Speakers 2025
Ahmed Al Saleh
Head of Process Control & IT Engineering Unit
Aramco
Ahmed is a distinguished OT cybersecurity influencer currently leading the Process Control & IT engineering unit in Saudi Aramco Gas operations. He is equipped with 18 years of expertise in safeguarding critical infrastructures, developing and managing information security management systems (ISMS), and a proven track in enhancing cybersecurity GRC & operation controls. He is also the Digital Transformation lead in his organization with demonstrated excellence in technology deployment and digital maturity.
Ahmed Holds a bachelor’s degree in MIS from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) and a master’s degree in cybersecurity from Georgia Institute of Technology. He also has multiple recognized cybersecurity certifications.
Ahmed is a firm believer in the power and importance of knowledge sharing and volunteerism as he is a member of Information Security Association – Hemaya. He is also a passionate speaker with participation in multiple international summits and conferences.
Laurent Bourgouin
Chief Executive Officer
Dr Laurent Bourgouin has 20+ years experience in the Oil & Gas industry, at the crossroads of shopfloor reality and digital transformation. After many years as project manager in charge of Inspection & Maintenance of onshore facilities, he then became head of a Business United dedicated to engineering of complex offshore & subsea projects in a major Engineering firm. More recently, Dr Laurent Bourgouin was Technical Director for the leading software vendor Dassault Systèmes where he led the Digital Transformation of many Oil & Gas majors worldwide. He is now the CEO of the deeptech company Samp, leading the pack in the digitalization of 3D Asset Management, leveraging the latest advancements in AI and 3D scanning.
Nick Giannakakis
Chief Executive Officer
Motor Oil
Mr Nikos Giannakakis holds an MBA in Industrial Systems Administration & BA in Faculty of Physics.
He is an Alumni of the International Institute for Management Development – IMD with 18year experience in Information Technology Executive positions on recognizable Multinational Organizations.
Was included in the list of the top 100 Chief Information Officers for the year 2024.
Leading global teams in region of Digital Innovation and Product Management.
Pioneer of the setup of Global AI Centers of Excellence in Organizations as British American Tobacco and Motor Oil Hellas.
Stefan Hoppe
President and Managing Director
OPC Foundation
Stefan Hoppe is the OPC Foundation President since end 2018 coordinating the OPC expansion into the Internet of Things & Industrie4.0.
Stefan has been the Global Vice President since 2014 and the President of the OPC Europe organization since 2010 being the catalyst for initiating liaisons with other industrial consortiums that has resulted in OPC working groups developing companion specifications for the organizations respective information models.
Stefan Hoppe studied electrical engineering at the Technical University of Dortmund, Germany. Since 1995 he has worked for BECKHOFF Automation, starting as a software developer later as a lead Product Manager with focus on PC based Automation, connectivity, and embedded software products.
Paul Lockley
Vice President EMEA
Device Authority
Paul is currently the VP of Sales EMEA at Device Authority leading both Partner /Alliance and customer engagement. He has over 25 years IT experience delivering value-based customer solutions, building GTM strategy and creating shared success. For the last 10 years Paul has focused on building rapid growth start-up technologies and markets, working with companies such as Veeam and Device Authority. Prior to that he worked within the Enterprise solutions divisions for companies such as EMC and Computacenter focused on the Global 500 sector.
Daniele Mancini
EMEA Chief Information Security Officer
Fortinet
Daniele Mancini is a Field CISO at Fortinet. As an advisor, he assists enterprises and C-suite executives in realigning their security posture with the digital agenda. Working on technology, security transformation strategy, security governance, and risk management for over 25 years, Daniele leverages Fortinet’s capabilities to provide security sustainability while enabling digital business transformation in generating company’s competitive advantages. Before joining Fortinet, Daniele served in the last 12 years as CISO and Head of Security for FMCG, Engineering, and Automotive companies.
Ann Robin
Business Development Director
Gradyent
Ann Robin is a seasoned professional with over two decades of experience in energy efficiency, sustainability, and digitalization within the process industry. As Business Development Director, Industry at Gradyent, she focuses on optimizing industrial steam grids through end-to-end, physics-based Digital Twins, driving efficiency and decarbonization. Previously, Ann played a key role at Arup as Industry Sustainability Manager, where she led the design of Eneco’s sustainable electrification & heat storage solution for PepsiCo, a pioneering project in the Netherlands. She also held leadership positions at Emerson, spearheading digital transformation strategies across Europe. Her expertise spans business development, multidisciplinary project management, and energy transition technologies, with a strong track record in delivering innovative, low-carbon solutions for industrial operations.
Sofia Silvestre
AI Lead
Galp
Sofia holds a Master’s in Biomedical Engineering, complemented by academic formation in Business Intelligence and Data Science. With eight years of experience in the Data and AI field, she now leads the AI Delivery team at Galp, driving innovation and impact through artificial intelligence. Passionate about technology, its transformative potential and meaningful value in people’s lives.
Prashant Soni
Technology strategist – Concept development and Technology
Aker BP
Prashant Soni has over 15 years of experience in Oil and Gas sector covering both technical and commercial aspect among other business strategy development and key customer management. He has a Master of Technology degree in ‘Offshore Technology’ along with a PhD in ‘Hydrodynamics of Slender structures’. He has held several management positions in the past and at present contributing to the technology agenda of the company. Thereby assisting in accelerating innovation efforts at Aker BP.
Sónia Sousa
Data Scientist
Galp
Sónia holds a BSc and an MSc in Biomedical Engineering with a specialization in Clinical Informatics and Bioinformatics from the University of Coimbra. Since 2023, she has been working as a Data Scientist at Galp within the Data & AI Delivery team, contributing to major projects focused on delivering time series forecasting models. Her interests include descriptive analytics, deep learning and model interpretability, with scientific articles published on the latter.