Speakers

Claire Biot was appointed Vice President, Life Sciences & Healthcare Industry at Dassault Systèmes in 2019. Her multifaceted experience in healthcare-related research, business and government administration supports Dassault Systèmes’ aim to drive digital transformation in Life Sciences & Healthcare Industry. As Life Sciences companies shift their focus to precision medicine, she is responsible for helping companies adopt a new unified approach to sustainable innovation by using a scientific and business platform to improve the patient or physician experience. Claire also drives Dassault Systèmes long-term growth in healthcare, leveraging virtual twin experiences to achieve medical practice excellence and value-based care.

Claire Biot holds an MSc in Engineering from Ecole polytechnique (Paris, France) and an MSc in Biological Sciences from the Watson School of Biological Sciences (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, NY, USA). She studied cancer immunotherapy at Institut Pasteur (Paris, France), where she graduated with a PhD in immunology in 2012, and she holds a Honorary Doctorate from Long Island University, NY, USA (2023).

Claire began her career at the French Ministry of Health as Head of Division, Health Products Pricing and Reimbursement (2012-2015). She then joined Greater Paris University Hospitals (AP-HP, Paris, France, 2015-2019), where she was appointed Managing Director of the Health Products and Technologies Central Agency, allowing her to build strong experience in health products development, manufacturing and procurement as well as patient care. Claire joined Dassault Systèmes in March 2019.

Sabine Scheunert joined Dassault Systèmes in 2024 as the Managing Director for the ECAL region, encompassing Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Slovakia. She oversees all business activities within these countries, focusing on three core areas: Manufacturing Industries, Infrastructure & Cities, and Healthcare & Life Sciences.

Before joining Dassault Systèmes, Sabine held significant leadership positions at several renowned companies. As a former top manager at Mercedes-Benz, she played a crucial role in the automobile and technology sectors. She also serves as a supervisor at Messer SE and Planet First Partners. Her career includes notable tenures at Hewlett-Packard, BMW, and a pioneering role as the first female CEO in China’s automotive industry. Sabine is deeply committed to promoting female leadership in the IT sector. As the co-founder of the Female CIO Circle, she actively supports and empowers women in technology. Her innovative contributions, such as implementing the direct sales model at Mercedes-Benz, and her involvement in supervisory boards, demonstrate her dedication to sustainable practices and pushing the boundaries of the digital revolution.

With a passion for creating transformative impact and fostering a sustainable future, Sabine Scheunert is thrilled to lead Dassault Systèmes in driving innovation and growth in the ECAL region.

Andreas Wank is Head of department “Smart Innovation” at Pepperl+Fuchs SE since January 2022. In addition, he also leads the Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) program. When he joined Pepperl+Fuchs SE in 2019, he managed the project International Quality Management, which deals with traceability and incident management.

Before that, he was a Research Associate at the Technical University Darmstadt for five years (2014-2019). During this time he also acted as Managing Director „Mittelstand 4.0-Kompetenzzentrum Darmstadt“ (07/17 until 01/19), Team Leader for the Management of Industrial Production (04/16 until 01/19) as well as Assistance to the president of the German Academic Association for Production Technology (01/15 until 12/17).
The foundation for his professional success also lies in his scientific background. Andreas Wank holds both, a Bachelor (B.Sc.) and a Master of Science (M.Sc.) from the Technical University Darmstadt with a specialization in mechanical engineering. On top of that, he successfully completed his PHD (DR.-ING) from 2014 until 2019.
Today, Andreas plays a crucial role in implementing the ongoing PLM project at Pepperl+Fuchs SE, which is essential for facilitating seamless information flow throughout the entire innovation chain, impacting approximately 2,500 users.

Guillaume Vendroux, CEO DELMIA at Dassault Systèmes, graduated from the California Institute of Technology with a Ph. D. in Aeronautics (93), Guillaume started his career in Engineering and R&D in the Transport sector, from aerospace as R&D engineer in Composite material at Aerospatiale (94-98), to Advanced Project Director at Valeo Electrical System (98-06) to various position in Engineering and R&D at Alstom Transport.
In 2010, still in Alstom Transport, Guillaume entered the Manufacturing world as VP industrial.
In 2016, Guillaume joined Dassault Systèmes to lead the DELMIA Brand, Dassault Systèmes industrial solutions portfolio to continue supporting all industries in the digital revolution to come.

Morgan Zimmermann, CEO Netvibes at Dassault Systèmes, joined EXALEAD in 2006 as Director of Strategy, Sales & Business Development. He took part in the international development of the brand in Asia, Europe, and the United States and was appointed CEO in 2015. Originally, EXALEAD supported major accounts on the use of web technologies as a vehicle for transforming transactional information systems. Since the acquisition of EXALEAD by Dassault Systèmes in 2010, Morgan ZIMMERMANN has rebuilt EXALEAD's product portfolio to accelerate value creation across the 12 industries served by Dassault Systèmes to:

• Transform knowledge of engineering and purchasing into performance and cost reduction levers
• Transform the implicit know-how (working methods, processes) of engineering and manufacturing into levers of operational excellence
• Exploit the data generated by consumers/end-users to support the client's digital transformation

In 2018, Morgan Zimmermann was named CEO of NETVIBES EXALEAD in order to leverage the NETVIBES ability to provide in-context insight from the market and industry into all enterprise business processes. Prior to joining EXALEAD, Morgan Zimmermann led the business development of Cril Telecom Software, a software publisher in global mobile networks.

Martin Gerten is a researcher in digital product development, with a strong focus on the integration of emerging technologies into industrial and educational contexts. Based in Germany, his work is characterized by a combination of practical project experience and academically grounded research.

During his studies, he focused extensively on digital product development within a variety of practice-oriented projects. These projects emphasized the end-to-end conception, design, and implementation of digital solutions, often in close alignment with real-world industry challenges. This hands-on experience also led him to entrepreneurial activities, where he translated theoretical knowledge into applied digital products and services.

In his master’s thesis, Martin concentrated on the concept of a fully integrated digital process chain. His work explored how digital continuity can be achieved across the entire product lifecycle—from initial customer requirements through design, manufacturing, and assembly, to end-of-life considerations. A particular emphasis was placed on the role of digital technologies in enabling transparency, efficiency, and sustainability throughout this lifecycle.

Currently, Martin is pursuing a doctoral degree with a research focus on humanoid robotics and knowledge management in industrial environments. His work investigates how intelligent robotic systems can be integrated into existing processes and how knowledge can be effectively captured, structured, and transferred within organizations.

Michael Hoffmann is a lecturer and head of the Laboratory for Digital Product Development and Manufacturing (LDPF) in the Department of Engineering at Trier University of Applied Sciences. His teaching and research focus on Digital Product Development, Additive Manufacturing, Industrial Digitalization, and research-oriented and project-based teaching, alongside active engagement in technology transfer.

He has many years of expertise in application-oriented research at the intersection of digital engineering, industrial IT infrastructure, and modern manufacturing technologies. A key aspect of his work is the development of sustainable research and transfer structures, combined with close collaboration with industry partners. In this context, Hoffmann has established and further developed the LDPF into an internationally recognized laboratory, which today serves as an industry-oriented transfer instrument and a permanent infrastructure for research, teaching, and cooperation.

Among his most significant scientific achievements is the international recognition of the LDPF as the first 3DEXPERIENCE Edu Center of Excellence in Germany. He has also been involved in numerous award-winning innovation and transfer projects. In addition to his research activities, Hoffmann is an author, trainer in knowledge communication, and speaker in both academic teaching and industrial training.

His work also includes the conception and implementation of numerous externally funded projects and the sustainable development of research infrastructures. Through regular contributions to national and international conferences and the organization of many lecture series, Hoffmann actively contributes to scientific visibility and knowledge transfer between academia and industry.

31 years expertise in Product Development & End to End Virtual Product / Experience Innovation. Since December 2019, CEO of CATIA at DASSAULT SYSTEMES.

He started his career at Dassault Systèmes (3DS) in 1995 in CATIA’s Shape Design Industrialization Team. He then joined 3DS international Automotive Competency Center working with renowned customers like HONDA, FIAT, BMW, CHRYSLER and PSA to help them transform their design practices in the area of car body and styling. Through these experiences, he acquired deep knowledge of the automotive sector and customers’ business processes.

In 2011, he was appointed Vice President of the new defined Transportation & Mobility industry, which helps manufacturers and suppliers to develop new mobility experiences for their consumers.

As CATIA CEO, he is looking forward to empower the Community of Design Innovators to Engineer & Experience the best System of System from Concept to Experience Driven Engineering.

Michelle Ash is a dynamic, engaging, and goal-oriented senior executive who specializes in transformational roles, including business model reorientation, strategy development, implementation, and cultural change. She is passionate about transforming organizations that face challenges like rapid change and disruption, helping them reach their full potential. She is also a relationship-builder and values enabling stakeholders to achieve success.

In the past, Michelle has held key positions at BHP, as Vice President of Strategy for Growth, and at Barrick Gold as CIO, where she developed her passion for science, technology, and digital innovation. She also served as COO at Acacia Mining. She currently participates as a board member of several organizations, including Railveyor, Magnium, SAPHI, and StratumAI.

She earned a Bachelor’s in Civil Engineering from the University of Melbourne in 1992 and holds Graduate Diplomas in both Business and Economics, as well as an EMBA.

Michelle is also very familiar with DS; she held the position of GEOVIA CEO and Infrastructure Industry Segment Executive from 2019 to 2022.

Prof. Dr. Jacobs is recognized as one of the leading experts in drive technology, mechanical design, and wind energy systems. Since 2018, he has served as Chair Professor and Director of the Institute for Machine Elements and Systems Engineering (MSE) at RWTH Aachen University. Since 2013, he has also headed the Chair for Wind Power Drives (CWD) and serves as Chairman of the Board of the interdisciplinary Center for Wind Power Drives.

Before pursuing his academic career in Aachen, Prof. Jacobs held several senior management positions at Bosch Rexroth, including membership of the executive management team of the Hydraulics division, where he was responsible for the development of hydraulic and mechanical drive technologies. Since 2019, he has additionally been a member of the Strategy Council of Mubea AG. His career combines academic excellence with extensive international industry experience in mechanical and plant engineering.

Timo Kistner leads Nvidia's business in the manufacturing and industrial sector in the EMEA region. With a focus on areas such as semiconductors, electronics, mechanical engineering, aerospace, chemistry, and transport and logistics, he maintains strategic partnerships and builds trusting relationships with key customers. His role includes not only managing Nvidia's strategic customer relationships but also maintaining a partner ecosystem and supporting key technology and business trends within the industry. Prior to joining NVIDIA, Timo led Manufacturing Solutions at Google Cloud in EMEA. Before that, Timo was a Partner at Siemens Management Consulting in Munich and Beijing with a focus on discrete and process manufacturing.

Frederic Horsch is a member of the Management Board at HORSCH Maschinen, an internationally leading manufacturer of agricultural machinery with a strong focus on crop protection, tillage, and seeding technology. He studied mechanical engineering and subsequently business informatics, combining a solid technical foundation with a deep understanding of digital systems and data-driven processes. In his current role, Frederic Horsch is primarily responsible for the strategic development of the company’s digitalization agenda. He drives HORSCH’s digital transformation across products, services, and internal processes advancing initiatives such as connected machines, smart farming solutions, and the integration of digital tools that enhance efficiency, transparency, and customer value.

Head of Novoferm Group R&D – since 2021

Worked in different industries like building automation, Automotive & Power tools before for Companies like GEZE, Festool, Valeo & Siemens

Mainly as Head of R&D throughout my career, taking responsibility for worldwide teams.

Mechanical Engineering degree – Dipl.-Ing. (FH)

Senior Consultant and Solution Architect with 25+ years of experience supporting automotive, industrial equipment, aerospace, and consumer goods companies in transforming complex PLM and CAD landscapes. Specialized in the 3DEXPERIENCE platform from Dassault Systèmes, I guide clients from process analysis and system architecture to successful technical implementation, primarily in large-scale and key account environments.

My expertise includes designing modular, scalable PLM architectures, optimizing end-to-end processes with a focus on integration and data quality, and delivering POCs and pilot projects to drive informed decisions. I combine deep technical expertise with strategic thinking and business insight, leading digital transformation initiatives from concept through rollout.

Started at CLAAS with a degree in mechanical engineering.

Assembly Responsible for residue management. Project manager for LEXION and TUCANO projects. Head of Development Planning in Business Unit Grain. Head of Service Function ENG Processes

Now heading the Service Function Product Development Excellence

Dr. Lucian Dold has been in automation for over 40 years – no wonder, considering he programmed his first PLC at age 14, while others were still figuring out their Walkman. He now leads Global Account Management at OMRON, blending deep technical passion with a sharp sense for digital transformation. In short: a tech‑nerd with a doctorate who not only talks about digitalization – he actually makes it work.

Sebastian Bachinger is a senior leader in operations and digital transformation, currently serving as a Vice President and Head of Corporate Digital Transformation at TDK Electronics AG in Munich. He brings extensive expertise in operational excellence, smart manufacturing, and large-scale business transformation across global organizations.

With a strong track record in leading international teams and fostering a people-centric culture, Sebastian has driven initiatives in operational excellence, industrial engineering, and digital factory development, consistently delivering measurable improvements in performance and efficiency.

His work is centered on leveraging next-generation technologies to transform complex enterprise environments. This includes the integration of AI, advanced analytics, and large-scale enterprise systems across complex, global environments.

He focuses on enabling transformation through people, building capabilities, aligning teams, and driving smarter, faster decision-making across the organization.

By combining deep operational expertise with modern technology stacks, he drives sustainable transformation and long-term competitive advantage.

Sebastian is passionate about shaping the future of smart enterprises through people-driven leadership and transformation.