Circle – Convention Center – Flughafen Zürich
Register for the 5th
Growing Together Conference:
21.11.2025
The Growing Together Conference is a conference gem that attracts
decision-makers from the business world.
It is a focused exchange platform where leading voices from the field of data-driven value creation
in major companies share their data strategies and experiences: direct, open, and valuable.
These topics will take center stage:
Impact of data on business __ Navigating innovation with AI __ Shaping data strategy __ Strategic outlook on data
Timetable
The program in detail
Convention Hall
Conference Opening with
Hans Peter Gränicher
9:00 Opening
Conference Opening from Hans Peter Gränicher, CEO of D ONE.
The consulting firm D ONE, which specializes in data and AI, provides extensive and in-depth insight into AI initiatives in the business world, enabling classification and outlooks.
9:15 Keynote
Keynote
with
Dr. Thomas Zurbuchen
We are delighted to announce
Dr. Thomas Zurbuchen
Leader of ETH Zürich | Space.
Head of Science at NASA from 2016 to 2022.
Insight, Not Instinct: Navigating Change Without Losing Direction
Drawing on experiences from NASA, Dr. Thomas Zurbuchen reflects on what has shaped success and failure in times of uncertainty, and what it takes to stay grounded while everything shifts. His stories reveal how insight, openness, and humility can guide progress when instinct alone is not enough.
16:30 Keynote
Keynote
with
Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic
Discover the power of data storytelling with
Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic, MIT guest lecturer, bestselling author, and founder of Storytelling with Data.
Storytelling with Data
Great data stories don’t simply inform—they drive action. In this engaging session, best-selling author Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic shares timeless lessons from storytelling with data, illustrating how to combine clear visuals with the power of story for lasting impact.
You’ll leave the session eager to bring your data to life and make your next graph, slide, or presentation your best yet.
Convention Hall
Speakers
Leaders in Data Driven Value Creation
10:30
Lukasz Lewandowski
Head Data and AI Platforms, Director
Swiss Re
-
Swiss Re, the world's largest reinsurer, has been at the forefront of modern architectural thought for data management for the past decade. The Stargate data & AI platform is unique in the industry, combining the majority of company's relevant structured and unstructured data into a single addressable information space. In this talk Lukasz provides a look at the data foundation as well as the next steps on the journey: enabling ML/AI-driven automation and first forays into agentic systems.
Biography:
Lukasz is a trailblazer in data strategy and digital transformation, with a strong footing in insurance and finance. His leadership has been instrumental in applying data mesh concepts and machine learning to drive transformation. He is a finance major on paper, manager and architect during the day, and coder by night, blending business acumen with technical expertise. His contributions are pivotal in steering data-driven innovation.
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11:10
Dr. Matthias Lein
Head of AI Foundations
ERGO
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ERGO has a long history of using data and artificial intelligence to automate business processes. While the arrival of powerful large language models doesn't change the strategic outlook, it sure accelerates the pace of innovation and moves formerly impractical automation targets into the realm of the possible. ERGO recognizes that generative AI is a strategic driver for automating processing and boosting productivity with AI across all operative processes. In order for AI solutions to live up to their potential, the focus has to be on scalability - building the environment and culture to work with vast data assets, turning a billion internal documents into real business value.
In this talk, Dr. Matthias Lein presents how ERGO moves beyond pilots to enterprise-scale AI, what has been achieved so far, and how governance and compliance are embedded by design. He also shares insights into managing large, distributed teams and creating the foundation for sustainable, data-driven value creation.
Lunch 11:50 - 13:00
13:00
Dr. Sherryl Manalo
Global Head of GPS Software Solutions
Julius Bär
-
Anticipating lengthy approval processes for cloud services such as Databricks on Azure, we accelerated business readiness by building a robust, scalable data platform on-premises. This proactive approach enabled faster delivery of critical data capabilities without compromising long-term strategy. Technology decisions were carefully aligned with future cloud migration goals, ensuring seamless transition when moving to Azure. The architecture was designed for interoperability - to allow storage, data assets and pipelines to be migrated with minimal rework. By adopting cloud-compatible tools and practices early, we achieved immediate value for the business while laying a solid foundation for eventual cloud adoption.
Biography:
Dr. Sherryl Manalo is the Global Head of GPS Software Solutions at Julius Bär, leading teams defining the future direction and strategy for software development in Markets, and establishing the baseline for Software Engineering quality. With a PhD in Physics from TU Wien and a career spanning research, entrepreneurship, and enterprise technology, she bridges science and software to drive innovation.
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13:40
Dr. Viton Vitanis
Machine Learning & Data Engineer
Rivero
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This presentation explores “The Bitter Lesson” -- Richard Sutton’s observation that progress in AI comes from scalable, general learning systems rather than encoded human expertise -- and its profound implications for the value proposition of SaaS products in the age of AI. It examines how AI is reshaping the SaaS landscape and the challenges facing software providers. Through the lens of a fintech case, it highlights the risks of commoditization and agentic disintermediation while outlining strategies for building durable advantage in the AI era
Biography:
After finishing his PhD at ETH Zurich in Biomedical Engineering, Viton worked as an IT consultant, data scientist, researcher and software developer in the Financial, Energy, Insurance, Human Resources and Biomedical sectors. Before joining Rivero as Machine Learning Engineer, he was Head of Risk Analytics at Viseca.
Break 15’
14:35
Sofia Kyriakopoulou
Group Chief Data & Analytics Officer
Scor
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15:15
Andreas Grütter
Chief Information Technology Architect
La Mobilière
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Founded in 1826 in Bern, La Mobilière is Switzerland’s oldest private insurance company and remains mutually owned to this day. As software rapidly becomes a key success factor in modern insurance, La Mobilière is leveraging AI to enhance its engineering process. Beside a highly automated DevSecOps process la Mobilière also continuously optimizes the entire epicflow.
In this talk, Andy Grütter, Head of IT Architecture, shares how Mobi integrates AI into software engineering, what has been achieved so far, and how governance, culture, and architecture evolve to support this transformation. Attendees will learn how Mobi builds an AI-augmented engineering environment and aligns human expertise with machine intelligence.
Room 1
Speakers
Leaders in Data Driven Value Creation
10:30
Prof. Dr. med. Katrin Hoffmann, MBA
Chief Medical Officer
Luzerner Kantonsspital
-
Artificial Intelligence is transforming how we diagnose, treat, and manage care — but success in healthcare depends on more than algorithms. In this keynote, Prof. Dr. med. Katrin Hoffmann, Chief Medical Officer of the Luzerner Kantonsspital, shares how Swiss hospitals are translating data and AI into measurable improvements for patients and clinicians. Drawing from real-world examples, she illustrates how hospitals can build an effective AI strategy, prioritize use cases, and establish robust data governance — all while maintaining clinical excellence and trust. Attendees will gain practical insights into how to lead digital transformation responsibly in one of the world’s most complex and human-centric sectors.
Biography
Prof. Dr. med. Katrin Hoffmann, MBA is the Chief Medical Officer and a member of the Executive Board of the Luzerner Kantonsspital Group, one of Switzerland’s largest integrated healthcare systems with five sites, providing both university-level specialized medicine and regional basic care.
She combines clinical excellence with strategic vision and leads initiatives in Virtual Care, Precision Medicine, Integrated Care, and Value-Based Healthcare, shaping the future of patient-centered healthcare delivery.
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11:10
Dr. Sotirios Dimopoulos
Senior Manager, Data Science & AI
Hewlett Packard
-
This presentation outlines SOPHI, an umbrella of GenAI applications designed to enhance this experience in the HP Store website by helping visitors find relevant products and information and by enabling HP agents to serve customers more efficiently. We will highlight SOPHI’s high-level architecture, its application logic and discuss general dependencies on building such applications in a F100 company. Moreover, we will examine key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics across usage, quality, as well as measurable improvements in conversion rates and revenue per visitor. Finally, we will discuss future developments and strategic directions for GenAI within HP’s e-commerce ecosystem.
Biography:
Sotirios Dimopoulos leads Sales Analytics at Hewlett Packard involving GenAI, NLP, ML & Recommendations. With 15+ years of experience across industry, consulting, and research, he is a strong player in the field. Sotirios holds a PhD from ETH Zurich in Electrical Engineering & Computer Science
Lunch 11:50 - 13:00
13:40
Dr. Markus Beck
Head of Data & AI
localsearch
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Renovero started as our "AI Speed Boat," a focused pilot proving the business value of AI. These initial successes established trust and momentum, allowing us to scale AI beyond the pilot to become a company-wide capability at localsearch. This session shares how we used a robust cloud data platform to achieve rapid iteration and discusses the challenges of scaling AI initiatives. Ultimately, our journey demonstrates how clear business strategy drives AI, transforming isolated experiments into sustainable value and measurable business impact.
Biography
In his current role as Head of Data & AI at localsearch, Markus Beck uses his 20+ years of experience in data strategy, architecture and AI to boost their two-sided marketplace with AI. He holds a PhD from ETH Zürich and has a proven track record in building scalable cloud platforms, developing AI products, and leading international teams. Markus is passionate about data-driven innovation, digital transformation, and tech leadership.
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13:00
Martin Weber Nisslé
Vice President Global IT
Ricola
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This presentation outlines Ricola’s heritage, global presence, and digital transformation. It details the move from traditional data warehouses to a modern Data Lakehouse integrating data from key transactional systems like SAP - examined from both a strategic and technical perspective. Ultimately, it showcases how Ricola combines Swiss heritage with forward-thinking digital strategy to drive continued global success.
Biography:
Martin Weber Nisslé serves as Vice President Global IT for Ricola. He brings 30 years experience within IT environments across different industries, both managing units and projects. As a liaison between business and IT, Martin manages complex international environments with tight budgets and time constraints, while steering key IT processes.
Break 15’
14:35
Dr. Lukas Seger
Leiter Data Science
Raiffeisen
-
The mortgage business is Raiffeisen’s most important area — and data is becoming its key differentiator. Lukas Seger will share how Raiffeisen’s Data & Analytics team turned a grassroots idea into a high-impact product enriching geodata, traffic, valuation, and environmental data to support mortgage advisory. Starting from scratch, the team built momentum step by step — from experimentation to enterprise adoption. The talk highlights success factors in developing analytics products that drive measurable value and foster innovation in large organizations.
Biography
Dr. Lukas Seger finished his PhD in Econometrics at the University of Fribourg in 2014. He then started his long career at Raiffeisen as first an Economist, then a Data Scientist. For the last 5 years, Lukas has been leading the Data Science team at Raiffeisen Schweiz, supporting all of Raiffeisen’s branches.
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15:15
Thomas Geier
CFO
Aveniq
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What do you do when everyone is talking about AI, and you're absorbed with Transformation, with no time, small budget, and no personal technical expertise? This session shares the candid, "down-to-earth" story of a CFO who moved from "fear of missing out" to action. Discover how a simple dashboard project became the stepping stone for a practical AI initiative in Accounting, Legal, and Controlling. This talk skips the hype and provides a real-world playbook on identifying high-value use cases, building a "coalition of fans," justifying the investment, and securing your first small, critical wins.
Biography
With 30+ years in the field, Thomas Geier is an experienced financial officer and executive board member. He specializes in leadership, organizational development, business strategy, financial analysis and change management. Currently, Thomas serves as CFO for Aveniq.
Room 3
Tech-Talks
The best for interested parties and practitioners – compact, to the point, and without sales jargon.
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Abstract:
In the era of data-driven decision-making, the ability to adapt and scale a data platform to your evolving data and intelligence needs isn't just a technical advantage—it's a business imperative. Yet, many organizations struggle with responding to new business needs due to poorly designed data platforms becoming bottlenecks instead of enablers. In this talk, we’ll break down what it takes to design scalable data platforms that are resilient, modular, and future-proof.
Learning Goal:
You'll learn proven scalable data platform design patterns, how to recognize common pitfalls, avoid anti-patterns, and understand the organizational factors that drive long-term success.
Prerequisites:
None, this talk addresses technical and business roles alike.
10:30
Dr. Bernhard Vennemann
Senior Consultant
D ONE
Nino Weingart
Senior Consultant
D ONE
.
11:10
-
Abstract:
Modern organizations increasingly need to react to events as they happen. This talk examines three platforms that enable continuous, event-driven decision-making. Using structured criteria, we compare these platforms using three real use cases to illustrate when each platform shines, helping you to make better architectural decisions on where to take your company next to make timely and reliable decisions based on data.
Learning Goal:
You’ll get a glimpse into the evaluation of data platforms used for streaming and event-driven decision-making.
Prerequisites:
None, this talk addresses technical and business roles alike.
Diana Mitache
Senior Consultant
D ONE
Samuel von Baussnern
Senior Consultant
D ONE
Marianna Arvaniti
Manager
D ONE
Lunch 11:50 - 13:00
13:00
-
Abstract:
Metadata is the backbone of scalable, automated, and reliable modern data platforms. This talk introduces a metadata-driven approach to data engineering, showing how pipelines, orchestration, data contracts, and observability work together to create robust and resilient systems. We will also provide a brief introduction to data build tool (dbt), demonstrating how it fits into modern data workflows. Participants will leave with a clear understanding of the key design patterns for building data platforms that scale efficiently while maintaining reliability.
Learning Goal:
After this session, participants will:
Understand the role of metadata in modern data engineering workflows and why it matters
Know the principles of data contracts and how they can safeguard reliability between producers and consumers
Comprehend the main pillars of data observability enabled by metadata-driven data engineering
Prerequisites
None
Dr. Marcel Zemp
Principal
D ONE
Ali Ander
Consultant
D ONE
Noe Fischer
Senior Consultant
D ONE
.
13:40
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Abstract:
As Large Language Models (LLMs) and Generative AI (GenAI) technologies become integral to our digital landscape, they bring unprecedented capabilities alongside significant risks. We will delve into practical strategies for Red Teaming AI systems to identify vulnerabilities, biases and implement robust guardrails to ensure ethical and responsible AI behavior. Learn how to establish effective monitoring frameworks to track performance and detect anomalies that make AI systems not only powerful but also safe and trustworthy.
Learning Goal:
Participants will get an overview of the potential risks and biases associated with GenAI models and also best parctices to mitigate them.
Prerequisites:
None
Dr. Shyam Chikatamarla
Managing Consultant
D ONE
George Verouchis
Consultant
D ONE
Break 10’
14:35
-
Abstract:
The value of data visualization lies not in what it shows, but in what it enables. While often treated as the “last mile,” data visualization holds much greater potential. It deepens understanding, supports effective communication, and enables monitoring. In this talk, we’ll apply product thinking to go beyond charts and explore the varied roles visualization can play. We’ll also share practical insights for designing data visualisation products that drive real impact.
Learning Goal:
You’ll learn how product thinking can support impactful data visualizations, along with a framework and practical guidelines to put it into action.
Prerequisites:
None
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15:05
-
Abstract:
As the year 2025 comes to an end we find ourselves in a world swamped with synthetic data. This is a direct consequence of Retrieval-Augmented Generation and other LLM-based applications becoming more and more prominent across businesses and industries. Is this synthetic data good though? Does it bring any value? What is good synthetic data and how to make it benefit your business? In this talk, we discuss these and other questions related to generation and evaluation of synthetic data at scale.
Learning Goal:
Learn the basics and the best practices on the generation and evaluation of synthetic data in LLM-based applications.
Prerequisites
Basic understanding of LLMs and RAG applications is helpful but not required.
Dr. Andrei Dmitrenko
Senior Consultant
D ONE
Patrick Leonardy
Consultant
D ONE
Dr. Charlotte Cabane
Managing Consultant
D ONE
Inna Grijnevitch
Senior Consultant
D ONE
Dr. Felix Kuchelmeister
Consultant
D ONE
.
15:35
-
In this presentation we will look into selected, recent work done at Firebolt to boost the performance of our data warehouse on typical query workloads. These workloads stem from BI tools, data, and AI apps.
In particular, we will do two deep dives: 1) We start by looking at how one can save an order of magnitude on compute by caching and reusing subresults. 2) We present the details of a new join implementation. It results in using 5x less RAM compared to our previous algorithm while simultaneously giving up to 9x performance boosts in production.
Alex Hall
Engineer
Firebolt
Room 4
Deep Dive Workshops (80min)
For anyone who wants to acquire new knowledge in a hands-on, uncomplicated way.
10:30
-
Abstract:
Experience how Fabric Agents can unlock next-generation analytics directly through natural language. In this hands-on workshop, you’ll learn how to build agents that combine insights from multiple sources into clear, actionable intelligence. To power these agents, we’ll also explore how Microsoft Fabric unifies real-time streaming data and batch historical data into one foundation, enabling richer context and more reliable answers.
Learning Goal:
Upon completion of this workshop, participants will grasp the following key concepts:
Agents and Copilots will change the way we consume analytical information.
A well prepared data foundation, rich metadata and good instructions are the foundation for useful agents.
Prerequisites:
Basic knowledge of Power BI and Microsoft Fabric is a plus. No prior AI or agent-building experience required.
Elena Pateraki
Senior Consultant
D ONE
Clara Diederichsen
Consultant
D ONE
Alexandra Studer
Senior Consultant
D ONE
.
13:00
-
Abstract:
Build a working digital twin in Palantir Foundry—end to end. In this hands-on workshop you’ll turn raw data into live operational objects using the Ontology, drive change through Actions (with TypeScript where useful), and close the loop with Automate. We’ll wire data → decisions → outcomes into a single Operational Control Dashboard so participants can monitor state, trigger interventions, and watch the system update itself.Model a domain in Foundry’s Ontology (objects, properties, and links) to represent the real world.
Design and expose Actions to operationalize the twin, including when to use function-backed logic.
Configure Automate rules to react to data changes and orchestrate workflows.
Assemble a practical dashboard that unifies monitoring and action with governance and auditability.
Required
Basic data engineering concepts: tables, joins, primary keys, and simple transforms (SQL or equivalent).
Some comfort navigating Palantir Foundry (opening datasets, running a pipeline, using apps).
Optional (nice to have)
Beginner TypeScript familiarity (functions, imports/exports) for function-backed actions.
Panos Michelakis
Associate Consultant
D ONE
George Skaros
Consultant
D ONE
.
14:40
-
This workshop will provide a practical, hands-on introduction to building end-to-end machine learning pipelines in Databricks. Participants will learn how to prepare data, develop models, automate workflows, and deploy solutions within a unified environment. By the end of the session, attendees will have a clear understanding of how Databricks simplifies the lifecycle of machine learning projects, from data ingestion to production deployment.
Learning Goal:
Create reusable features with the Feature Store.
Baseline with AutoML, then tune with Optuna-TPE for better performance.
Track experiments and register models with MLflow + Unity Catalog
Orchestrate with Jobs/Delta Live Tables and follow MLOps best practices.
Learn how Databricks enables model deployment.
Model monitoring with Databricks.
Prerequisites:
Knowledge of Python
Understanding of basic Machine Learning concepts (feature engineering, data analysis, model performance etc.)
Previous experience with Databricks platform is helpful, but not required
Panagiotis Langaris
Consultant
D ONE
Michalis Kalligas
Consultant
D ONE
CONVENTION HALL
Conference Closing with Simon Hefti
16:10
16:30
Keynote with Cole Nussbaumer Knafflic,
and start of the Start Swiss Viz Award Ceremony
18:00 - 19:00
Farewell Apéro at the Foyer
