Phil Claridge - Founder, Mandrel Systems

Phil Claridge is a ‘virtual CTO’ for hire within Mandrel Systems covering end-to-end systems. Currently having fun and helping others with large-scale AI systems integration, country-wide large scale big-data processing, hands-on IoT technology (from sensor hardware design, through LoRa integration to back end systems), and advanced city information modelling. Supporting companies with M&A ‘exit readiness’, due-diligence and on advisory boards. Past roles include: CTO, Chief Architect, Labs Director, and Technical Evangelist for Geneva/Convergys (telco), Arieso/Viavi (geolocation), and Madge (networking). Phil’s early career was in electronics, and still finds it irresistible to swap from Powerpoint to a soldering iron and a compiler to produce proof-of-concepts when required.

Mary-Ann Claridge - Founder, Mandrel Systems

Mary-Ann is the Lead data scientist at Mandrel Systems. She started her career with research into sonar (think Hunt for Red October without Sean Connery). She is now embracing application and technical domains including education (all the analysis, modelling and visualisation for BestCourse4Me), smart city, retail, voice and speech recognition, and financial and logistical optimisation.

Leo Poll - President Akendi UK/Europe, Akendi UK

Technically everything is possible, making it work for people is where the real challenges are. Addressing these challenges from an end-user perspective in a way that makes business sense is what drives Leo. With more than 20 years of experience in Innovation driven Experience Research and Design he is able to bring an ability of strong lateral thinking combined with broad domain knowledge of applications/markets and technical enablers. Previous to his role at Akendi, Leo worked for the mobile phone division of Philips in Le Mans, France, managed numerous international projects whilst employed by Philips Electronics UK, was a member of the global 'Connectivity Programme' board of Philips Research, (Co-)founded Ryppel Ltd, Eversfield Innovation Ltd, Galileo Software Adviesbureau v.o.f.

Laurent Brisedoux - Senior Manager, Amazon Cambridge Development Center

Laurent has been heading the Amazon R&D team in Cambridge, part of the Lab126 organization, since its creation in 2014. His group is responsible for developing software for Amazon’s consumer electronic devices such as Cloud Cam, Echo Look, Echo Show and many more innovative products to come. Prior to that, Laurent was in charge of the development and productisation of imaging technologies at Broadcom. He joined the Broadcom Mobile Multimedia group in 2004 with the acquisition of Alphamosaic, one of the Silicon Fen ’success stories’. Laurent is also a junior angel investor and working with several technology startups in the Cambridge area.

Phil Claridge - Founder, Mandrel Systems

Phil Claridge is a ‘virtual CTO’ for hire within Mandrel Systems covering end-to-end systems. Currently having fun and helping others with large-scale AI systems integration, country-wide large scale big-data processing, hands-on IoT technology (from sensor hardware design, through LoRa integration to back end systems), and advanced city information modelling. Supporting companies with M&A ‘exit readiness’, due-diligence and on advisory boards. Past roles include: CTO, Chief Architect, Labs Director, and Technical Evangelist for Geneva/Convergys (telco), Arieso/Viavi (geolocation), and Madge (networking). Phil’s early career was in electronics, and still finds it irresistible to swap from Powerpoint to a soldering iron and a compiler to produce proof-of-concepts when required.

Gunter Haberkorn - Senior Manager Product & Technology, Magna International

Gunter works in the Corporate R&D Department and has years of experience in complete vehicle engineering. He is looking into Product and Technology trends within the automotive industry with a special interest in autonomy, mobility solutions, manufacturing and electrification and especially technologies which can support advancements in these areas.

Vaiva Kalnikaite - CEO, Dovetailed

Vicky Schneider - Senior Scientific Program Manager, Amazon Cambridge Development Center

Currently Senior Scientific Program Manager at the Amazon Development Centre in Cambridge, UK. Vicky works in the Machine Learning Team and is involved in a variety of academic engagements around ML and AI, including outreach, education and training initiatives. Previously Deputy Director of EMBL Australian Bioinformatics Resource (www.embl-abr.org.au) and Associate Professor at the University of Melbourne. Vicky remains an Honorary Principal Fellow at the University of Melbourne and is an academic visitor at the University of Cambridge where she collaborated with the Bioinformatics Training Team.  Before Australia, Vicky was at the Earlham Institute (Norwich), as part of the Senior Management Team and Head of Training and Outreach which evolved to Head of Scientific Training, Education and Learning Division. In the previous years Vicky has been responsible for the strategic coordination and implementation of the EMBL-EBI’s User-Training programme which has pass now ten years and continues to provide training for the scientific users of the EMBL-EBI’s data services. Prior to joining the EMBL-EBI in 2007 Vicky held an Assistant Professor position at the University of Bern and the Institute for Aquatic Sciences (EAWAG) and postdocs at the University of Zurich and University of Rome (Torvergata). Vicky studied biology at the University of Rome and obtained her PhD on the evolution of sex at the University of Leiden (NL) and Lyon (France). Vicky has been extensively involved in the acquisition, management and implementation of funded research and training projects throughout her career.

Peter Whale - Founder, Vision Formers

Peter is founder of Vision Formers, a specialist consultancy that helps visionary technology businesses get product to market and turn their ideas into reality. Peter has a long track record of conceiving, developing and marketing successful technology-based solutions, deployed at scale, globally. Innovative products Peter has brought to market in digital, cloud, AI, consumer electronics and telecommunications have been used by countless millions of people on a daily basis globally, badged by the world’s leading digital and technology brands. Peter is a board member of CW (Cambridge Wireless), and co-leads its Artificial Intelligence special interest group.