Dr. Volker Wissing

Dr. Volker Wissing was born in Landau, Germany in 1970. Appointed a double Minister, he is both the German Federal Minister for Digital and Transport as well as the Federal Minister of Justice. From 2016 to 2021, he was a member of the state parliament, Deputy Minister-President and Minister for Economic Affairs, Transport, Agriculture and Viticulture of the state of Rhineland-Palatinate. He is a Member of the German Bundestag from 2004 to 2013 and again since 2021. He chaired the Finance Committee there from 2009 to 2011. From 1997 to 1999 he worked as a judge and public prosecutor, from 2000 to 2004 as deputy chief of staff to the Minister of Justice of the State of Rhineland-Palatinate. He was appointed a judge at Landau Regional Court in 2001 and was a practising lawyer from 2013 to 2016.

Claudia Plattner

Claudia Plattner has been the President of the German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) since 1 July 2023. Claudia Plattner was born in Mainz in 1973. She has more than 20 years of experience in IT functions for companies and institutions. Most recently, she served as the Director General for Information Systems at the European Central Bank and previously held a senior position as Chief Information Officer (CIO) of DB Systel GmbH, the internal IT service provider of Deutsche Bahn. Claudia Plattner holds a degree in mathematics (TU Darmstadt) and a master’s degree in applied mathematics from Tulane University (USA).

Dr. Ralf Wintergerst

Ralf Wintergerst is Chairman of the Management Board of Giesecke+Devrient. In addition to his duties as Group CEO, he is responsible for the central areas of Information Systems, Group Security, Compliance Management and Auditing, Corporate Communications, Mergers & Acquisitions, Corporate Strategy and Development, Legal and Corporate Governance. In addition to his role at G+D, Wintergerst is President of the digital association Bitkom. He is also Chairman of the Supervisory Board of secunet Security Networks AG (Essen) and Chairman of the Board of Directors of netcetera AG (Zurich).

Gerd Chrzanowski

Gerd Chrzanowski is a passionate entrepreneur who places great importance on economic responsibility and values-based action. In his role as General Partner Schwarz Group, he is resolutely committed to the megatrends of digitalization, sustainability and healthy nutrition – acting ahead and serving as a catalyst for the economy in Germany and Europe. After almost 25 years at the companies of Schwarz Group, Chrzanowski understands the retail industry better than virtually anyone else. As the General Partner Schwarz Unternehmenstreuhand KG, he has been responsible for the strategic leadership of the companies of Schwarz Group, including Lidl, Kaufland, Schwarz Produktion, PreZero, Schwarz Digits and Schwarz Corporate Solutions, since December 2021. With roughly 575,000 employees in 32 countries, the companies of Schwarz Group are one of the leading retail groups worldwide, and that calls for responsible corporate management with strategic foresight. Chrzanowski’s innovative strength is evident in his approach to modern technologies and forward-thinking concepts. For instance, he understood the importance of the circular economy early on and supported the founding of the environmental service provider PreZero. His involvement in the areas of cloud computing and cybersecurity also formed the basis for Schwarz Group’s strategic expansion toward digitalization. From 2014, Chrzanowski was the Chief Executive Officer of Lidl Stiftung & Co. KG, Chief Executive Officer of SB Dienstleistung KG, and Deputy General Partner as well as member of the Executive Board of Schwarz Dienstleistung KG, before assuming his current role. During this time, he set trends in IT, mobility and digitalization, which have permanently shaped Schwarz Group’s strategic direction. From 2008 to 2014, he served as the Chief Central Services Officer at Lidl in Germany, having completely restructured the sales department there. Chrzanowski started his career with the companies of Schwarz Group in 2000 as an in-house consultant at Lidl Stiftung & Co. KG, where he drove innovative solutions at an early stage. Born in Offenburg, he graduated from Bochum University of Applied Sciences with a degree in Business Administration and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business Management from Manchester Metropolitan University. Before he went to university, he completed an automobile salesperson apprenticeship.

Andrea Nahles

Andrea Nahles has been Chairwoman of the Executive Board of the Federal Employment Agency since August 1, 2022. From 2020 to 2022 she was President of the Federal Office for Telecommunications. Andrea Nahles previously held various high-ranking political positions. From 2013 to 2017 she was Federal Minister of Labor. From 1998 to 2002 and from 2005 to 2019 she was a member of the German Bundestag and during this time a member of the Committee on Labor and Social Affairs. Andrea Nahles studied German and political science at the University of Bonn. She is Chairwoman of the Board of Trustees of the Reich President Friedrich Ebert Memorial Foundation and is a member of the Friends of Maria Laach Abbey.

Sinan Selen

Born in 1972 in Istanbul/Turkey, Sinan Selen studied law at Cologne University, focusing on home affairs and judicial policies in Europe/European law. From 2000 to 2006, he performed various police tasks at the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA). In late 2006, he changed to the Federal Ministry of the Interior (BMI), where he was head of the section "Terrorism of Foreigners and Extremism of Foreigners" within the counter-terrorism unit.

From 2009 to 2012, he served as the permanent deputy to the head of the Department for Combatting Crime in the Federal Police Headquarters, with tasks including combatting crime, counter-terrorism, and fighting piracy. From 2012 to 2016, he worked on operational issues of countering terrorism at the Department of "Public Security" of the Federal Ministry of the Interior (BMI).

In 2016, he changed to the TUI Group, where he developed the group's security architecture. His tasks included international coordination, creating uniform standards and processes, particularly in the fields of cyber security and crisis management, as well as analyzing vulnerabilities and risks in all parts of the corporation. Since January 21, 2019, he has been serving as the Deputy Director of the BfV.

Dag Baehr

Major General Dag Baehr has been Vice President and senior officer in the BND since 2023. In the Bundeswehr since 1985, he has had a variety of positions, including in the Federal Ministry of Defence, at NATO, from 2013 to 2017 as commander of the special forces command and most recently as commander sensors and effect command. Baehr was deployed abroad for around 6 years, commander of a special operations task force several times, and was also sent to war and crisis areas.

Thomas Berger

Thomas Berger joined the police service of the state of Baden-Württemberg in 1991 as a middle-level officer. In 1998 he was promoted to senior service and in 2009 to higher service as a consultant in the situation center of the BW Interior Ministry. In 2011, Thomas Berger was the first police officer to take on the role of head of the central office, also at the BW Ministry of the Interior.

Dr. Thomas Daum

Vice-Admiral Dr. Thomas Daum joined the Bundeswehr in 1981. After studying computer science and completing his naval officer education, he received first command assignments on seagoing units until he took part in the admiral staff officers’ training. His career as a senior officer has always been closely related to IT topics. After becoming Chief of Staff at the German Cyber and Information Domain Service (CIDS) Headquarters in 2019, Dr Daum was appointed as Chief of CIDS the following year.

Carsten Meywirth

Carsten Meywirth is the head of the Cybercrime Division at the Bundeskriminalamt. Mr. Meywirth joined the Bundeskriminalamt in 1987 after completing his training as a police officer at the uniform branch in Lower Saxony. Mr. Meywirth has held various managerial positions in the Central Services Division and Serious and Organised Crime Division since joining the Bundeskriminalamt over 30-years ago.

Chris Robbins

Special Agent Chris Robbins is an Assistant Legal Attaché responsible for FBI Cyber matters in Germany. Prior to arriving in Germany, he led the FBI Cyber Division's Advanced Digital Forensics Program. He has been with the FBI since 2005 investigating cyber threats, including nation states, cyber crime, and ransomware. He is an expert in Digital Forensics and Incident Response (DFIR) and is a member of the FBI's Cyber Action Team (CAT), a highly trained rapid response team of FBI agents, analysts, and computer forensics and malicious code experts who respond to cyber intrusions.

Günther H. Oettinger

Günther H. Oettinger was European Commissioner for Budget & Human Resources since January 2017. From November 2014 to December 2016, he held office as European Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society after being European Commissioner for Energy from February 2010 to October 2014 and lastly also Vice-President of the European Commission in 2014. From 2005-2010, he was Prime Minister of Baden-Württemberg (Germany) and, since 1984, a member of the regional Parliament ("Landtag"). He was the leader of the CDU Landtag group from January 1991 to April 2005. A lawyer by training, Günther H. Oettinger became actively involved in politics during his adolescence.

Christian Müller

Christian Müller is Co-CEO of Schwarz Digits, the IT and digital division of Schwarz Group. Schwarz Digits offers digital products and services relating to cyber security, cloud, artificial intelligence and secure communication that meet the high German data protection standards - for the greatest possible digital sovereignty. In addition, Christian Müller has been responsible for the business of Schwarz IT KG since January 1, 2018 - first as a divisional director, then as a board member and since July 1, 2021 as CEO. As a service provider, it manages the entire digital infrastructure and software solutions of Schwarz Group companies and provides support for their IT projects. Since joining Schwarz Group on January 1, 2004, Christian Müller has held various positions of responsibility. He started his career at Lidl Stiftung & Co. KG in the IT department.

Rolf Schumann

Rolf Schumann is Co-CEO of Schwarz Digits, the IT und digital division of the Schwarz Group. Schwarz Digits offers digital products and services relating to cyber security, cloud and artificial intelligence that meet the high German data protection standards - for the greatest possible digital sovereignty. In addition, Rolf Schumann is responsible for the digital activities of the companies of Schwarz Group with a focus on e-commerce, loyalty, retail media and digital innovations. With over 30 years of experience in the strategic planning of IT projects and digital transformation, he is constantly driving technology and innovation-related topics across all industries. Before joining the Schwarz Group, Rolf Schumann was in charge at SAP as General Manager worldwide for the Platform & Innovation division. From 2008 to 2012, Rolf Schumann dedicated himself to the topic of clean tech and founded the start-up company Better Place, with a focus on electromobility. Prior to that, he was CTO for Europe at SAP. Before joining SAP in 2000, Mr. Schumann spent nine years at Siemens, where he was responsible for data center operations in Europe and the planning of Internet architecture.

Dr. Daniela Gerd tom Markotten

Dr. Daniela Gerd tom Markotten is Board Member for Digitalization & Technology at Deutsche Bahn. Together with her team, she is working on a strong rail network for Germany. Her mission: to use digitalization and technology to make Deutsche Bahn the most popular and sustainable mode of transport. Despite her enthusiasm for technology, she makes it clear: digitalization and technology are not an end in themselves. Regardless of whether it is artificial intelligence, connectivity or digital maintenance - Deutsche Bahn customers should feel improvements. Dr. Daniela Gerd tom Markotten has a doctorate in IT security and has held various positions in IT, logistics and production at Daimler AG. Before starting at Deutsche Bahn, she was CEO of the mobility platform moovel and founded a tech startup in 2020 that, among other things, develops a software product for AI/AR-based video calls for remote support.

Oscar Angress

A cybersecurity expert with over 25 years of professional experience in hacking and cracking. Trusted advisor to top corporations like Rheinmetall, VW, Bosch, and Roche. Former member of elite hacker groups (CORE, SkidRow, Phrozen Crew) and developer skilled in Assembler, C++, .NET, and reverse engineering. Once wanted by INTERPOL, now a respected advocate for security.

Bernd Wagner

Bernd Wagner (Bernie) has been CEO and divisional Board member of Schwarz Digits since November 1st, 2024. He joined from Google Cloud Germany, where he had served as the Managing Director since 2021. From 2013 to 2021, Bernd Wagner worked for T-Systems International as the Senior Vice President Sales for eight years, overseeing sales in Germany. Additionally, he was a member of the supervisory board of Operational Service GmbH, a joint venture between Freeport AG and T-Systems International. Before joining T-Systems Bernd Wagner had already held executive positions, including serving as the CEO of the Leipzig-based consulting firm Softline AG, Senior Vice President of Fujitsu Siemens Computer, CEO of the EDS Global Field Services and as a member of the board at USU AG.

Harald Mannheim

Harald Mannheim is Managing Director of Airbus Defence and Space GmbH since January 2023. He also took over the role as Head of Defence Digital and Cyber in January 2024. Defence Digital provides multi domain and cyber resilient information superiority and decision superiority for military and governmental customers to complete the missions sustainably. Cyber design, develop, integrate and deploy tailored and standardized reliable solutions and products for defence, governmental, institutional, commercial and critical national infrastructure customers. Additionally, since July 2022, Harald is the Head of Connected Intelligence Germany and represents all Connected Intelligence activities towards the German authorities. Born on 30 April 1973, Harald is married and has one daughter. In his free time, he enjoys spending time cooking and with family and friends as well as hiking.

Dr. Bernd Pichlmayer

Dr. Bernd Pichlmayer is the founder and CEO of FTGG Cyber, a strategic advisory firm specializing in cybersecurity. Previously, he served as the Cybersecurity Advisor to the Federal Chancellor of Austria, where he coordinated federal cybersecurity policies at the political level and represented Austria in international cybersecurity forums. Dr. Pichlmayer holds a PhD in Law from the University of Vienna and an Executive Master of Business Law (E.M.B.L.-HSG) from the University of St. Gallen, Switzerland.

Christopher Kränzler

As VP of Product, Christopher Kränzler drives Aleph Alpha’s product vision and strategy, delivering measurable customer value from AI through vertical solutions today while setting a new industry standard for sovereign AI in the future. With over ten years of experience in AI product development, Christopher holds degrees from KIT and Columbia University. In addition to his role at Aleph Alpha, he advocates for the digitization of the economy and the public sector as a member of the board of directors at Bitkom, and speaks on AI topics at international events.

Prof. Dr. Dennis-Kenji Kipker

Prof. Dr. Dennis-Kenji Kipker is Scientific Director of the cyberintelligence.institute in Frankfurt am Main, Member of the Board of Directors of the strategy consulting company CERTAVO AG and Visiting Professor at the private Riga Graduate School of Law in Latvia, which was founded by the Soros Foundation. Here he conducts research on topics at the interface of law and technology in cyber security, corporate strategy and digital resilience in the context of global crises.

Dr. Alexander Schellong

Dr. Alexander Schellong is Managing Director (GL ) and Member of the Executive Board for Cybersecurity at Schwarz Digits. Alexander has extensive experience in strategic consulting, general management, business unit leadership and mission critical international project and operations management in Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia for the U.S. government, German government, European Commission, NATO and other commercial clients. In 2019, Alexander founded the non-profit initiative CYBERWOMEN to support networking among and growth of female information security experts from student to CxO across Germany. He studied and taught at Goethe-University Frankfurt am Main, Harvard Kennedy School, The University of Tokyo, Tec de Monterrey, Brandt School of Public Policy, Zeppelin University, Salzburg Management Business School, and Stanford University.

Matthias Zeller

Matthias Zeller is the Managing Director and CSO of Christ&Company as well as the CEO of Joschka Fischer&Company. He holds a Master of Public Policy from the Hertie School of Governance in Berlin, a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy, and a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the University of Mannheim. His career includes positions at the European Parliament and Deutsche Börse. Matthias Zeller is a co-founder of Christ&Company and has been with the company since its early days. His expertise lies primarily in the fields of Digital Economy & Finance. At Christ&Company, he is responsible for the Ventures division and coordinates the sales processes. Matthias Zeller has extensive experience in leading and strategically guiding companies in the digital and financial sectors. At C&C, he has been responsible for the Digital Economy and Ventures division since 2018, where he has led significant projects related to digital transformation and corporate financing. As Managing Director and CSO, he has played a key role in C&C's expansion and market positioning. He was also a member of the Investor Board of G2K Group GmbH until its sale to ServiceNow and is currently serving as an Observer of the Investor Board at Aleph Alpha GmbH. In addition to his professional commitments, he is actively involved in various political and non-profit organizations, including the Harald Christ Foundation for Democracy and Diversity. He applies his extensive network and deep understanding of the dynamics of the digital economy and financial markets in his work with relevant clients and investments.