06.02.2025UZH Finance Roundtable 2025

CFO Insights on AI, Big Data and Impact on Investment Management

The first Finance Roundtable of 2025 was held on February 6 at the University of Zurich, where a select group of CFOs came together to discuss the impact of AI, Big Data, and their role in investment management. The event proved to be a great success, offering participants insightful perspectives on these timely topics.

Initiated by Dr. Patricio Ohle from FBXperts and hosted by Prof. Walter Farkas of the Department of Finance, the roundtable aimed to foster connections between CFOs and the University of Zurich, with a particular focus on family-controlled companies.

The event also sought to establish a community of CFOs at UZH, leveraging its prime location in Zurich and the broad range of excellent research and teaching chairs, especially within Finance. UZH’s spirit of academic freedom and innovation makes it the perfect venue for such impactful discussions.

“CFO gather at University of Zürich, Faculty of Finance to support the Ecosystem and discuss, learn and share. UZH is the largest university in Switzerland at iconic location with the widest scope of excellent chairs of research & teaching and spirit of freedom (Churchill plate) make it the perfect place to meet."
-Dr. Patricio Ohle, Founder & CFO of FBXperts

Program

Time: 06 February 2025, 09:30 - 16:30
Location: University of Zurich (UZH)

09:30	Welcome and introduction of participants and speakers at the roundtable by Dr. Patricio Ohle, Founder & CFO of FBXperts
09:45	Presentation: "Research, AI, and Finance" by Prof. Walter Farkas
10:30	Coffee Break
10:55	Presentation: "Sharing Experiences from Digitization and AI Strategy in Manufacturing" Martin Vesper, CDO of Pfeifer & Langen GmbH & Co. KG
11:55	Presentation: "Creating an AI and Customer Example & Benefits" by Sabrina Schenardi and Sven Beck, Co-founders of BLP Digital
12:20	Presentation: "Leveraging AI & Big Data in the Migros Setup" by Daniel Egli, CFO of Migros Industry
12:45	Lunch & Snacks
13:45	Presentation: "AI in Investment Decisions – Challenges and Opportunities" by Dr. Gabriele Susinno, Senior Client Portfolio Manager at Pictet Asset Management
14:15	Coffee Break
14:35	Panel Session: Alexandre de Perregeaux, Founder & CEO of Intellyse ("GenAI einsetzen für Kostenreduktionen") Luis Pachas Pardo, Area Head of Procurement Central Europe, Poland & Romania at Holcim ("Applying AI to implement cost savings in a cooperation") Patrick Bichler, Head Digitization & Security and Michael Kobler, SAP Process Owner Finance of SFS Group ("Applying AI in a Family controlled business")
15:30	Panel Session: "How to use AI in Investments?" Alexander Gaertner, CFO of Microsoft Switzerland ("How to derisk AI and Big Data, Case Studies") Dr. Fabian Kracht, Founder of Mesakumo ("Case Examples") Dr. Patrick Tinguely, Academic Director of the Strategy and Artificial Intelligence Lab (SAIL)
16:30	Summary and outlook for the next meeting (Cybersecurity, Geopolitical Impact) Followed by an Apéro