Consumer Goods Adhesives)
12:20 - 14:00
Lunch & Networking
14:00 - 14:20
The Future of CX in an AI world, Or: How to achieve 80%+ automation and increase customer happiness?
This session will focus on the significant transformation of Customer Experience through AI. We will discuss how organizations can achieve 80%+ automation while increasing customer happiness at the same time. We will look at implication for your CX landscape as well as the evolution of CX roles. We will end with an outlook on CX if AI takes over.
MatthiasGoehler (Zendesk)
14:00 - 14:40
Data to impact: how AI will help procurement to increase its impact
This panel discussion will focus on how procurement can use AI to accelerate its impact by using its access to data, what are key use cases and where to start.
AlejandroBasterrechea (Zalando)
14:00 - 14:20
Cautious by Design: Germany’s AI Paradox
You’ve all built and deployed AI systems. You know the difference between a roadmap PDF and something actually running in production. Germany was early on AI — but it was not fast. A cautious investment culture, slow industry adoption, and a widespread view in established sectors that existing ways of doing business didn’t need to change have held it back.
AatrayeAlmast-Gentzcke (BioNTech)
Not so innocuous - shadow AI
A high level overview what happens when teams use seemingly innocuous applications that sit between you and your preferred LLM provider, and a look at how WPP are mitigating the risk of shadow AI by providing a safe platform for our teams to access vetted models.
AshleyHazle (WPP Production)
The revolution of intent based robotics
Why has AI not arrived on the shopfloor yet? Because machines and processes still run in silos and there is no agnostic distribution layer connecting AI applications to physical machines. By implementing such a layer we not only enable to Physical AI, we also solve one of the most demanding challenges in today‘s operations. We make programming robots and machines a breeze by simply giving them the intention - that is, the goal - and letting the AI handle the rest. This makes automation incredibly simple and cost-effective.
Dr. ChristianLiedtke (KUKA)
14:20 - 14:40
Building the AI workplace at REWE Group: Insights from the Engine room of AI Adoption.
In this masterclass we‘ll share hands-on insights on how we translated our AI strategy into Action within our workplace AI product at REWE Group, enabling 20.000 colleagues to use AI everyday, and how the need for AI Adoption is transforming the role of IT in that context.
FabioBaerwald (REWE digital)
600 to 6000: How trivago is Building a 10x Workforce
trivago’s CTO, Ioannis Papadopoulos, will share how the company is using AI as a multiplier and equaliser to transform its operations. The core idea is that achieving a 10x impact does not come from completing tasks more quickly, but from enabling individuals to perform more of the uniquely human activities that generate value, such as building, orchestrating, connecting and navigating complexity. The session will focus on how trivago is transitioning from AI experimentation to practical workflow transformation with the aim of enabling 600 employees to achieve the output of 6,000.
IoannisPapadopoulos (trivago)
From AI Use to AI Risk Control: Securing Intelligent Systems in Practice
This session shows how to systematically identify and manage security risks in modern AI applications, from LLMs to autonomous agents. You’ll learn how threats such as prompt injection, data leakage, and agent misuse emerge across the full AI lifecycle, and how to mitigate them in practice. Leave with concrete approaches to secure your AI stack – spanning data, models, tools, and workflows – and ensure safe, reliable deployment in real-world business environments.
MirkoKnaak (IAV)
Virtual mobile assistants in banking - How Raiffeisen Bank International is transforming customer interaction
How a legacy CEE bank is tackling AI transformation at scale in 11 countries via virtual mobile assistants.
MathiasFanschek (Raiffeisen Bank International)
14:40 - 15:00
Coffee & Networking
15:00 - 15:20
AI for Procurement: Building a Scalable AI Analytics Agent for Supplier & Negotiation Insights
How procurement teams can build the technical and data foundations for an AI analytics agent that enhances supplier analysis, identifies negotiation potential, and strengthens preparation. Drawing on a production AI system used in real procurement contexts, this session explores how internal and external data can be combined, how to create a lean but reliable data basis, and what it takes to scale a grounded AI use case in a controlled and decision-ready way.
Dr. ChristianHaase (Libri)
Language, Lies, and Agency: What the Cognitive Revolution Teaches Us About Enterprise AI
Enterprise AI adoption is stuck - not because models aren't capable enough, but because organizations are solving the wrong problem. This talk argues that the real barriers are structural: a Context Gap (enterprise knowledge is organized for humans, not machines) and an Agency Gap (the role of human judgment in AI-augmented systems remains undefined). LLMs and frontier AI systems are built on human language - and inherit the full spectrum of human cognition, including its failure modes. AI confabulates the way humans do. Agents game safety guardrails under metric pressure like employees game KPIs. Multi-agent systems drift toward consensus over truth, mirroring organizational groupthink. These aren't bugs - they're structural properties of systems built on human cognitive patterns. Drawing on cognitive science and real-world enterprise AI deployments at SAP, this talk offers a framework for closing both gaps - and an honest look at what language models alone cannot solve.
FlorianKunzke (SAP)
Scale AI in regulated enterprises to drive measurable outcomes
Most organizations are experimenting with AI, but few are scaling it across core business processes. In regulated industries such as financial services, real impact requires more than pilots, it demands modern data foundations, governance by design, and deep AI engineering expertise. This session will explore how leading organizations are operationalizing AI - including agentic AI across roles and mission-critical workflows, such as Know Your Customer (KYC), using modern data platforms and governance by design to drive measurable business outcomes.
MikQuinlan (EPAM)
From Pilot to Implementation: Real Impact in a Global AI Rollout Across a Regulated Quality Organisation
Most AI initiatives prove the concept. Few survive contact with the real organisation. This masterclass shares the live story of taking AI from business case to global rollout across four regions in 12 months, inside a process where compliance, accountability, and patient safety are non-negotiable. Presented from the middle of an active go-live, with time to exchange, challenge, and connect.
Marie-KathrinWartmann (Olympus)
15:20 - 15:40
From Pilot Hell to Impact at Scale: AI in 2026
- Pitfalls in AI transformation - Success criteria to generate economic and organizational impact
PaulRupprecht (Merantix Momentum)
Why AI Scaling Fails Without Organizational Intelligence
Many companies are investing heavily in AI but struggle to move beyond pilots into real impact. This session argues that the bottleneck is not technology, but missing organizational intelligence. AI systems – especially agents – require context, experience and decision logic to operate effectively. Sebastian Walker will show why scaling AI means more than deploying models, and what structures companies need to build to turn fragmented knowledge into actionable intelligence. Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of why many AI initiatives stall – and what needs to change to make AI work at scale.
SebastianWalker (Omnora)
Managing Director CIO - AI & Data
As AI agents evolve from code assistants to autonomous SDLC orchestrators, the missing piece is an agent harness—a governance runtime that scales autonomy without eroding trust. Drawing from Wells Fargo-scale deployments, I'll share how to architect risk-tiered multi-agent systems with replayable decisions, deterministic tool execution, and compliance baked in, cutting human oversight 40% while holding 99.9% audit readiness.
Disrupting your marketing and team with AI.
Triggering ideas, seeding the plant for your future marketing organization, as well as your marketing playbook which needs to be adapted. How to manage more creative output with less people and less budget?
VolkerHarbrecht (Meta)
15:40 - 16:00
AI Funding in Germany
Trends and Stats across AI Funding in Germany, comparison to other geos (France/UK), where is the application layer heading etc.
JenniferBemert (XAnge)
"Why AI Transformations Fail Before They Start — Stop Piloting. Start Scaling"
The Practitioner's Playbook for AI That Actually Delivers Business Value How to prioritize the right bets, read your AI readiness honestly, and build the operating model that makes AI stick
AndreCremers (Bayer)
The Agentic Leap: Scaling Value in the Era of Autonomous Intelligence
Stop wasting budget on AI "Innovation Theater" and start building for the P&L. This session reveals how to leap from simple assistants to autonomous Agentic Workflows that execute for days, not minutes. You’ll leave with a blueprint for strategic delegation, a digital immune system for real-time compliance, and the architectural foundation to turn agentic AI into a material competitive advantage.
Dr. JochenKokemüller (Bosch)
Sovereignty in Complexity: Scaling Industrial AI for Critical Environments
This session shows why the standard AI playbook is insufficient for companies in high-stakes, complex environments. You’ll leave with a clear framework to build organizational "complexity competence," a strategic approach to maintaining data sovereignty, and a roadmap for scaling mission-critical AI on Europe’s largest sovereign cloud infrastructure.
PaulLiebrecht (T-Systems International)
16:00 - 16:20
Coffee Break and Networking
16:20 - 16:40
Why AI Transformation fails
How to my from AI experimentation to Ai transformation that matters.
LisaBjörnberg (Hubspot)
Beyond the Model: Building Organizational Capability for AI-Enabled Medical Devices
Achieving high model accuracy is often the easiest part of the journey. The real challenge lies in transitioning a research-grade model into a regulated, AI-enabled medical device. I will share how we streamlined R&D by centralizing data assets and building cross-functional infrastructure to bridge the gap between data science, IT, regulatory, and medical teams. Industrializing our data processes and fostering deep internal collaboration allows us to move beyond standalone ML models to deliver genuine clinical utility and insights that integrate seamlessly into patient care.
FelixBrockherde (Fresenius Medical Care)
16:20 - 17:00
TBD - Agentic AI Transformation
TBD
Edouardde Mezerac (Artefact)HélèneDore (L'Oréal)
16:20 - 16:40
From Legacy to Intelligent Logistics: TFG Transfracht’s Journey to Power Container Logistics with Low-Code and Agentic AI
TFG Transfracht is shaping the digital future of container logistics with its proprietary Albatros Management System, replacing the company's legacy central Transport Management System. Leveraging low-code technologies and Agentic AI powered by Workato, TFG automates and integrates order management, dispatching, and transport operations, building a flexible and sustainable IT landscape. With Workato's AI capabilities, TFG is moving beyond rule-based automation toward intelligent, autonomous decision-making across its logistics workflows, from AI-driven exception handling and predictive process orchestration to autonomous data routing across ports, rail operators, customs authorities, and freight partners.
AustinCowan (Workato)GuidoNiermann (DB Intermodal Services)
17:00 - 17:20
Overcoming the essential challenges to scale (Gen)AI
Everyone is talking about GenAI. Few are scaling it into real value. In this talk, we explore the five paradoxes that define the next chapter of AI adoption: the more polished the answer, the more average it can become; the more AI enables outcomes, the less ownership feels clear; the faster innovation moves, the harder systems and markets can absorb it; the more data AI consumes, the more human agency is at risk; and the more leaders want better decisions, the more legacy decision processes must be redesigned. Grounded in current market signals and practical transformation insight, this session gives AI leaders a memorable framework for moving beyond hype and building AI that delivers conviction, accountability, and value creation
AmaryllisLiampoti (BCG X)
The New Change Equation: Humans, Agents, and the Leaders Who Bridge Them
When your workforce includes agents that act without being asked, everything you know about leading change needs an upgrade. This masterclass challenges executives to rethink three foundational assumptions of enterprise leadership - The hierarchy assumption, The change recipient assumption., The control assumption.Drawing on real-world experience building and scaling an AI ecosystem in a European media context, and developing executive-level AI governance frameworks, this session moves beyond theory to give participants a practical new mental model for leading in the agentic era.
DeepakAlse (ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE)
How to optimize your online presence in the LLM era
Your buyers are asking ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini for recommendations - is your brand showing up? We will walk you through the practical playbook for optimizing your online presence in the LLM era: what's changed, what still works, and what you need to do differently to win organic visibility in 2025 and beyond.
MatGolubović (Omnius)
17:30 - 17:50
From AI Hype to Real Impact: How contextual AI is supporting MANN+HUMMEL's inventory strategy
ManuelHaug (Celonis)Jean-MarcErieau (MANN+HUMMEL)
From Reactive to Proactive: How AI is Transforming B2B Wholesale Sales
Wholesale distribution — an industry responsible for 1 in 5 dollars of global production — is under pressure: shrinking margins, labour shortages, and outdated software. Yet most distributors are sitting on a goldmine of untapped ERP data. In this session, Benedikt Nolte (Co-Founder & CEO, Plato) and a customer from the distribution industry share how AI is shifting sales teams from reactive order-takers to proactive, data-driven sellers — with concrete use cases in churn detection, cross-selling, automated quoting, and ERP workflow automation. Attendees leave with a practical framework for where AI creates immediate ROI in B2B sales.
BenediktNolte (Plato)MuratYücel (Meesenburg)TimoBurkat (Meesenburg)
Traffic Signals: Navigating AI Transformation in the Real World
AI transformation doesn't fail because of a lack of ideas. It slows down because people can’t tell what’s actually working. It is surprisingly easy to mistake motion for progress and activity for impact. This talk focuses on the signals that matter. What does a “green light” really look like in an organization? And what are the signs that things are quietly heading in the wrong direction, even when everything looks busy? It shows how to decide when to move faster or slow down, and when to change direction, because by the time everyone agrees, you are usually already standing still.
ImaiJen-La Plante (Yettel Srbija)
Grounding AI: Ecological, European, Responsible
AI is frequently criticized for its environmental footprint and its effects on mental health and society. In this session, we will explore practical strategies to mitigate these impacts.
WolfgangOels (Ecosia)
17:50 - 18:10
AI Doesn't Scale. Momentum Does. How Vodafone Intelligent Solutions (VOIS) Turned Experimentation into Enterprise Adoption.
When AI first shows up inside a business, it doesn't create scale. It creates activity. Everyone experiments: different tools, different ideas, a lot of motion, but very little that actually sticks. At Vodafone Intelligent Solutions (VOIS), what changed wasn't the technology. It was how we approached the work. We stopped thinking about AI as something to layer onto existing processes and started using it to rethink work right to left, focused on outcomes. We made it real early with outputs, not slides. We put subject matter experts into the build, not on the sidelines. And we created high-intensity moments in our Agentic Reinvention Lab where people could see how work actually changes. That's when it shifted. From isolated experimentation to something the business started pulling towards itself. This isn't a story about deploying AI. It's about what it takes to build momentum around reinvention, and why, once that momentum exists, scale follows.
AustinCowan (Workato)NatalieLonghurst (VOIS)
Putting AI in Retail: Kaufland's Strategy for AI-Driven Process Optimization
AI strategy must move beyond a single tool, requiring a flexible mix of Enterprise IT and Self-Service solutions like Gemini. This technological breadth needs to be paired with upskilling employees from Data Users to Data Analysts for successful adoption.
Dr. SimonFink (Kaufland)
GEO: The New Reality of Discovery
Search is changing fundamentally. Traditional SEO strategies are losing relevance as generative AI systems increasingly become the interface between brands and users. Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) reflects this new reality of how information is discovered online. In her Keynote Stefanie Söhnchen, VP Strategy / Lead Digital PIABO Communications, explains how startups and companies can adapt their visibility strategies for the age of AI-driven discovery. She explores how generative search works, how brands can remain visible in AI-generated answers, and what this means for content, authority, and digital communication. A practical session for founders, marketers, and product teams who want to understand how discovery, visibility, and brand relevance are evolving in the era of generative AI.
StefanieSöhnchen (PIABO)
19:00 - 20:30
VIP Cocktail
20:30 - 23:00
VIP Dinner + Afterparty