The speakers for the World of Data 2026 will be announced here gradually.
Discover our inspiring line-up:




Dr. Arndt Claußen specializes in advanced analytics, business intelligence, and cloud initiatives. With expertise in building modern data stacks, he leverages technologies like SAP S/4HANA, BigQuery, and Google Cloud Platform for data-driven solutions, including statistical forecasting and ML applications.





Yannick leads the AI & Data team at the German Press Agency (dpa), Germany’s largest news agency. After earning his Master’s degree in Management & Data Science, Yannick gained several years of experience as a data scientist and team lead in IT consulting. Since early 2025, his team has been developing innovative AI solutions for the media and information ecosystem.





Claudia Pohlink has more than 20 years of professional experience in the fields of data science, artificial intelligence, and innovation management. As Chief Data Officer at FIEGE Logistics, she is responsible for the company’s data and AI topics. Until summer 2024, she led the Data Intelligence Center at Deutsche Bahn and was responsible for the group-wide data and AI strategy. Prior to that, she headed the machine learning team at T-Labs, the research unit of Deutsche Telekom. In addition to her corporate roles, Claudia Pohlink is an angel investor. She is a speaker and author and is actively committed to advancing education for children and young people in the areas of data and AI. Claudia has received numerous awards, including “Global Women Leader in AI” in 2019, “40 over 40 – Germany’s Most Inspiring Women 2022,” recognition as one of the “30 Outstanding Women in Data – 2023 Global,” and most recently the ILD Leadership Award 2025 in the category “Inspiring Leader.”






Sascha Riegenring has more than 20 years of professional experience in the fields of data management, data governance, analytics, and digital transformation. He currently serves as Head of Data & AI Foundations at FIEGE Logistics. In this role, he is responsible for the central data platform, data management, data governance, data quality, and self-service analytics, among other topics. His focus lies on scalable, economically viable data architectures and the sustainable establishment of data literacy across the organization. Previously, Sascha Riegenring worked as Data Officer for the Group Executive Board at Deutsche Bahn and served as Chief Data Officer at Berlin Hyp AG. His key priorities include the practical implementation of data and AI strategies, optimizing the cost-benefit ratio of data investments, and the successful development of high-performing data organizations.






Simon is an experienced transformation leader specializing in data strategy, digital initiatives, and process optimization. As Global Head of Data Excellence at Giesecke+Devrient, he is responsible for the company’s global data governance and oversees multiple transformation programs. Previously, he held senior roles at UniCredit and PwC, where he focused on strategy development, target operating models, and the digital transformation of banking.





Thomas is Head of Data-Driven Applications & Services at GRENKE in Baden-Baden. GRENKE is a financial solution provider, offering services in more than 30 countries around the world. His department aims to deliver business value through data and data-related services and applications. He has spent the last 20 years with data, databases, IT services, and related infrastructure. Before that, he was a paramedic with the German Red Cross.





Since 2023, Jonas is a data scientist and product owner at OTTO where he has worked on various products in the realm of marketing optimization and customer analytics. He currently is responsible for the development and application of customer lifetime value models. Before OTTO, he worked for L’Oréal for five years on analytics topics as a data analyst and data scientist.





Kolja is responsible for the data strategy, the data team and the greenfield Data & Analytics platform at Rameder. Before joining Rameder, he led the Data Foundation team at MediaMarktSaturn, where he was in charge of the migration from the legacy DWH to the new cloud data platform. Kolja started his career in IT consulting, where over the course of 10 years he developed data solutions for numerous clients.





Nancy Nyambura is a Senior Data Engineer at Stadtwerke Düsseldorf. She supports business use cases end to end – from initial requirements to productive ETL pipelines – with a strong focus on Data Mesh, Data Vault 2.0, and measurable business value. Her technology stack includes Databricks, dbt Labs, and Azure services.





Dr. Birgitta Wollherr works at Telefónica Germany in the areas of AI, analytics, and BI platforms. She is responsible for cloud-native AI architectures using Azure and Databricks and demonstrates how generative AI can be operated productively in highly regulated environments through DevOps, governance, and security.






Dr. Franz Graf is a Senior Process Manager in the field of DevOps, with a focus on cloud, machine learning, and AI. He designs strategic cloud-native transformations, optimizes end-to-end DevOps processes, and works closely with security, data protection, and works councils to anchor modern AI and cloud architectures in organizations in a secure, compliant, and sustainable way.






Tim has more than 15 years of experience in Business Intelligence. Over the years, his work has evolved from creating reports and dashboards to managing projects focused on new information systems – and ultimately to building a full BI platform. This includes the successful global rollout and adoption of Power BI as Weidmüller’s analytics and reporting platform. Most recently, he has been working on developing a data platform based on Microsoft Fabric. His current focus is on defining and establishing the platform strategy and platform governance.

Stay tuned! More speakers will be announced in the coming weeks.
The speakers from World of Data 2024 can be found here.
