Speaker

Dr. Mariagrazia Squicciarini is Head of the Executive Office in the Social and Human Sciences (SHS) Division of UNESCO, where she supports the Deputy Director-General and assists the Division in fulfilling its mandate. She also serves as the SHS focal point for the G7 and G20 and leads research and policy-relevant work related to the ethics of science and new technologies – in particular artificial intelligence and neurotechnology, inclusion, anti-racism and gender. In the past, she has led and contributed to policy-relevant analysis on the changing determinants of growth and productivity, the economics of intellectual property rights, knowledge-based capital, global value chains, artificial intelligence, job and skills dynamics, digital transformation and the gender gap.
Mariagrazia holds a PhD in economics from the University of Essex (UK) and worked as a senior economist in the OECD’s Directorate for Science, Technology and Innovation before joining UNESCO. She has published widely and serves as a reviewer for international journals and governments.

Head of the Executive Office in the Social and Human Sciences Division (SHS), UNESCO

Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg was Federal Minister of Economics and Technology and Federal Minister of Defense. He is Chairman of Spitzberg Partners LLC, a strategic management consultancy and
investment firm. Freiherr zu Guttenberg holds board and advisory board positions in international companies and associations. He is a producer, host and presenter of various media formats and author of numerous publications. Since 2023, he can be heard on the weekly “Germany Podcast” with Gregor Gysi.

Chairman, Spitzberg Partners LLC

With many years of management experience in business development and IT consulting, Alexander Liebl moves confidently between IT, the digitalization of business processes and business solutions. His focus is on the practical use of artificial intelligence – where it creates real added value in interaction with people. He combines technical understanding with a clear view of organizational reality. His approach: no buzzwords, but tangible results with a lasting impact.

Director Business Consulting, ACP

George Wallner has been Head of Division and Managing Director of Post Business Solutions, a wholly owned subsidiary of Österreichische Post AG with around 500 employees, since 2021. The company stands for intelligent automation of document-intensive business processes and offers digital and physical business process outsourcing (BPO) solutions for business customers.

Managing Director, Post Business Solutions

Andreas Windisch is a theoretical physicist, AI strategist and keynote speaker who combines science, politics and society. As a recipient of Austria’s highest academic honor (sub auspiciis praesidentis rei publicae), he combines analytical depth with practical experience. He heads a research department at JOANNEUM RESEARCH and is Chief Science Officer of AI Austria, where he helps shape the national and European AI strategy. His unusual path led him through service as a paratrooper, a PhD in theoretical particle physics and a US pilot’s license. Andreas talks about artificial intelligence, resilience and technology ethics – clearly, empathetically and well-founded. He makes complex topics not only accessible, but meaningful.

Head of Research Group, JOANNEUM RESEARCH, AI Austria

Elisabeth L’Orange is a partner for AI at Deloitte and host of the tech podcast Tech & Tales. Previously, Elisabeth co-founded the Hamburg-based AI startup Oxolo in 2020, a pioneer in AI video production with 600,000 users and €13 million in funding. Before founding Oxolo, Elisabeth worked as a VC and CFO and was recognized by Manager Magazin as one of the 15 leading women in the field of AI in Germany. Elisabeth received the FAZ Innovation Award, the KPMG Venture Award and was included in the W&V 100. OMR named her one of the 50 leading minds in the digital industry.

Partner for AI at Deloitte and host of the tech podcast Tech & Tales

Dr. Patrick Wollner, Associate Partner at McKinsey & Company, is an expert in AI and human-centered design. He completed his PhD and research on machine learning and user experience at the University of Cambridge and founded a fintech startup providing financial solutions for real estate equity release. Previously, he was an advisor to the European Commission under the Horizon 2020 program and has many years of experience as an entrepreneur, researcher and strategy consultant in the field of Digital Product Strategy & Adoption.

Associate Partner, McKinsey & Company

Dr. Dr. Georg Schneider is Dean of the SOWI Faculty at the University of Graz. After completing his doctorates in mathematics and business administration at the University of Vienna – both sub auspiciis – and a research stay at Stanford University, he was appointed to a W3 professorship at the University of Paderborn in 2007 – at the age of 27 as one of the youngest professors in Germany. He has been working at the University of Graz since 2015. He has received further appointments from the University of Mannheim, the University of Bern and WU Vienna.

In his research, he deals with the remuneration of managers, sustainability reporting, digitalization in accounting and international accounting issues.

Dean of the SOWI Faculty University of Graz

Stefan Tauber is a lawyer and public procurement expert at Schiefer Rechtsanwälte. In addition to advising the public sector in the field of public procurement law, his area of activity includes specialist lectures and publications. He specializes in forward-looking digitization projects for his clients and within the firm.

Lawyer and procurement expert | Kanzlei Schiefer Rechtsanwälte