#wetechtogether 2025

Christoph Breier is Senior Project Manager at the Competence Center for Diversity, Disability and Inclusion (CCDI) at the Institute for International Management and Diversity Management at the University of St.Gallen (IIDM-HSG). His research focuses on the inclusion of people with disabilities in the workplace, particularly inclusive career development and quantitative and qualitative methods of social research. Previously, he worked at the Center for Disability and Integration (CDI-HSG) and at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland. In several projects—including in collaboration with the Federal Bureau for the Equality of People with Disabilities—he developed evidence-based approaches to promoting diversity and inclusion in organizations.

Karimi is the Managing Director of SPRK, a consulting group working across Africa and beyond to support leaders navigating complexity, culture change, and strategic transformation. With over 15 years of experience across sectors, she brings deep expertise in leadership, organisational development, and systems change.Karimi’s work focuses on enabling the mindset shifts that unlock resilient, adaptive leadership—particularly in environments facing growth or disruption. She has led projects for UN agencies, banks, and global mining firms, and is known for designing engaging, insight-rich spaces where leaders think differently and act with greater clarity. Her work blends business rigour with behavioural insight, and she is known for creating thoughtful, results-oriented spaces where leaders and teams can align, adapt, and grow. She speaks regularly on topics such as psychological safety, women in leadership, and leading through disruption. Helping leaders and teams navigate complexity, unlock growth, and lead change with clarity and courage.

Julia Baumann is an organizational development consultant and systemic coach with over 15 years of leadership experience in operations and technology. After experiencing burnout in an environment that didn’t match her needs, she reshaped her career to focus on creatingworkplaces where diverse talents can thrive. Her expertise lies in neurodiversity (High sensitivity, Autism, ADHD, giftedness) and inclusive team dynamics, helping organizations recognize and integrate the full potential of their people. Julia brings a unique blend of professional leadership background and personal lived experience, supporting individuals and teams to move beyond stereotypes, foster psychological safety, and build cultures of authentic, sustainable collaboration.

Polina brings over 10 years of experience in strategic sales, with a strong focus on the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries. She holds an MBA in General Management and is passionate about leveraging cutting-edge technology to transform mental health care. As CEO and co-founder of Smilamind, she leads the development of a data-driven platform designed to support young people and empower clinicians with real-time insights. Polina combines industry expertise with a deep commitment to social impact, believing that digital innovation can play a key role in addressing the growing mental health crisis among youth.

Barbara Horvath is the co-founder of Inveel GmbH, a startup focusing on developing sensory skins for robots . Following her doctoral studies at NIMS in Japan, she embarked on a postdoctoral journey, spending time at NIMS and CNRS before joining PSI from 2015 to 2019. Transitioning to the corporate sector in 2020, she excelled as an R&D Staff Engineer and Global Project Manager. In 2024 she founded Inveel where she serves as the CEO.

Tanja Frohn is a member of our Advanced Manufacturing & Services and Customer Experience practices. Over the course of more than 11 years in consulting, she has specialized in corporate strategy, full potential transformations, and customer/ commercial excellence. 

Her work spans building automation & technology, postal/ logistics, and professional services – among others.

In addition to her client work, Tanja leads the Women at Bain initiative for Bain Zurich, driven by the core belief that diverse teams bring better results. 

Tanja holds a Master’s degree in international management from Rotterdam School of Business and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Mannheim University.

Lu Han (Lucy) is Business Line Leader Building Automation in ABB’s Electrification Smart Buildings Division.

As a member of the Division Management team for Smart Buildings, Lucy is responsible for driving the ambitious strategic growth plan for the Building Automation business worldwide. Leading a global team supporting customers, the business is core to the Division’s innovation strategy. Its digitally led portfolio drives customer value by enabling the more efficient use of energy, making homes and buildings safer, smarter, more sustainable and people’s lives more comfortable.

 

Lucy has over 20 years’ experience in the building automation industry, with her career to date spanning across China and Switzerland. Her focus has been on sales, strategy, and product management.

She joined ABB Electrification’s Smart Buildings division from Siemens, where she held the position of Senior Vice President for the connected devices business segment. In this role, she led global teams for six product lines and was involved in developing new Internet of Things (IoT) offerings. Lucy is based in Switzerland.

Lucy holds a master’s degree in Management Technology & Economics from ETH in Zurich, Switzerland, as well as an MBA with the IMD Business School in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Marion Fogli is Co-founder and Deputy CEO of Alpian, Switzerland’s first digital private bank, serving over 23,000 clients with 140 million CHF raised. A graduate of École Hôtelière de Lausanne (Bachelor of Science & Business Economist, 2003) and IMD EMBA alumna with 23 years of professional experience, including 9 years in wealth management and digital transformation and almost 6 years building Alpian, Marion co-founded SheWealth Collective for women’s financial empowerment and recently created “Finance Made Human,” providing accessible financial education in four languages. She holds certifications from MIT Sloan in AI for Business Strategy and Cambridge University in Sustainable Finance.

Awarded Global Future Tech and Fintech Leader | Keynote Speaker | Board Member| Executive and Board Education & Advisor | Book Author

Tech is NOT just for profits. It creates abundance for all.

I’m a globally recognised Future Tech Expert, and Peace Ambassador, dedicated to empowering C-level executives and board leaders to harness AI, blockchain, Web3, metaverse, and digital transformation—with a strong focus on responsible and ethical AI.

With senior roles at Fortune 500 companies like Axa and UBS and board mandates at Blackrock and Unicredit and Generali, I translate complex tech trends into actionable strategies that fuel sustainable growth.

I created my own brand the “marthaverse” 3 years ago to follow my passion for innovation and digital transformation.

A domain expert with a Ph.D. in Finance, a prolific Content creator, a Host, an Author, and Speaker focused on Innovation in Financial Services. Also a Faculty at The Fast Future Executive lecturing live on the Future of Finance and Money.

Efi Pylarinou is a seasoned Wall Street professional and ex-academic who has become a Top Fintech & Tech Thought Leader. She is trusted by global brands in tech and financial services

Founder of GrowFin – Consulting & Influencer Services

Co-founder and author of Daily Fintech.

Marion Schleifer is a social impact entrepreneur driven by the belief that talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not. After years in the tech industry, including as Head of Developer Education at Hasura, she realized her true passion lay in creating pathways for those who are often overlooked.

She co-founded Code Blossom, a nonprofit that trains women in developing countries to become software developers and supports them with free certifications, mentorship, and career opportunities. She is also the CEO and co-founder of Label Ladder, a Swiss-Namibian venture that equips unemployed youth with data-labeling skills and meaningful jobs in the AI economy.

With a background in multilingual communication, business, and software engineering, Marioncombines her technical expertise with a deep commitment to empowerment. Her mission: to help hidden figures step into the spotlight and shape the future of technology.

Chloé Carriere, also known as Galactic Chloé, is an aerospace engineer by training and a science communicator. She is dedicated to bridging the gap between science and society, while actively challenging conventional stereotypes associated with scientists. Through her work, she seeks to inspire the next generation and to modernize the way science is communicated.

Holding a degree in Engineering with a focus on Technology Management and Entrepreneurship from EPFL, Chloé is the founder of Galactic Studios—an organization committed to building a better future through science communication, education, and positive societal engagement.

Link: https://www.galacticchloe.com/

Priska has worked over 15 years in the finance industry, where she led national and international IT projects for major banks with great success. She started her career in the IT world as a career changer, from Medical Laboratory Assistant to Software Engineering. Her skills and expertise enabled her to not only work for international projects but also move to Hong Kong to take on different roles in Project and Product Management. In 2016 she left the finance industry to focus on building up her own company. As Managing Director of TechFace, Priska uses her experience, knowledge and passion to support women pursuing a purposeful career in tech and connect them to companies committed to diversity and inclusion. Furthermore, she helped to build up Girls in Tech Switzerland, a global non-profit organization with the goal to attract and retain women in tech. She understands and experienced the hardship and strength needed as a woman in tech and wants to support the next generation reaching their dreams and career goals.

Lea Grüter is passionate about bringing people together. She is convinced that when we meet at eye level, we can learn a lot & inspire each other. And her mission is to take it one step further: By really involving everyone, she encourages the audience to step into one’s own power. Lea is not only an experienced event host, but also a workshop facilitator around self-confidence & stage presence, working with both individuals and teams.
Fluent in English, German, French and Spanish the energetic MC loves connecting international audiences. 

Lea is happy to be back for the 3rd time at #wetechtogether and curious to see what we’ll all learn at this year’s edition. 

With our IT solutions, we enable participation in an ecosystem in the Swiss financial sector.

Our core solutions are based on a modern, scalable banking-as-a-service platform. We are connected to open banking and open finance platforms and integrate additional services as required. We take care of the regulatory aspects so that our customers can focus on their business.  

We use APIs to integrate services directly into the products and customer journey. Alternatively, we develop target group-specific front-end portals and apps that support omnichannel strategies.

SHEWEALTH is a community where women support women in mastering their finances, growing their wealth, and investing in their futures.
Every woman deserves financial confidence, as understanding money is the key to unlocking new opportunities. Yet, too often, financial education feels complex, intimidating, or simply not designed for us. That’s why SHEWEALTH was born. Backed by Alpian and SmartPurse, we have one mission: to create a dynamic community of like-minded women and make finance accessible, approachable, and, most importantly, actionable.
Because confidence in wealth starts with knowledge—and a strong community to support you.

Axpo is driven by a single purpose – to enable a sustainable future through innovative energy solutions. Axpo is Switzerland’s largest energy producer and an international leader in energy trading and the marketing of solar and wind power. Axpo combines the experience and expertise of more than 7,000 employees who are driven by a passion for innovation, collaboration and impactful change. Using cutting-edge technologies, Axpo innovates to meet the evolving needs of its customers in over 30 countries across Europe, North America and Asia.

Do you know Siemens Switzerland? We have been at home in Switzerland since 1894 and have always had a significant impact on the daily lives of millions of people in our country. We are committed to diversity, equity and inclusion among our 5900 employees. Together with our more than 30,000 customers, they provide innovative solutions for the future in the fields of energy, industry, mobility, building technology and healthcare. We play a pioneering role in the decarbonization and digitalization of infrastructure.

Switzerland is close to our hearts, which is why we invest in research and development in our country. We work closely with universities and, with our Smart Infrastructure headquarters in Zug (70,000 employees worldwide), we are a key factor for Switzerland as a center of knowledge

We anticipate customer needs, develop end-to-end payment solutions and are the only provider in Switzerland to offer the leading card brands – American Express, Mastercard and Visa – from a single source. We never stand still and are always open to bold ideas. We actively encourage diversity as a core part of our corporate culture and leverage it as an important catalyst for creativity and innovation in our teams.

 

To maintain the trust of our stakeholders and to enable up to 2.6 million transactions per week to run smoothly, more than 150 people work daily on a functioning IT infrastructure and to ensure the necessary security. Together, we make the difference – in everyday life and in the digitalisation of our services.

As no. 1 we are shaping the future. Together we inspire people in the networked world.
We are serving the Swiss market as the country’s leading telecoms and one of the leading IT companies. Thus, we are actively driving digitalization and networking, and tapping new paths for our customers and our employees. We do not know how the future is going to look like, but we definitely have the opportunity to shape it. To do so we are and act trustworthy, committed and curious.

Join us on this exciting journey and work on the latest technological trends in one of our various business units!

Zalando is one of Europe’s leading online platforms for fashion and lifestyle, offering a seamless connection between customers, brands, and partners across 25 markets. It serves over 50 million active customers with a wide variety of fashion and lifestyle products, including clothing, shoes, accessories, and beauty items. Zalando’s approach integrates advanced digital solutions to enhance various aspects of the fashion industry. This allows them to deliver a personalized and innovative shopping experience.
Teams at Zalando Zürich Tech Hub work on solving some of the most important challenges in the fashion industry, such as finding the right size or helping customers navigate Zalando’s comprehensive assortment in order to find what they love. Through a full stack of professionals in software development, computer vision, applied scientist, researchers and product managers. Zalando is turning visionary ideas into new emerging businesses with real potential. By addressing complex challenges within the fashion sector, Zalando aims to revolutionize the digital shopping experience and drive forward its goal of creating the most inspiring and personalized fashion platform for customers.

Zühlke is a global transformation partner, with engineering and innovation in our DNA. We’re trusted to help clients envision and build their businesses for the future – to run smarter today while adapting for tomorrow’s markets, customers, and communities.

Our multidisciplinary teams specialise in tech strategy and business innovation, digital solutions and applications, and device and systems engineering. We excel in complex, regulated spaces including health and finance, connecting strategy, tech implementation, and operational services to help clients become more effective, resilient businesses.

Founded in Switzerland in 1968, Zühlke is owned by its partners and located across Europe and Asia. Our venture capital arm, Zühlke Ventures, provides start-up financing in HealthTech.

We love what we do. Together with the business, we create the most powerful and future-proof banking IT in Switzerland. An IT that we understand as a people-led interplay of information, processes and technologies.
The heart of our IT beats in the middle of Zurich’s lively Kreis 5. Here, more than 1,000 colleagues work on new solutions using agile methods and thus ensure the success of the bank consistently according to DevOps and Scrum principles. Cloud, cyber security and data-based business models are just some of the topics that excite us. We support, maintain and operate over 650 applications, including eBanking, Mobile Banking, ZKB Twint and frankly. That is why we are so proud of our #ITmadeinChreis5.

Abraxas Informatik AG is the largest provider of end-to-end IT solutions for the public sector in Switzerland. Headquartered in St. Gallen, the company employs around 1000 employees in all language regions. Abraxas connects Swiss administrations, authorities, companies and the population with efficient, secure and integrated IT solutions and services.

We offer exciting IT career opportunities in Software Engineering, System Engineering, Application Management, and more – with diverse, meaningful tasks and plenty of room to make an impact.

Discover #TeamAbraxas and explore our open positions: abraxas.ch/jobs

Mit über 2´500 Studierenden und rund 800 Dozierenden aus der Praxis ist die HWZ die grösste Hochschule mit ausschliesslich berufsbegleitenden Studiengängen im Bereich Wirtschaft der Schweiz. Sie offeriert ein breites Angebot an Studiengängen auf Bachelor- und Master-Stufe sowie über 100 Diplom- und Zertifikatslehrgänge, die Möglichkeit zum Doktorat sowie massgeschneiderte Firmentrainings. Die HWZ ist institutionell akkreditiert durch den Schweizerischen Akkreditierungsrat.

The Varian Medical Systems Imaging Laboratory (iLab) in Baden-Dättwil is a research and development center pioneering innovation. The iLab is a center of excellence for imaging, as well as optical monitoring and identification, treatment management, cybersecurity, and software technologies – offering an international perspective that drives innovation, implementation, and the integration of software and hardware solutions in the fight against cancer.
At Varian, a Siemens Healthineers company, we envision a world without fear of cancer. For more than 75 years, Varian has developed, built, and delivered innovative technologies and solutions that help care providers around the globe treat millions of patients each year. Today, as a Siemens Healthineers company, we support every step of the cancer care journey – from screening to survivorship. From advanced imaging and radiation therapy to comprehensive software and services, to interventional radiology, we are harnessing the power of our perspective while also pursuing clinical research to create a more efficient, and more personalized care pathway. Because, for cancer patients everywhere, their fight is our fight.

Wavestone is a leading consulting firm that supports companies and organizations in a world of disruption with their strategic transformations.
The goal? To deliver positive and sustainable outcomes for all stakeholders.
With over 6,000 employees across 17 countries in Europe, North America, and Asia, the company offers a 360° portfolio of high-quality consulting services, seamlessly blending top-tier industry expertise with a wide range of cross-sector capabilities.
Wavestone is listed on Euronext Paris and recognized as a Great Place to Work®.