Human + machine = rethinking digital transformation

Digital Leadership Summit 2026

Digital Leadership Summit 2026
Date

Tuesday, 15 September 2026

Time

11.00-18.30 (including apéro riche)

Location

Aura Event Saal, Bleicherweg 5, 8001 Zürich

About the event

Only 5% of Swiss CEOs report achieving real cost savings and revenue gains from their AI investments so far. If AI is only part of the equation, how are the other 95% creating impact by focusing on the fundamentals — purpose, people and the technology foundations?

We’re pleased to invite you to our next ‘PwC Digital Leadership Summit 2026’ on 15. September 2026 at the AURA in Zurich where we will discuss what successful digital leadership look like today. 

Expect top digital leaders, clients sharing real digital transformation experiences, and enough time to network with our digital leadership community.

Human + machine = rethinking digital transformation

Agenda

11:00 Optional: Workshop
  Optional: Lunch 
   
13:00  Arrival & registration 
13:30 Start of the event
  Part 1: From Vision to Value: How to rethink Digital Leadership with AI
15:30

Coffee break

  Part 2: Architecting Human + Machine: The CIO Perspective on Digital Leadership
17.30 Apéro riche & networking

Location

Language

Please note that this event will be held in English.

Our speakers and panelists - Part 1 

Keynote

Decision-making under uncertainty sets the foundation for modern leadership, combining neuroscience-based insights with the mindsets needed to lead in an increasingly complex environment.

Benjamin Bargetzi is a Swiss bestselling author, neuroscientist, psychologist, and tech entrepreneur, recognised as one of Europe’s leading keynote speakers and thought leaders. His work sits at the intersection of human cognition and emerging technologies, exploring how leaders can successfully navigate digital transformation when humans and machines increasingly work side by side.

Drawing on his background in cognitive science, psychology, and future technologies, Benjamin translates cutting-edge insights into practical, science-backed leadership strategies. His research focuses on how emotions such as courage, doubt, and fear influence decision-making, change readiness, and transformation success—empowering leaders to rethink digital transformation with clarity, confidence, and a deeply human perspective.

Input Speeches

Workforce expectations are shifting, and the convergence of HR and IT is becoming a critical strategic capability with direct implications for leadership, talent, and operating models.

Patrick is a Senior HR Executive with more than 20 years of experience across Financial Services, Professional Services and Consulting and Further Education, as well as advisory roles in the airline, public sector, and pharmaceutical industries. His career is characterised by a strong focus on learning, transformation, and human‑centric leadership to bring strategy into execution, combining deep HR expertise with a passion for driving organisational and client impact.

Kaja is the Head of Products and Innovation within UBS’s Group Human Resources and Corporate Services (GHRCS). She has been with UBS since 2012 and has held several senior leadership roles across product management, strategy, client solutions, marketing, and business management within UBS Switzerland. Throughout her career, she has focused on driving transformation, scaling products and services, and strengthening value delivery at both strategic and operational levels.

Panel 

From a leadership  perspective, the focus moves from vision to value: rethinking digital leadership with AI as a driver of business relevance, speed, and measurable impact.

 

Dr. Marta Raus-Zaglio is a Managing Director at SIX Group with over 15 years of experience in enterprise architecture, data, and technology management. She is passionate about enabling data-driven decision-making and driving innovation through the effective alignment of business and technology.

Before joining SIX, she worked at Avaloq and Swiss Re, focusing on architecture and data management, where she gained extensive experience in complex, international environments.

At SIX, she holds the role of Head Enterprise Technology Governance & Solutions. In this capacity, she focuses on strengthening enterprise architecture, shaping the IT governance framework, advancing ITSM platform transformations, and leading corporate functions applications.

Having lived and worked across several European countries, Marta brings a strong international perspective. She is recognized for her strategic mindset, inclusive leadership style, and her ability to build trusted relationships and empower teams to deliver impactful change.

Kaja is the Head of Products and Innovation within UBS’s Group Human Resources and Corporate Services (GHRCS). She has been with UBS since 2012 and has held several senior leadership roles across product management, strategy, client solutions, marketing, and business management within UBS Switzerland. Throughout her career, she has focused on driving transformation, scaling products and services, and strengthening value delivery at both strategic and operational levels.

Stefan has been a member of the Executive Committee of Itaú Private Bank Zurich since 2017 and has been responsible for the bank’s operations in Switzerland. He joined Itaú Private Bank in 2008 and played a major role in establishing the bank in Switzerland, following earlier executive positions within the Itaú group in Miami and Santiago de Chile. Since 2021, he has served as CEO of Itaú Private Bank Zurich. Prior to joining Itaú, he worked for more than ten years at various financial institutions in Basel, Zurich, and New York in roles spanning sales, investment consulting, project management, and business management.

Our speakers and panelists - Part 2

Input Speech 

The key leadership challenge is bridging strategy and execution — turning digital and AI ambition into tangible business outcomes.

Florian Maurer is a technology and transformation leader with over 15 years of experience driving tangible impact across global (re)insurance and financial services. He focuses on turning digital and AI strategies into real business outcomes—bridging the gap between vision and execution.

His work spans enterprise architecture, data and AI, and large-scale organisational transformation, always with a strong emphasis on delivering measurable value. Florian is particularly passionate about embedding technologies such as GenAI and agentic AI into core business workflows—enhancing decision-making, strengthening operational resilience, and improving customer outcomes.

He leads AI strategy and initiatives across underwriting, claims, and operations, working closely with business and technology stakeholders as well as external partners. At the same time, he drives the adoption of API-first, cloud-native platforms and explores how AI is reshaping software development, operating models, and ways of working.


Panel 

From the CIO perspective, competitive advantage will depend on how effectively organizations combine human capability and machine intelligence to scale execution and transformation.

Matthias has a multi‑year background in information & data management, enterprise architecture, and business consulting. Prior to joining Swiss Re, he worked in IT consulting in Germany, focusing on the acquisition, management, and delivery of enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. He is currently Head Data Foundation at Swiss Re based in Bangalore. Throughout his career, he has lived and worked internationally, including in the Netherlands, Japan, Switzerland, Singapore, and now India as part of an international assignment.

Norman is a highly experienced data enthusiast who has been at the forefront of the data revolution and served as one of the first Chief Data Officers in the Swiss financial services industry in 2016. His professional background spans treasury desks, consulting, and line management roles across front office, consulting, and IT at institutions such as JPMorgan, KPMG Consulting, Capgemini, and Credit Suisse, where he has held various positions since 2007. He has since expanded his expertise into blockchain and distributed ledger technology and currently serves as CDAO at St. Galler Kantonalbank, alongside roles in the blockchain and Web3 space.

Markus Himpele is Chief Information Officer at Burckhardt Compression with 25 years of experience leading business transformation, IT operations, and digitalisation across multiple industries, including industrial automation (Schneider Electric), consulting and outsourcing (Capgemini), telecommunications (Vodafone), automotive (Autoneum), utilities (Axpo), and manufacturing. He has held senior leadership roles driving global IT services, application delivery, and digital strategy initiatives. Markus holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Management and an MBA. Based in Winterthur, Switzerland, he is passionate about leveraging technology for impact, advancing future enterprise architecture, cloud, AI, and digital transformation, and is known for a people‑centric leadership philosophy focused on sustainable progress. Outside work, he values family life and is a father of two.


Workshops

Workshop: Trust in AI

If your board, employees, and customers do not trust your AI solutions, they will not champion them, adopt them, or help them scale.

The real challenge is not whether trust matters, but how quickly you can earn it and turn it into momentum for AI adoption.

Join this interactive workshop to discover how leading organisations build and prove trust in AI through embedded governance, strong assurance, and hands-on risk scenarios that bring the challenges to life.

You will leave with practical insights, proven governance tools, and actionable roadmaps to help your organisation deploy, scale, and sustain AI with confidence.

Hosts:

  • Michael Föhner, Global Head of Data & AI Governance, Swiss Re
  • Mark Meuldijk, Director and AI in Assurance Leader, PwC Switzerland

Workshop: Global Business Services

By 2030, GBS will look fundamentally different: more digital, more integrated and increasingly positioned as an innovation engine that unlocks new value through AI and data. As GBS organisations evolve into more digitally enabled GBS or GCCs, they are becoming strategic partners embedded in enterprise decision‑making.

In the workshop, we will explore how to evolve from into a digitally enabled, agent-powered & human-led organisation.

Host: Sarthak Mahapatra, Global Business Services Leader, PwC Switzerland 

Workshop: AI for Tax and Legal Professionals

AI is reshaping how tax and legal functions operate — from identifying regulatory obligations and contractual risks to analysing large volumes of data and unstructured information at scale.

Participants will explore how leading organisations are applying AI across tax and legal functions to improve compliance, enhance productivity and  strengthen risk management. Through practical use cases and real-world examples, participants will gain an understanding of where AI delivers value today, the capabilities that matter most, and how to move from experimentation to sustainable adoption.

Host: Fatih Sahin, Partner & AI in Tax Leader, PwC Switzerland 

Workshop: From Automation to Autonomy

Autonomous agents are entering the enterprise. How do we architect, orchestrate and govern them — and what tool support do we need?

Together with leading technology providers, we discuss what the shift from automation to autonomy means for Enterprise Architecture, when:

  • Applications and agents converge
  • Data platforms become knowledge hubs — for humans and agents alike
  • Prompt engineering turns into context engineering

Short impulse presentations are followed by a panel discussion on where Enterprise Architecture, platforms and tools are heading.

Hosts:

  • Rejhan Fazlic, Partner Technology Strategy & Transformation, PwC Switzerland 
  • Markus Hegi, Senior Manager Technology Strategy & Transformation, PwC Switzerland

Why attend?

The event is designed to maximise your learning and networking opportunities. With a focus on digitalisation, our agenda is carefully crafted to provide valuable insights and thought-provoking discussions. Connect with c-level speakers and panels who are at the forefront of innovation in the industry.

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digital leadership summit
digital leadership summit
digital leadership summit
digital leadership summit
digital leadership summit

Register today

Please note that this event is aimed at CxOs and key decision makers. 

https://pages.pwc.ch/view-form?id=701Vl00001MDP1pIAH&embed=true&lang=en

Your contact

Prafull Sharma

Partner Technology Strategy & Transformation FS, PwC Switzerland

+41 58 792 18 72

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Any questions about the event?

Stefanie Huber

Senior Marketing Strategy Consultant Tech, Data & AI, PwC Switzerland

+41 78 891 31 03

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