MEET OUR SPEAKERS

​Rania Toukebri is a project manager at Airbus Defense and Space with extensive experience in satellite design and verification. She's also a mentor in the Space4Women program initiated by the United Nations. Rania is a lecturer, delegate, and expert evaluator for various organizations and was the Regional Coordinator for Africa in the Space Generation Advisory Council. She's a TED speaker and was recognized as one of the Top 10 under 30 in the African space market in 2019. 𝗦𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲: Future of space technology 𝗦𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲: Space agencies and the private sector are currently planning several ambitious projects to explore the solar system as well as the other galaxies, others to solve urgent issues related to climate change, socio economic development, disaster management and security. All these projects rely on the technology that is still under development. This session will go through the most urgent missions and will start answering questions related to the needed instruments and strategies.

Alongside her 'side job' as an advisor/consultant, Dr. Hajar is a Senior Director and a member of the Executive Board at NTTData Switzerland. She has been in the IT industry for over 18 years. A proven executive with global experience, she serves as a client leader and change agent. Dr. Hajar’s passion lies in creating inclusive and empathetic work environments where people are encouraged & supported to be the best they can be, embracing their most authentic selves. She was granted the Business Leader Award for Best All-round Female in IT in Europe and the Global Influencer Leader Award. Having experienced the power of recognizing authentic behavior firsthand, she wanted to ensure she paid it forward and gave other women the chance to experience it as well. She is a board member of a Swiss leader, a member of the Advisory Board of MOD-ELLE, and also a member of the Advisory Council of the WINconference. 𝗦𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲: Culture, transformation, Tech and the Future: A Leader's Sweet Spot 𝗦𝘆𝗻𝗼𝗽𝘀𝗶𝘀: Most major change initiatives—whether intended to boost quality, improve culture, or reverse a corporate death spiral—generate only lukewarm results. Many fail miserably. Why? Too many managers don’t realize that transformation is a process, not an event. It advances through stages that build on each other, and it takes years. Pressured to accelerate the process, managers often skip stages. However, shortcuts never work. Guiding change may be the ultimate test of a leader—no business survives over the long term if it can’t reinvent itself. Yet, due to human nature, fundamental change is often resisted vehemently by the people it affects most: those in the trenches of the business. Thus, leading change is both essential and incredibly difficult.

Brian leads innovation for Accenture's Communications and Media Industry globally with a focus on the metaverse, Web3 and the future of the internet. He has a passion for technology since receiving his first computer, an Atari 520ST, as a 5 year old and loves that he gets to combine this with solving for human needs, working with clients to ignite change in The Dock, Accenture’s global R&D and Innovation centre in Dublin, which he helped set up in 2016. Brian has extensive international experience and over the past 15 years has helped leading organisations to expand globally, accelerate product development cycles and embed a culture of innovation and is a recognised thought leader with media appearances on CNBC, CNN, Euronews, Al Jazeera and RTE. Outside of Accenture, Brian served as Irish President of Junior Chamber International, the worldwide leadership development organisation and sits on the Governing Authority of his alma mater, Dublin City University. 𝗦𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲: Hype vs Reality: Gen AI and Metaverse 𝗦𝘆𝗻𝗼𝗽𝘀𝗶𝘀: In this thought-provoking presentation, Brian Smyth, Managing Director and Global Comms, Media, and Technology Innovation Lead at Accenture, will deep dive into the realm of Gen AI and the Metaverse separating fact from fiction and will bring to life real examples that create value for businesses and consumers today. Brian will delve into the heart of these ground-breaking technologies, looking beyond the hype cycle and noise in the market at the implications for how we live our lives and how we work today. He will also address some of the most difficult questions (Is the metaverse dead? Will generative AI take my job?) and will share his perspective on how we can all embrace a Tech + Human future to build a better society for all. This session is designed to be electrifying discussion that will challenge your preconceptions and ignite your imagination.

Antonis Kocheilas is the Global CEO of Ogilvy Advertising. In this role, he is serving on the executive leadership team of Ogilvy WW with the sole responsibility to harness Ogilvy's capabilities in branding, advertising, and content creation for the growth of brands and businesses under Ogilvy’s stewardship. Throughout his career, Antonis has worked to foster cultures on both the client and agency side where creativity flourishes and is directed to drive demonstrably better business results. He has seen the effectiveness of this approach through the work that has done with a range of global companies including SC Johnson, Mondelēz, PepsiCo, Unilever, Constellation Brands, CDW, and Pernod Ricard among others. He is a strategist by trade and during his tenure at Ogilvy, led the global Brand Strategy Community, bringing together a diverse team of strategists to successfully shape the future of some of the most valuable brands in the world. 𝗦𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲: 9 Habits of the Marketer of the future 𝗦𝘆𝗻𝗼𝗽𝘀𝗶𝘀: The future is now and it demands us to think differently. Hear from Antonis Kocheilas, Global CEO, Ogilvy Advertising on the 9 Habits of the Marketer of the Future, including: Why we must reappraise strategy as a mindset and a point of departure. Why in the future, creativity will be the only sustainable business advantage. Why experimentation will be the only safe avenue to growth.

Patricia works as IBM Consulting Spatial Computing and Metaverse Lead at IBM. She has been working and leading a Spanish team on the design and development of digital and immersive experiences for 5 years and also, is the co-founder of Big Girls Theory, a community that wants to promote the role of women in technology and share our passion for it. XR enthusiast and Unity certified, Patricia is passionate about 3D Design, sharing industry insights and XR experiments in social media and trying to evangelize people across industries about the benefits and applications of extended reality. 𝗦𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲: Spatial, the new frontier of experience 𝗦𝘆𝗻𝗼𝗽𝘀𝗶𝘀: During the last years we have seen how new technologies such as generative ai, metaverse and extended reality have redefined our expectations for user experiences. We will talk about how to design for these new experiences and how to leverage enterprise-ready platforms for their development.

A former professional athlete turned physical engineer, driven by a deep passion for both hardware technologies and sportswear innovation, embarked on a journey that melded his expertise and enthusiasm. In 2018, he ventured into entrepreneurship, founding his first wearable startup. Over the course of more than five years, he assumed the role of a technology consultant, overseeing the development of over 15 intelligent garment projects related to bio-monitoring for various companies. In 2021, he launched his second startup, H-Cube with a wealth of knowledge and experience accumulated over the years. His new venture is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of smart clothing technology, with a particular emphasis on advancing athletic injury prevention. 𝗦𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲: Can Smart Clothing Transform Us into Modern-Day Superheroes? 𝗦𝘆𝗻𝗼𝗽𝘀𝗶𝘀: Designed for protection from the external elements and keeping us warm, clothes have evolved into a powerful medium for expressing our social identity. Now, a new feature is ready to be woven into the fabric of our garments, one that might just transform us into Modern-Day Superheroes? The exponential growth of technology seems to tell us Yes, as it is finding more and more application in the smart clothing industry. In just decade we'll take these technological wonders for granted, Can we truly trust such projections? The truth is, the path to widespread adoption of this technology is deeply intricate and challenging. Yet, history has shown that every major revolution is only a vision before someone works on it to make it happen, and that is exactly what H-Cube tirelessly pursuing each day.

Charlotte leads Global Product Marketing within Generative AI at Booking.com. Charlotte and her team recently developed and launched Booking.com's AI Trip Planner to help make it even easier for travelers to discover their next trip and personalise their trip experience. Prior to joining Booking.com, Charlotte worked across the banking and FMCG industries with a focus on new product development and end-to-end brand and marketing strategies. Originally from New Zealand, Charlotte now lives in Amsterdam. 𝗦𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲: Personalising your next trip with AI at Booking.com 𝗦𝘆𝗻𝗼𝗽𝘀𝗶𝘀: Travel is an industry that is often singled out as being vulnerable to disruption. In this session, Charlotte will share how Booking.com have flipped that on it’s head by integrated Generative AI into their products to increase personalisation and engagement. She will address: •Focusing on personalisation and ‘building a connected trip’. •Training LLM’s on first party data to provide a differentiation in experience. •Developing effective security and risk management protocols to avoid data leakage. •Creating guardrails, and leveraging disclaimers, to limit the impact of incorrect information. •Enhancing customer experience through a focus on UX and CX design.

𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐌𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫: Octavian Palade is the Video SEO Manager for Upswing, the most innovative SEO agency in Romania. A former journalist, with almost 13 years of experience in writing about innovation, business and startups, Octavian is also the host of a radio show about technology, broadcasted at TANANANA Radio. Passionate about all things tech, he follows the industry closely, keeping a keen eye on the advancements of AI and its uses in the fields of digital marketing & business transformation.