Tech.Rulez.Period!

What does technology strategy look like when the future is increasingly difficult to predict? In this episode of Tech.Rulez.Period!, we welcome General (ret.) Chris Badia, drawing on decades of leadership experience across NATO, the Bundeswehr, and the German Federal Ministry of Defence. We discuss scenario planning, the balance between manned and unmanned systems, and the role of technology and industry in addressing future capability gaps. Beyond technology, we also reflect on leadership principles that have shaped his career and what organizations can learn about preparation, adaptability, and leading through uncertainty.

How do you turn a traditional “heavy-metal” engineering company into a global champion with a startup mentality? We are thrilled to welcome Daniel Bischofberger, CEO of Accelleron, to discuss the company’s journey since its spin-off from ABB and the role technology played in reinventing half of the organization. Daniel shares how Accelleron built a modern tech stack, moved beyond a classic IT function, and enabled innovation across product development, services, and sales. We also talk about the future of combustion engines, why they remain essential in key industries, and why people, culture, and diversity are at the heart of every successful transformation. 

'We need to have an alternative, and we provide the alternative as the European hyperscaler number one for sovereign services.' We are excited to welcome Bernd Wagner, CEO of STACKIT and Divisional Board Member Sales & Marketing at Schwarz Digits, to talk about one of Europe’s most pressing topics: technological sovereignty. We dive into why sovereignty is not just a matter of competitiveness, but of survivability, and how STACKIT is building a European alternative to reduce dependency on foreign technology. Bernd also explains why cloud strategy has become a board-level agenda – and why CEOs and supervisory boards are now central in shaping Europe’s digital future with its own digital backbone.

'We have developed the AI that allows you to identify the wrinkle, to measure the wrinkle – but then you obviously need the scientists behind the AI to interpret the data.' We are pleased to welcome Annette Hamann, CIO of Beiersdorf, who shares the fascinating journey of Beiersdorf driving digital transformation in the consumer goods industry. From modular tech rollouts to building a robust data foundation for AI, Annette shares how her team bridges IT and business to deliver real impact. We also dive into her unique hiring philosophy: Blending tech expertise with business experience – and why mindset is often the decisive factor.

'Football is not black and white – it’s often gray'. Technology can support, but we still need referees with football knowledge to interpret the game. Both need to work hand in hand! We are delighted to welcome Urs Meier, one of football's most experienced referees, expert for ZDF & DAZN, and keynote speaker, who shares fascinating insights on how technologies like VAR (Video Assistant Referee) and goal-line technology are revolutionizing the football industry. We also discussed how technology continues to transform even the most traditional domains, especially when it comes to balancing the pros and cons of tech implementations.

‘Walmart was capable of reinventing itself and over the last six years it has built a beautiful transformation, where they are now stronger than ever. But it also meant that they had to completely rethink everything they did.’ We are delighted to welcome Peter Hinssen, serial entrepreneur, keynote speaker, and bestselling author, who will discuss the ongoing struggle between traditional and new strategic roles in technology leadership. Furthermore, we had an inspiring conversation about why mindset is more important than skill set, especially when it comes to the C-suite.

‘To me, one of the most important things that enterprises can do is to think critically about where might a technology be today and where might we expect it to go in the future.’ We are delighted to welcome Alix Rübsaam, Vice President of Thought Leadership at Singularity University, who will discuss how individuals can harness technology to tackle major global challenges like #climatechange and #education. Further, she dives into how exponential technologies move from a deceptively slow pace of development into a disruptively fast pace.

‘Many of the migrants that are coming to Germany […] reconsider what they could be doing with their professional life. They have work experience from the past, but not necessarily in tech. And that’s why I think tech is so beautiful, because you can come with so many backgrounds.’ We are excited to have Anne Kjær Bathel, CEO and Co-Founder of ReDI School of Digital Integration and CIO Award winner 2023 in the category of Digital Future, join us for a discussion on how tech aids refugees and migrants to kick-start a career in a new country. Additionally, Anne shares her motivational journey, the inspiration behind the inception of ReDI School and offers guidance to #FemaleTalents in tech.

‘How could technology also help that we do not consume that much from the rare resources of our earth? And for me, this is what is driving me every morning working with my teams.’ We are thrilled to have Dr. Michael Müller-Wünsch (CIO of OTTO GmbH & Co KG) join us for a discussion on a variety of topics around #sustainability and #AI. Additionally, he introduces us to exciting #ArtificialIntelligence use cases and #ethics and explains how AI will play a role within OTTO's online retail business.

‘#AI and #ChatGPT right now is a bit like the iPhone moment we had some years back where it completely changed the way we thought about computing.’ We are delighted to have André Christ, CEO & Co-Founder of LeanIX (aka ‘the Google Maps of softwares’), join us for a discussion on how businesses can navigate continuous #transformation by harnessing the power of #GenAI. Simultaneously, we dive into the significance of maintaining a critical perspective on #AI. We further explore the added value of visualizing Enterprise Architecture.