When: 21 October 2026
Duration: 18:30-22:00 (doors open 18:00)
Where: University of Zurich, Uniturm

Co-hosted by UZH Executive Education & Alibaba Cloud

After a short introduction by Prof. Florent Thouvenin (UZH) and a keynote by Simon R. Boehmer, CTO Switzerland at Alibaba Cloud, we open the panel discussion, followed by audience Q&A.

• University of Zurich, where research meets the next generation of leaders
• Alibaba Cloud, operating one of the world's largest AI deployments
• Delta Labs, providing AI powered “always-on” customer intelligence
• EY, advising organizations navigating transformation at scale

Together they'll dig into where the friction really sits: in tooling, in governance, in skills, in culture, and what it takes to move closer to the pace of AI.

Expect candid perspectives, real trade-offs, and open discussion, with time to bring in your own questions.

Food and drinks will be served, followed by an apéro offering further opportunities for networking and exchange.

The panel will explore how organizations can turn AI capabilities into sustainable business value while balancing the realities of implementation, infrastructure, and governance.

Participants will gain practical insights into:

• Moving AI initiatives from pilots and experimentation to scalable implementation
• Building the organizational capabilities required to keep pace with AI evolution
• Identifying where real business value emerges — and where AI remains hype
• Understanding the cost implications of models, infrastructure, and scaling decisions
• Evaluating trade-offs between speed, cost, quality, and risk
• Navigating governance, compliance, and regulatory requirements without stifling innovation
• Defining what makes organizations and employees competitive when AI becomes widely accessible
• Creating sustainable competitive advantage through human expertise, decision-making, and AI-enabled collaboration

This event is designed for leaders and professionals who need to make AI work in their organizations, including:

• Senior leaders responsible for strategy, innovation and transformation
• Business and functional leaders driving AI adoption
• CIOs, CTOs and digital leaders
• AI, data and analytics professionals
• Product, customer experience and marketing leaders
• Risk, compliance and governance professionals
• Board members and executives shaping AI strategy