Archives Speakers TIS25

Andreas Schumacher is Chief Innovation Officer (CIO) at the VTU Group, an international specialist for plant planning and optimization in the life sciences and pharmaceutical sectors. With a doctorate in industrial engineering, he has extensive experience in the field of digitalization: He has been working on the digitalization of value creation for over ten years, which was also the subject of his doctorate. He began his career at Fraunhofer Austria, where he managed numerous digitalization projects for industrial companies.

Chief Innovation Officer (CIO), VTU Group

AI that inspires – immediately implementable. Patrick Ratheiser shows how artificial intelligence not only supports companies, but also creates real competitive advantages. He makes AI tangible: Not theory, but concrete strategies that have a direct impact. From over 250 keynotes, he knows what stumbling blocks await managers – and how to overcome them. His goal: to enable companies to use AI in a targeted manner, make processes more efficient and take advantage of opportunities before others do.

Founder of Leftshift One, Board Member AI Austria

Dr. Julian Raabe is a Partner at McKinsey & Company and leads the AI and Agentic work for customer interactions and operations. He works primarily with companies in the services industry to help them deliver unique customer outcomes and experiences while optimizing their channels and operations with AI and technology. He leads several McKinsey solutions, notably AVA (speech analytics) and Frontline.ai (AI-powered coaching and voice bots) in EMEA.

Partner, McKinsey & Company

Dominik Grafenhofer is responsible for AI and digitalization measures to comprehensively support the operational employees of Sales & Service at Telekom Deutschland. The customer experience in the triangle with efficiency and employee satisfaction always comes first. Before joining Telekom, he worked in consulting and advised large companies in the energy, finance, automotive and financial sectors, particularly on competition economics. To this day, he draws on his time in academia in Austria, France and Germany.

Vice President Lean & Digital Excellence, Deutsche Telekom

DI Dr. Klaus Gebeshuber is FH Professor for IT Security at FH JOANNEUM GmbH in Kapfenberg/Styria. He teaches IT security part-time on the IT & Mobile Security course. He specializes in network security, industrial security, security analyses and penetration tests. After studying electrical engineering/computer technology at the Vienna University of Technology, Dr. Gebeshuber worked for 15 years in the field of industrial software development and automation technology. He is the author of books (Hacking & Security, Exploit!) and holds numerous industry certifications in the fields of IT security, network security and penetration testing.

FH-Prof. for IT-Security, FH JOANNEUM

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