Francisco Amorim AI Engineering Lead MC Sonae

Francisco is a leader in AI Engineering with 7+ years of experience in ML and optimization. He currently oversees the AI Engineering team at Portugal’s largest food retailer, building scalable solutions that merge AI and optimization to drive business results. There, he also developed a generic framework for allocation problems in the personalized marketing domain (leveraging the Gurobi solver). His prior work includes contributions to an european consortium on model explainability (TRUST-AI) and developing modules for an ML platform that helped fast-track result iteration in an analytics consultancy company. He is passionate about creating impactful, end-to-end solutions that foster better decision-making through actionable insights.

Peter Bachhiesl Mathematician Kärnten University of Applied Science

Peter Bachhiesl is a mathematician. He studied and worked at Graz Technical University and earned his doctorate in a special research domain on mathematical optimization and control. After his employment as a development engineer in the automotive sector, he obtained the position of a lecturer at the Carinthia University of Applied Sciences. In 2002 he was appointed as a  full professor for engineering mathematics and stochastics. In his research and development activities he works on industrial applications of combinatorial optimization and mixed-integer linear programming. In this context he co-founded a core competence field on network optimization and -simulation, which focuses on the development and the industrial transfer of decision-support models for the design of fiber-optic access networks. He led numerous development projects in collaboration with network carriers as well as regulation authorities.

Bruno Batista Head of Marketing and Sales LTPlabs

As Head of Marketing and Sales at LTPlabs, Bruno Batista combines his passion for machine learning and optimization with a strategic leadership role. Over the years, he has worked on projects spanning from strategy to operations, with a strong focus on technical management. His experience includes demand forecasting, promotional planning, assortment management, customer analytics, and people analytics. At LTPlabs, Bruno’s mission is to stimulate and coordinate the use of advanced data models to achieve maximum efficiency and drive business growth.

Reinhard Bürgy Mathematical Optimization Scientist Polypoint

Dr. Reinhard Bürgy is a mathematical optimization scientist and software solution architect with extensive experience in both academia and industry. He specializes in personnel and machine scheduling, with a deep passion for the intersection of business processes, software technology, mathematical modeling, and algorithmic design.

At POLYPOINT, Reinhard leverages his expertise to enhance decision-making in healthcare personnel scheduling. He has played a key role in translating complex operations research theories into practical, real-world applications, significantly improving the efficiency and effectiveness of scheduling processes in the healthcare sector.

Fabrice Durier Senior Principal Data Scientist Gousto

Fabrice Durier is Senior Principal Data Scientist at Gousto, where he leads the development of FactoryTwin—a digital and AI-driven decision platform that has significantly improved throughput, uptime, and operational agility across Gousto’s fulfilment network. With a background in astrophysics and a PhD in computational cosmology, Fabrice spent a decade researching galaxy formation before moving into industry to apply advanced, prescriptive, and scalable modelling to real-world systems. At Gousto, he now combines simulation, optimisation, and machine learning to solve complex logistics challenges at scale. His work has been featured at AWS re:Invent and other major data science forums.

Ahmet Esat Hizir Director of Operations Research Turkish Airlines

Ahmet Esat Hızır, PhD., is the Director of Operations Research at Turkish Airlines Technology. His team of Operations Research scientists develop mathematical models and solution methods for various optimization problems at Turkish Airlines. He has more than 18 years of airline industry experience. He holds BSc. and MSc. degrees in Industrial Engineering and an MSc. degree in Air Transport Management. He received his PhD degree from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. With his dissertation titled “Large Scale Airline Recovery using Supervised Learning and Mixed-Integer Optimization” he was granted the “Best Innovation” award at 2024 AGIFORS Crew Management Study Goup Meeting.

‭ Timothy Flack‬ Senior Data Scientist Gousto

Timothy Flack‬‭ is a Senior Data Scientist at Gousto,‬‭ where he contributes to the‬ ‭ development of FactoryTwin – a digital and AI-powered decision platform – by‬ ‭ focusing on optimisation of the factory picking line. His work centres on allocation‬ ‭ and routing optimisation to improve throughput and operational efficiency across‬ ‭ the fulfilment network. With a PhD in Computational Chemistry, he specialised in‬ ‭ the simulation of atomic processes such as diffusion, developing novel techniques‬ ‭ for modelling rare atomic events. At Gousto, he applies his background in scientific‬ ‭ computing to solve real-world logistics problems using scalable, data-driven‬ ‭ optimisation.‬ ‭

Michael Guder Chief Technology Officer Levasoft

Michael Guder is the CTO of Levasoft GmbH and the original creator of the Solar.Pro.Tool – an advanced software solution for planning flat-roof PV systems. With a strong background in software architecture and specialized algorithmic development, he focuses on transforming complex technical challenges into scalable solutions. At Levasoft, he integrates the GUROBI Solver to tackle high-dimensional optimization problems in PV ballast planning and inverter configuration. His work bridges engineering logic with computational efficiency, enabling precise results even in multi-million solution spaces. Michael leads innovation from concept to product, pushing the boundaries of digital PV system design.

Shrya Gupta Global AI Strategy Lead Danone

An accomplished analytics leader with over 15 years of experience, I specialize in driving data-powered decision-making and delivering high-impact AI solutions across diverse domains. Known for a consultative and results-oriented approach, I collaborate closely with senior leadership to shape and execute AI strategies that align with business goals. Passionate about innovation, I’ve successfully transformed AI visions into reality, fuelling strategic growth and competitive advantage. At this global event, I’m excited to present the Deep Blue use case — an initiative that exemplifies how advanced analytics and AI can unlock transformative value for organizations worldwide.

Daniel Herrero Chief Operating Officer Decide4AI

Daniel Herrero has over 10 years of experience in mathematical optimization, with a strong focus on the application of advanced algorithms to complex business problems. He has led the development and deployment of optimisation solutions in sectors such as logistics, energy, and telecommunications, achieving measurable improvements in efficiency, cost reduction, and operational performance.

As Chief Operating Officer at DECIDE, he is responsible for driving the company’s operational and technological strategy, with particular emphasis on the practical use of artificial intelligence and prescriptive analytics in high-impact environments. His work bridges technical depth and business value, enabling data-driven decision-making across complex systems.

Thorsten Lenck Programme Lead Agora

Thorsten Lenck is Programme Lead of the International Energy Data and Modelling Hub of the Agora Think Tanks (Agora Energiewende, Agora Industry and Agora Agriculture). Before taking on this task, he was responsible for the topics of electricity market design and renewable energies at Agora. He was previously head of consulting at Energy Brainpool, an analysis and consulting company. He is specialized in energy policy advising for companies, institutions, and associations; in energy trading, procurement strategies, and in portfolio and risk management for utility companies. He is the author of numerous economic studies and assessments regarding the energy market and has led a variety of workshops as a certified trainer of EPEX SPOT and the European Energy Exchange (EEX AG). He began his career at international infrastructure consulting firms. He has a degree in energy and process engineering from the Technical University of Berlin.

Jorge Eleazar Lopez Coronado Senior Expert in Decision Making and Optimization Airbus

Jorge López holds a PhD in Computer Science from the Paris-Saclay University. He brings a strong blend of academic and industrial experience in the fields of telecommunications and decision making. His academic career includes postdoctoral research at Tomsk State University (Russia) and Télécom SudParis (France). In industry, he has contributed to leading companies such as IBM, Huawei, and Telus International. Currently, Jorge serves as a Senior Expert in Decision Making and Optimization at Airbus, where he focuses on applying mathematical methods to complex real-world challenges across critical systems and operations.

Paula Mansilla Martinez Head of Finance, Network, HR & Corporate in Data & AI Iberia

Paula Mansilla is Head of Finance, Network, HR & Corporate in Data & AI at Iberia, where she leads the strategic development of data-driven solutions across these areas. With 10 years of experience in Business Intelligence and Big Data, she has successfully managed cross-functional teams and complex transformation projects. With international experience across Spain and the UK, and an MBA from ICADE Business School, she bridges the gap between technical capabilities and business impact, helping organizations unlock value through smart data use and process improvement.

Johannes Prescher Head of IT & Tools Network-Team A1 Telekom

Johannes is the Head of IT & Tools in A1 Telekom Austria AGs Network-Team. Together with his team he provides tools and support for engineers working in the field for A1 customers, as well as tools and support to run, extend and optimize A1s mobile and fixed infrastructure.

Jakob Witzig AI & Optimization Algorithm Architect SAP

Jakob Witzig is an optimization expert currently working at SAP, where he specializes in developing advanced optimization solutions within supply chain management. With a robust academic foundation in mathematics, he has significantly contributed to the fields of mixed-integer programming and algorithm development. Before joining SAP, Jakob Witzig was employed at the Zuse Institute Berlin (ZIB). At ZIB, he focused on mathematical optimization, where his work involved collaborative and industry-driven projects aimed at enhancing general purpose optimization techniques and algorithms. Jakob Witzig acquired his education and Ph.D in mathematics from Technical University Berlin. His academic contributions have been recognized by the research community, with numerous citations and awards for his published works, showcasing his influence in the optimization domain.