Horváth AI & Data Convention
Speakers
Mohamed Abdel Hadi
CTO BTP & VP Customer Advisory Group MEE
SAP Deutschland SE & Co. KG
As a Vice President & CTO for Platform and Technologies in the Region Middle and Eastern Europe (MEE), Mohamed Abdel Hadi (Mo) is responsible for the entire Cloud Technology Portfolio (BTP). A pioneer in the Technology Industry, Mo has been with SAP for over 17 years in different management positions with a focus on cloud transformation his entire career. Mo provides strong technical, market and customer-oriented vision for technology products and technology driven projects. As a leader, his focus is to deliver best in class technology solutions to customers and strengthen SAP’s position in the converging markets for platform and technology.
Mo speaks or moderates frequently on top industry and technology events about Digital Transformation and how our SAP Business Technology Platform can help customers to innovate and extend their investments in the cloud.
Andreas Funk
Editorial Director
Springer Nature | Springer Gabler
Andreas Funk has been serving as Managing Director at Springer Nature, where he leads the organization with strategic vision. Since 2012, he has also held the position of Editorial Director at Springer Nature, further highlighting his expertise in publishing and editorial management. Prior to these roles, he was Senior Editor for Taxation, Accounting, and Controlling at Springer Gabler from 2006 to 2012. Earlier, from 2001 to 2006, he worked as an Editor at Nomos Verlag - part of the C.H. Beck Verlagsgruppe - and practiced law. In 2011, he contributed as a guest lecturer at DHBW and GGS, sharing his extensive knowledge with aspiring professionals.
Benjamin Grether
Manager - Digital Value Creation
FSN Capital Partners
Benjamin Grether joined FSN Capital in 2022 from Horváth, where he was heading the predictive analytics team at the Horváth Steering Lab. His mission at FSN is to lead the digital team towards the portfolio, identify & drive digital initiatives (including cybersecurity, AI & data, IT org & ops), make companies more data-driven, and transform technological opportunities into value. Benjamin holds an M.Sc. in Mathematics from the Technical University of Munich with exchange semesters at the Imperial College London and the Pennsylvania State University.
Mike Kleemann
Head of federated Data Value Office - Finance & Group Functions
Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH
Since 2023, Mike Kleemann has been working as Data Value Officer for Finance and Group Functions at Boehringer Ingelheim, where he is responsible for optimizing data concepts and driving data value creation. From 2017 to 2023, he served as Senior Manager HR Analytics, playing a key role in developing a comprehensive dashboard and reporting landscape. Prior to this, he held a leadership position as Head of Product Costing from 2014 to 2017, focusing on enhancing product costing processes. Between 2010 and 2014, he worked as an SAP Product Costing Expert, where he contributed to the co-development of a standardized SAP template. His career began in 2007 with a dual study program in Business Informatics at Boehringer Ingelheim, providing him with versatile experience across various IT areas.
Jörg Knoop
Center of Excellence AI
Vodafone GmbH
Jörg Knoop has 27 years of experience in the telco industry. He always worked on the intersection of technology and business and pushed the boundaries of what is possible. Several awards, world firsts and a patent show his passion to really move things forward. He launched Vodafone Chatbot TOBi in Germany already in 2018 and AI has been a focus topic since then. Today, he is heading the Center of Excellence for AI in Digital&IT to accelerate and industrialize the creation of AI products that deliver real value.
Maria Koppe
BI, AI, & Data Expert
Horváth
Maria Koppe is Principal at the Center CFO Strategy & Performance Management, with a focus on the topics AI, BI & Data. She has supported numerous companies in various industries in defining and implementing sustainable BI strategies. Her expertise lies within the entire width of the BI architecture – setting up modern and performant systems, defining concepts for and implementing reporting & planning solutions, and setting up respective BI organizations with a solid anchoring within the company.
István Mag
Head of Digital Factory
MOL Group
István Mag has been with MOL Group since 2017, leading the Digital Factory as part of the digital transformation of the Consumer Services division. He has built and overseen an 80-person agile team, delivering data-driven solutions across Central Eastern Europe. By 2024, MOL successfully implemented an advanced Data Analytics Platform, digital loyalty and martech systems, and the award-winning loyalty app MOL MOVE, now used by over 5 million members across 8 countries. Previously, István spent 4.5 years at BCG in Budapest and London, specializing in the energy sector. He worked on projects including growth strategies, turnarounds, M&A, and regulatory management across Europe and South Africa.
Mads Nielsby
VP Digital Finance & Architecture
Novo Nordisk A/S
Mads Nielsby has 13 years of experience within Novo Nordisk and has held various leadership roles in finance and procurement, including serving as the Head of Finance Executive Office under the Group CFO. Today he is Project Vice President, heading up the Digital Finance & Architecture team with the objective to design and implement the future Finance IT Landscape, including the program responsibility of the transition to SAP S/4HANA for the entire value chain.
Dr. Philipp Plank
Head of Enterprise Data & Analytics
Bayer AG
Philipp Plank serves as Head of Enterprise Data & Analytics Platform at Bayer AG in Leverkusen, since February 2022. In this role, he has been instrumental in building the Enabling Function IT Decision Science Unit from scratch and leading the strategy for the EF Data & Analytics Program. In particular, he is dedicated to embedding and adopting artificial intelligence within the organization. He is passionate about challenges in the field of Data & AI and also teaches digital controlling at the University of Cologne. Moreover, he completed his studies in Business Informatics in 2014 with a doctorate in Controlling and Planning.
Maximilian Radlmair
Data Science Expert
Horváth
Maximilian Radlmair is a Data Scientist and Consultant at the Horváth Steering Lab in Munich. His consulting focuses on data science and operations research, supporting companies from various industries in identifying, implementing, and operationalizing machine learning and optimization solutions. Prior to this, Maximilian Radlmair studied business administration at KU Eichstätt-Ingolstadt.
Lars Rothe
Head of Machine Learning & AI Unit
Bayer AG
Lars Rothe has been leading the Machine Learning & AI (ML&AI) unit within the Enterprise Data & Analytics Platform at Bayer AG since March 2025. His team focuses on Predictive Forecasting, NLP & Generative AI, and ML & Insights. Since joining Bayer in 2017 as a Data Scientist, he has driven AI adoption across divisions, applying machine learning, deep learning, time-series forecasting, and generative AI to areas like risk management, supply chain, and spend diagnostics. As a key driver of Generative AI in the Enabling Functions area, he shapes strategy, adoption, and delivery while leading predictive forecasting models for spend, cost, P&L, and cash flow forecasting. His goal is to embed AI into business processes and decision-making while leveraging automation.
Pia Schmitz
Managing Director Securities & Derivatives Trading Platforms
Commerzbank AG
Pia Schmitz, Managing Director for Securities and Derivatives Trading Platforms at Commerzbank AG, has a background in peace and conflict management and spent several years in volatile contexts, such as Afghanistan. A few years ago, she transitioned to Commerzbank, where she held various roles in Payments and Trade Finance after working in internal corporate consulting. In Trade Finance, she was responsible for introducing an AI/Machine Learning-based tool for document verification. Her current area focuses on developing AI and Machine Learning-based solutions for trading, implementing innovative approaches to optimize trading processes.
Christian Scheidel
Head of Customer Advisory Business Data Cloud MEE
SAP Deutschland SE & Co. KG
Christian Scheidel leads the regional Customer Advisory Team for Business Data Cloud at SAP. His team helps customers understand the capabilities and benefits of the Business Data Cloud, enabling them to effectively integrate it into their own planning and data strategy. Christian Scheidel has been with SAP since 2010, holding various customer SAP BTP advisory roles and leadership positions.
Ulrich van Meerbeck
Vice President of SAP Data Management & BI
ARAG SE
Ulrich van Meerbeck holds a degree in economics and is an IT business administrator (IWW). He is currently responsible for the SAP Data Management department at ARAG SE, which is part of the finance division. In this role, he evaluates and implements new SAP BI technologies such as SAP Datasphere and SAP Analytics Cloud. His daily tasks also include the intelligent integration of Microsoft Azure products with SAP solutions. With a background in the insurance industry and experience as a consultant in SAP Business Intelligence, he possesses extensive expertise in developing comprehensive and forward-looking solutions.
Alexandra Vázquez Bea
COO/CFO
Oetker Digital GmbH
Alexandra Vázquez Bea has been COO/CFO at Oetker Digital since 2023, overseeing the digital transformation of the Oetker Group and managing its investment portfolio. Previously, she served as CFO at Veganz Group AG, where she led IT, HR, Legal, and Investor Relations while successfully guiding the company’s IPO in 2021. She began her career in 2007 in Corporate Finance at Norddeutsche Landesbank before moving to restructuring consultancy FTI-Andersch. In addition to her professional roles, she actively mentors in the start-up ecosystem and has hands-on entrepreneurial experience.
Breakout session facilitator
Ingo Alzner
BI, AI & Data Expert
Horváth
Ingo Alzner is currently working as Senior Project Manager – BI, Analytics & Data Science at Horváth. His skills include, among other things, his extensive knowledge in the areas of BI, AI and data as well as international program, project and product management. Alzner has been able to gain a lot of experience in his previous projects, including the organizational structure of the Data Office (DAX40). Alzner completed his Bachelor of Science in Business Information Systems at the Stuttgart Media University in 2011 and then joined Horváth.
Geronimo Bergk
Data Science Expert
Horváth
Geronimo Bergk is Managing Consultant and Senior Data Scientist in the Competence Center CFO Strategy and Performance Management at Horváth. His focus is on the development and implementation of data-driven solutions in the CFO area, in particular for financial forecasting, planning and reporting. He uses advanced machine learning methods to uncover complex correlations, automate processes and create a basis for decision-making for top management. Furthermore, he has profound experience in designing end-to-end data pipelines, developing AI agents using LLMs and AI platforms as well as in DevOps.
Dr. Marcus Demmelmair
Sales, Marketing & Pricing Expert
Horváth
Dr. Marcus Demmelmair is the Head of the Business Unit "Sales, Marketing & Pricing" at Horváth and has been advising organizations on pricing and sales excellence for over 10 years.
In projects for SMEs and large corporations, he combines innovative pricing and sales concepts with modern analytics and AI methodologies.
Pavol Masarovic
Innovation Solution Architect
Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Pavol is an Innovation Solution Architect at AWS, specializing in SAP cloud adoption across EMEA. With over 20 years of experience, he helps global customers migrate and optimize SAP systems on AWS. Pavol develops tailored strategies to transition SAP environments to the cloud, leveraging AWS's agility, resiliency, and performance. He assists clients in modernizing their SAP landscapes using AWS's AI/ML, data analytics, and application services to enhance intelligence, automation, and performance.
Felix Mutzl
Data & AI Strategist
Databricks
When not talking about data and AI, Felix is a proud father and explores playgrounds and skate parks in the city. He spent the last couple of years advancing data-driven and digital transformations at international manufacturing companies: hands-on, both in code and on the shop floor. Throughout this time, he observed that the transformation into a data and AI company requires more than “just” technology. So today, Felix helps companies across Europe build sustainable transformation programs by translating business vision into technology and vice versa as a Data & AI Strategist at Databricks. Felix lives close to Munich, Germany.
Johannes Porsch
BI, AI, & Data Expert
Horváth
Johannes Porsch is an expert for data strategy, data management and data governance at Horváth in Stuttgart. As a senior project manager in the Competence Center CFO Strategy & Performance Management, he is responsible for and designs data and AI topics for decision support as well as projects for corporate management from conception to implementation in various industries, including technology support. Before joining Horváth, Johannes Porsch studied technically oriented business administration at the University of Stuttgart until 2018, with a focus on controlling, BI and production technology.
Jonny Preuß
Horváth Steering Lab Expert
Horváth
Jonny Preuß is a Senior Data Scientist and Managing Consultant at Horváth. His expertise and skills focus on machine learning, analytics, and business intelligence. He has gained extensive project experience, including testing and implementing various AI use cases for companies in the solar, automotive, and consumer goods industries. Preuß studied in Switzerland (University of St. Gallen) and France (ESSEC & CentraleSupélec).
Marc Scheck
BI, AI & Data Expert
Horváth
Marc Scheck is Managing Consultant at Horváth and specializes in the development and implementation of business intelligence and analytics solutions. Before his current position, he worked as a sales specialist for the entire storage portfolio of an IT company, which allowed him to gain additional experience in the areas of IT hardware and database solutions. He completed his studies in business informatics with a focus on consulting and business analysis at ESB Reutlingen, where he now teaches as a lecturer.
Dr. Oskar Schneider
Horváth Steering Lab Expert
Horváth
Dr. Oskar Schneider has been working as a data science consultant in the Horváth Steering Lab since 2022. His main areas of activity and his skills relate to the development of optimization models with Gurobi, Cplex, Scip or, for example, time series analyzes and forecasts. Schneider completed both his bachelor's and master's degrees in computational and applied mathematics at the Friedrich Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg.
Matthias Stemmler
BTP Customer Advisor MEE
SAP Deutschland SE & Co. KG
Matthias Stemmler is a passionate BTP Customer Advisor MEE, with over 25 years of experience in data, data management, and AI. Throughout his career, he has successfully driven countless projects, always pushing the boundaries of innovation to create real value for SAP customers. With a keen eye for the latest trends and technologies, he transforms data into powerful insights, helping businesses unlock their full potential in the digital age. His mission: turning vision into reality through cutting-edge solution.
Facilitator
Dr. Matthias Emler
Partner, Head of AI, BI & Data
Horváth
Dr. Matthias Emler is Partner at Horváth and Head of AI, BI & Data. His consulting focus is on data- and AI-driven performance management and digital transformation in performance optimization. Cross-functional strategies and governance concepts for the data- and AI-driven company are also a focus of his consulting activities. Dr. Emler has many years of international program management experience with large corporations and global medium-sized companies. Since 2019, he has been chairing the Horváth AI & Data Convention (formerly "Forum digitale Unternehmenssteuerung").
Kontakt
Sina Faass
