The Data Strategy & Governance Stage (M4) at the 11th Data Innovation Summit in Stockholm stands as the essential compass for the modern practitioner. We invite you to join a curated community of visionaries and pragmatists in Stockholm to dismantle the silos between governance and innovation. From the first welcoming notes to the final visionary dialogue, this stage is designed to provide the strategic clarity required to move beyond AI experimentation and into a new era of industrial-scale intelligence.
Day 1 kicks off with a high-energy welcome from Founder Goran Cvetanovski and Chairman Henrik Göthberg, setting the pace for a day dedicated to the intersection of human intelligence and machine scale. Attendees will gain rare foresight during a dialogue on the Future Outlook between Anders Ynnerman (Sferical AI) and Anders Arpteg (Saab Group), followed by a crucial exploration of human insight with Andy Cotgreave. For those focused on the bottom line, Maria Wiss from Snowflake will break down exactly how the fastest-moving enterprises are extracting tangible business value from AI, while Stephen Brobst of Ab Initio Software dives into the operational frontier of Agentic AI. The day concludes with a visionary closing keynote from Dell Technologies’ Angelo Rivano, ensuring practitioners leave with a clear roadmap for architectural excellence.
Day 1 on the M2 stage will include sessions from:
- Ole Olesen-Bagneux – VP, Chief Evangelist | Actian, a division of HCLSoftware
- Erik Horsting – Principal Solutions Consultant | Reltio
- Christina Finlay – Global Head of Data & AI, Industrial Operations | Volvo Cars
- Christelle BOURDEU – Head of Data office for Operations | Airbus
- Christian Stadlmann – Chief Revenue Officer | One Data GmbH
- André Westerlund – Business Solution Architect | Handelsbanken IT & Frej Örnberg – Sustainability Analyst | Handelsbanken Fonder
- Winfried Adalbert Etzel – Data Governance Professional | Winfried Etzel AS
- Julie Siezing – Director, Global Data & Analytics | GN
The Stage Moderator will be Karima Makrof and the Stage Partner will be actian.
Day 2 shifts the lens toward structural transformation and the evolving mechanics of data management, starting with essential framing from Chairman Henrik Göthberg. In an era of heightened risk, Kevin Shin from Samsung Semiconductor Inc. will deliver a must-see session on how the convergence of AI and security is fueling the next industrial revolution. This is perfectly complemented by David Meyer of Databricks, who will dissect how AI is fundamentally reshaping company dynamics and organizational structures. Finally, the stage welcomes best-selling author Joe Reis for a deep dive into Mixed Model Arts, redefining data modeling for the AI age. Both days culminate in the Chairman’s Closing Remarks, where Henrik Göthberg will synthesize the summit’s breakthroughs into actionable governance strategies. For any practitioner tasked with steering their organization through the AI revolution, this stage represents an unmissable opportunity to bridge the gap between strategy and execution.
On the second day, the M2 stage will also include some of the following speakers:
- Paloma Rubio – Senior Data & AI Strategist | DataGalaxy & Tafadzwa Michelle Saburi – Senior Business Data Analyst | Sage
- Dr Mithilan Siva – Product Owner, Enterprise Data Marketplace | AstraZeneca & Wouter Mertens – AI governance Field CTO | Collibra
- Maria Zelkovskaya – Business Data Governance Transformation Director | Danone
- Linda Kinnunen – Head of Data and Analytics & Daniel Malmgren – Data Governance Lead | Apoteket AB
- Nikita Maslennikov – Data & Analytics Specialist & Carmen-Ramona Ancuta – Master Data Governance Manager | Arla Foods amba
- Paul Fulton – VP – Regional Data Owners, Global Data & Analytics | Dun & Bradstreet
- Nina Alias – Head of Data & Analytics Engineering | NOBA Bank
The strategy stage brings CDOs, strategists, and governance leaders together to align data initiatives with business transformation. Key topics include federated data management, data lakehouse design, data governance, cross organisational collaboration, data product development, and the strategic use of data fabrics, data mesh, and marketplaces, ensuring resilient and innovative data ecosystems.
Day 3: Industry Day
The Data Innovation Summit (DIS) is setting a new standard this year with the addition of a third day exclusively focused on Industry Day. This new segment aims to spotlight high-impact, real-world applications and foster the kind of cross-sector collaboration that defines market leaders. It is a vital session for those looking to transform theoretical data potential into tangible business value.
The event will feature elite, hands-on Masterclasses led by Joe Reis, author of the Fundamentals of Data Engineering (O’Reilly) and co-creator of a top-tier data engineering course on Coursera with Andrew Ng. A global keynote speaker and host of a popular podcast and blog, Joe is currently shaping the future of the field with his upcoming book on Mixed Model Arts.
For those ready to dive into the technical weeds, there will be a competitive Hackathon. It will be a high-energy arena to stress-test skills against complex, real-world problems.
Keep a close watch on this space as we will be sharing further details in our upcoming articles. This is an evolution of the summit you wouldn’t want to miss.
Secure Your Seat at the Forefront of Innovation
The road to successful AI is paved with robust data strategy and uncompromising governance. Whether you are looking to redefine your organizational structure, secure your data perimeter, or connect technical modeling with business value, the M4 stage offers the collective intelligence you need to lead. Don’t let your strategy be an afterthought in the age of Agentic AI and join the Data Innovation Summit to gain the insights, frameworks, and connections that will define the next decade of your data journey.
We look forward to welcoming you to Stockholm for a transformation that starts with strategy and ends with competitive dominance.
