Keynote Speakers
Boris Becker
Tennis Legend and 6-time Grand Slam Champion
Boris Franz Becker (born 22 November 1967) is a German former professional tennis player, coach, and commentator. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential tennis players of his generation and one of the defining figures in men’s tennis of the late 20th century. Becker was ranked world No. 1 in men’s singles and won six Grand Slam singles titles: three at Wimbledon (1985, 1986, 1989), two at the Australian Open (1991, 1996), and one at the US Open (1989).
Becker achieved international prominence in 1985 when, aged 17, he became the youngest ever men’s singles champion at Wimbledon and the first unseeded player to win the title. His breakthrough victory is widely regarded as a landmark moment in modern tennis, contributing to the sport’s global popularity and redefining expectations of power, athleticism, and attacking play on grass courts. Known for his powerful serve, aggressive net play and dynamic movement, Becker played a significant role in shaping attacking tennis during the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Over the course of his playing career, Becker won 49 singles titles and 15 doubles titles on the ATP Tour. He was a key member of Germany’s Davis Cup-winning teams in 1988 and 1989, helping establish Germany as a leading nation in men’s tennis during that period.
After retiring from professional tennis in 1999, Becker remained closely involved in the sport as a commentator, analyst and coach. From 2013 to 2016, he served as head coach of Novak Djokovic. During this period, Djokovic won six Grand Slam singles titles and consolidated his position as world No. 1, holding the ranking for a record number of weeks.
In 2023, Becker briefly served as coach to Danish player Holger Rune, collaborating with him during part of the ATP Tour season.
From 2017 to 2021, Becker served as head of men’s tennis in Germany, overseeing the national men’s programme, including the Davis Cup team. During this time, he also acted as a mentor to Alexander Zverev, working closely with him during a formative period of his professional career.
Becker has continued to work as a tennis analyst and commentator for international broadcasters and has published several books reflecting on his sporting career, professional experiences, and public life.
Elif Shafak
Elif Shafak is an award-winning British-Turkish novelist and storyteller. She has published 21 books, 13 of which are novels and her books have been translated into 58 languages.The Island of Missing Trees was a finalist for the Costa Award, British Book Awards, RSL Ondaatje Prize and Women’s Prize for Fiction and was a Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick. 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in this Strange World was shortlisted for the Booker Prize and RSL Ondaatje Prize; and was Blackwell’s Book of the Year. The Forty Rules of Love was chosen by BBC among the 100 Novels that Shaped Our World. The Architect’s Apprentice was chosen for The Queen’s Reading Room. There are Rivers in the Sky won the Edward Stanford Award 2025, Prix Fragonard de Littérature Étrangère, and was a finalist for the Prix Fémina Étranger and The Orwell Prize for Political Fiction. Her upcoming novel, In One Brief Moment All Eternity, will be published on 15 October.
Shafak holds a PhD in political science, and she has taught at various universities in Turkey, the US and the UK, including St Anne's College, Oxford University, where she is an honorary fellow. She also holds an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Bard College. Shafak is a Fellow and President of the Royal Society of Literature and has been chosen among BBC’s 100 most inspiring and influential women. She is a Public Humanities Fellow at the School of Advanced Studies (SAS) in recognition of her work to shape the future of Public Humanities, deepen its reach and expand its impact.
An advocate for women's rights, LGBTQ+ rights and freedom of expression, Shafak is an inspiring public speaker and twice TED Global speaker. She contributes to major publications around the world, and she was awarded the medal of Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. In 2017 she was chosen by Politico as one of the twelve people “who will give you a much-needed lift of the heart”. She has judged numerous literary prizes, including The PEN Nabokov Prize and has chaired the Wellcome Prize. Shafak is the recipient of the Halldór Laxness International Literature Prize for her contribution to 'the renewal of the art of storytelling. In 2024, Shafak was awarded the British Academy President's Medal for 'her excellent body of work which demonstrates an incredible intercultural range. Her website can be found at www.elifshafak.com and her Substack is called "Unmapped Storylands".
Jesper Brodin
Jesper’s career at IKEA started in Pakistan 1995 as a purchase manager; not long after he became Regional Purchase Manager for Southeast Asia. In 1999, he took on the assignment of assistant, both to IKEA founder Ingvar Kamprad and to Anders Dahlvig, who was CEO at that time.
As a leader, Jesper is known for his belief in values-based leadership and for his emphasis on togetherness, saying: “The power is where the people are. Believe in yourself and your strengths, but don’t forget to rely on other people’s strengths, too. Because we’re truly stronger together.” Jesper has a strong commitment and experience of the intersection between business and sustainability and holds the role as Chair of the B Team as well as the Co-Chair role for UN Global Compact – advocating for future where purpose and profit go hand in hand. In 2024 he was named one of the 100 most influential people of by TIME.
In March 2026, Jesper Brodin was appointed Chair of the Board of The Earthshot Prize, founded by HRH Prince William, succeeding Christiana Figueres. As Chair, he will help guide the world’s leading environmental prize at the midway point of its ten-year mission to accelerate and scale bold solutions to repair the planet. His appointment reflects his long-standing commitment to demonstrating that what is good for the planet is also good for business, and his belief in mobilising business, government and innovators to drive impact at scale.
More recently, Jesper joined the ITU/UN Global Commission on AI for Good as a Commissioner, contributing to its work developing recommendations around emerging technologies and their impact on society.
Jesper was born in Gothenburg, Sweden, and holds a Master’s degree in Industrial Engineering from Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden. Married with three children, he fills his spare time with sailing and music: “To play the guitar is my yoga. I do it every day.”
Salil Parekh
Client Speakers
Catherine Zhou
Catherine Zhou is the Global Chief Information Officer (CIO) for International Wealth and Premier Banking (IWPB), responsible for leading the design, build and delivery of world-class technology, digital products and services at speed for customers and colleagues across IWPB's global markets. Serving more than 38 million customers in 44 cities across 18 countries and territories, IWPB Technology is focused on delivering sustainable customer experience and operational efficiency solutions that balance cost, risk and regulatory demands, as well as developing capabilities that support HSBC's key propositions across International Premier Banking (excluding UK & Hong Kong), Asset Management, Insurance, Private Banking and Core Banking. A key component of the technological transformation is the pivot to digital and the delivery of a global standardized digital platform.
Based in London at HSBC's global headquarters in Canary Wharf, Catherine has a proven track record of delivering technology solutions at global scale. In her previous role as Group Head of Ventures, Digital Partnerships & Innovation at HSBC, she was responsible for leading the bank-wide approach to modernizing capabilities that drive growth through innovative customer-facing propositions and uncovering alternative business models to create new growth opportunities.
Prior to joining HSBC, Catherine ran the Consumer Bank for East West Bank and led efforts to build an entirely new stack of digital capabilities from the ground up, including a pioneering cross-border straight-through digital onboarding capability that became the bank's new organic growth engine. Earlier in her career, Catherine held senior leadership roles at Accenture, PwC, and Ernst & Young, working with media, technology and retail clients across front-office and back-office functions.
Catherine is a Non-Executive Director on the Board of Directors of Hang Seng Bank Limited in Hong Kong. She holds an MBA in Marketing & Econometrics from Carnegie Mellon University and an MS in Management Engineering from the University of Science & Technology Beijing.
Andreas Pfau
Stefanie Neumann
After completing her studies in European Business Administration, Stefanie Neumann began her career in strategy and IT consulting, working on business and technology transformation projects across multiple industries, including telecommunications, insurance, and aviation. This early focus on implementation and operational impact shaped her long-term specialization in IT-driven business transformation.
She spent nearly a decade at Deutsche Telekom AG, where she held various senior management roles in technology and media. During this time, she was responsible for the development and delivery of TV and media platforms and contributed to the expansion of Internet TV as a scalable business model in Germany and Southern Europe. In parallel, she served as a member of the Executive Board of the German TV Platform, supporting industry cooperation in media and technology.
In 2019, Stefanie Neumann joined the Lufthansa Group as Vice President IT Sourcing, later taking on responsibility for IT Infrastructure and Transition. In these roles, she oversaw IT sourcing strategies, infrastructure services, and transition processes, and supported the ongoing modernization and standardization of IT operations across the Group.
As CEO of Lufthansa Systems, Stefanie Neumann stands for modern, people-centered leadership in a highly complex, global and technology-driven environment. She combines strategic clarity and high ambition with trust, empowerment and a genuine commitment to people. Her conviction is that sustainable transformation cannot be achieved through technology, structures or processes alone, it requires leaders who create direction, enable ownership and give people the confidence and space to shape change.
With her international background, deep technological expertise and extensive hands-on transformation experience, Stefanie Neumann brings a pragmatic perspective on what it takes to lead organizations through continuous change. She is particularly passionate about harnessing technology and transformation to shape the future of aviation, in close collaboration with customers and partners and with a clear focus on their evolving needs and challenges.
Infosys Speakers
Ashiss Kumar Dash
As the Global Head for a business portfolio that comprises over 18 industry verticals, Ashiss Kumar Dash (“Dash”) is helping navigate the digital future for leading Fortune 500 and Global 2000 enterprises. A seasoned digital transformation leader with over 3 decades of experience, Dash is focused on driving transformation strategies and shaping the future of industries through the adoption of emerging technologies.
Drawing from over 30 years of diverse roles and responsibilities, Dash amalgamates his varied skills into straddling delivery, operational, and financial excellence for his industry group. In addition to driving revenue growth, he is also focused on institutionalizing innovation, AI-led re-imagination, and the future of work within his teams.
Dash believes the more varied a perspective, the broader one’s vision can be. He actively contributes to global conversations on energy transition and sustainable development through prestigious forums like the World Economic Forum and the UN’s Global Investors for Sustainable Development Alliance.
Dash is a member of the Board of Directors of Infosys Public Services, that provides next-generation digital services and consulting to public sector organizations in North America and MRE Consulting LLC, both fully owned subsidiaries of Infosys. Dash is also a Trustee of Infosys Foundation USA, a foundation with a mission to expand access to computer science and maker education for K-12 students and educators across the USA, while working to digitally upskill communities.
Dash is an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, India. He has also completed the Global Leadership Program at Stanford University and the Senior Executive Program at London Business School.
An avid reader, Dash is currently based in Los Angeles. He enjoys running, swimming, and practicing mindfulness.
Jayesh Sanghrajka
Jayesh Sanghrajka is the Executive Vice President & Group CFO of Infosys Ltd. With over 3 decades of experience in global finance and strategic leadership, Jayesh plays a pivotal role in long-term value creation; financial and operational excellence; and grooming the next set of leaders for Infosys. As the leader of the company’s global finance organization, he oversees areas like facilitating growth at good margins, financial planning and analysis, investor relations, treasury, tax, and risk management. Over the years, he has driven the finance team’s digital transformation journey towards functional excellence. Jayesh spearheads multiple cross-functional initiatives aimed at identifying new revenue growth opportunities or driving cost optimization.
A key architect of the company’s growth strategy, Jayesh is responsible for mergers and acquisitions (M&A), helping to create and sustain long-term competitive advantage for Infosys.
Jayesh also champions the company’s Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) agenda, ensuring that ESG is at the heart of Infosys’ strategy to achieve profits with a purpose, while balancing sustainable growth; compliance with international standards; and stakeholder transparency.
Prior to Infosys, he worked in companies like Tishman-Speyer, Rediff.com, Mu Sigma, and KPMG, wherein he played a key role in driving various digital and financial transformations to help them be future-ready.
Jayesh earned his bachelor’s degree in commerce from Mumbai University, India. He is a Chartered Accountant from the Institute of Chartered Accountants, India. He also has a degree in cost accounting. Over the years, he has attended various Executive Global Leadership Development Programs at global universities like Stanford University (USA) and Harvard University (USA).
Karmesh Vaswani
Karmesh leads a global team of purpose driven executives, focused on accelerating sustainable performance improvements in the Consumer Tech & Goods, Retail and Logistics (CRL) industries. This team partners with Executive Boards and operating leadership teams of global / regional enterprises to strategize, shape, and execute new-generation business models embracing AI & Gen AI, Cloud, and new-age Digital Technologies. They also help modernize and migrate enterprises into new operating models by assisting in the retirement of technology and process debt, improving operational efficiency across existing enterprise capabilities, and navigating performance outcomes towards industry north stars. Karmesh also serves as a Chairman at Infosys Consulting, Infosys BPM, and EdgeVerve (Finacle).
Karmesh is passionate about driving meaningful change, to amplify human potential in purpose-led enterprises. He champions the promotion of meritocracy-led equity, inclusivity, and diversity, both for Infosys and Infosys client enterprises. He is very actively involved in shaping the futuristic AI and Machine Learning-led business & technology models, partnering with Big Techs, innovative startups, and select client industry leaders. He blends these journeys with the unique capabilities of Infosys, to create a purposeful and positive impact on the P&L and balance sheet performance of global enterprises.
Rafee Tarafdar
Rafee is a Unit Technology Officer and heads the Strategic Technology Group at Infosys that focuses on building next generation platforms, capabilities and solutions. The Strategic Technology Group comprises of Technology Strategists defining and driving large transformational programs and platforms, Power Programmers who work as full stack developers on complex engineering projects for clients and Expert Trackers who bring in deep technical expertise in emerging technology areas and are involved in building platforms and solution for Infosys.
He has over twenty years of IT experience and the first phase of his career focused on coding and developing products for the Manufacturing and Banking industry. In the second phase, he concentrated on consulting, architecting and delivering transformational solutions for the Retail, Consumer Goods and Logistics industries. Now, in the third phase, he is directed towards building deeper architecture, technology and programming capabilities within Infosys, developing new Go-To Market solutions and building platforms for Infosys and their clients. His current research interests include operating models for sustainability and skills development, published in The Live Enterprise: Create a Continuously Learning and Evolving Organization (McGraw-Hill).
Sumit Virmani
Sumit heads marketing and communications at Infosys, with responsibility for realizing Infosys’ brand ambitions globally.
A transformative marketing leader, Sumit has, for over 25 years, shaped brand experiences and narratives across industries and geographies. He joined Infosys in 2004 and has since helped navigate Infosys into the league of the world’s Top 100 brands, and to evolve into the fastest growing IT services brand globally.
He champions the role of brand purpose, brand promise and brand performance as the foundational pillars that position the business for short-term growth and long-term market share gains. Sumit is also the Trustee at Infosys Foundation and serves on the Board of WongDoody – Infosys’ experience design company. Prior to joining Infosys, Sumit worked with Polaris Software and the Tata Group where he honed his skills in business development, brand strategy, marketing effectiveness and corporate communications. Forbes ranked Sumit among the top 50 most influential CMOs globally in 2023. CNBC Storyboard 18 recognized him as a global marketing visionary in 2024.
He serves on the steering committees of The Drum, International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences and the Association of National Advertisers to help further the marketing agenda in boardrooms.
Event Emcee
Katharina Moser
Katharina has designed, organized, and moderated around 300 events. Since 2020 she has specialised in the design and moderation of in-person, hybrid and online events with a focus on how to make them more human. 2022 she joined the Executive Board of the Inner Development Goals, leading the summit 2023.
Previously, she worked for the Austrian Foreign Ministry, the British Council, and the European Forum Alpbach, before she founded the creative agency MOSAIK in 2015. (one of her projects was awarded the State Prize on Europe).
She is on the board of Bürgerforum Europa; the Austrian Society for European Politics, a founding member of Alliance4Europe, and a member of the BMW Responsible Leaders Network.