The Optimist – Conversations with the leaders and industries shaping Europe’s digital future
von TECH by HANDELSBLATT MEDIA GROUP GmbH
- alle zwei WochenErscheinungsrhythmus
- 35 mintypische Länge
- vor 23 Std.letzte Folge
Welcome to The Optimist! Enjoy real talk with the leaders shaping Europe’s future, exploring the innovations that drive progress across the continent.
The Optimist is presented and produced by ‘TECH by Handelsblatt‘ and hosted by Dr. Dale Rickert, Managing Director at TECH by Handelsblatt.
The Optimist builds a year-round community leading up to the Technology Experience Convention Heilbronn (TECH). With TECH, Handelsblatt Media Group, Handelsblatt and Schwarz Digits are creating a strategic platform to strengthen the European tech ecosystem. TECH‘s mission is to establish a „cluster of optimism“, connecting Europe’s most influential leaders across technology, industry, politics, and academia. More at tech-europe.org
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A Million Doctors in Your Pocket
With Kimberly Powell, Vice President and General Manager, Healthcare at NVIDIA What if the world's medical knowledge fit in your doctor's pocket? Recorded live at NVIDIA GTC in Berlin, the second episode of Season 3 of The Optimist brings t
Europe’s AI Wake-Up Call: Can Sovereignty Keep Pace with Innovation?
With Clarisa Doval, Chief Data and AI Officer at Airbus Helicopters and Cornelia Schaurecker, Board Member and Senior AI Advisor at F-Secure Artificial intelligence has moved from an emerging technology to a boardroom priority. As companies
Can Data Make Cities More Human?
With Carlo Ratti, Director of the MIT Senseable City Lab and CEO of Carlo Ratti Associati Cities generate more data than ever before. But can that data help us create better places to live? In this episode of The Optimist, Dale Rickert spea
If anything's possible with AI, then what do we value?
With Jochen Ditsche, Senior Partner, Roland Berger What happens when knowledge becomes unlimited, but attention remains scarce? In this episode of The Optimist, Dale Rickert speaks with Jochen Ditsche, Global Head of Digital Team at Roland
Beyond AI: The Human Factor in a Changing World
With Jan Brorhilker, Managing Partner Assurance, EY In this episode of The Optimist, Dale Rickard speaks with Jan Brorhilker, Managing Partner Assurance at EY Germany, about how AI is reshaping leadership, careers, and the role of human ski
Europe’s Path to Technological Survivability
With Holger Schell, Head of Technology & Foundation, Schwarz Digits Everyone talks about AI. But what about the systems underneath it? In this episode of The Optimist, Dale Rickert speaks with Holger Schell, Head of Technology & Foundation,
From AI Pilots to Real Systems — Why Frameworks Matter
With Matthias Emler, Partner at Horváth AI is everywhere — but most of it never scales. In this episode of The Optimist, Dale Rickert speaks with Matthias Emler, Partner at Horváth, about why so many AI initiatives get stuck in pilots and w
From AI Hype to AI Workflows: Where do companies really create business value?
Oliver Steil, CEO of TeamViewer AI can generate outputs in seconds — but real value is created in workflows. In this episode of The Optimist, Dale Ricket speaks with Oliver Steil, CEO of TeamViewer, about what it really takes to move from A
Europe’s AI Moment: From Industry Strength to Global Leadership
Thomas Saueressig, Chief Customer Officer and Member of the Executive Board of SAP SE Artificial Intelligence is no longer a future topic — it’s already reshaping how businesses operate. In this episode of The Optimist, Dale Rickard speaks
Digital Sovereignty: Can Europe Take Back Control?
Carla Husted from Mercator Foundation and Kai Zenner from European Parliament Europe depends on foreign cloud providers, global platforms, and tech giants - but at what cost? In this powerful episode of The Optimist, Dr. Dale Rickard is joi
AI, Strategy & Leadership - Leading End-to-End Transformation
Christian Kirschniak, Managing Director and Partner at BCG AI is everywhere — in boardrooms, in strategy decks, and in daily workflows. But are we truly integrating it or just experimenting? In this episode of The Optimist, Dale Rickert spe
Sovereignty Starts with Infrastructure
Claudia Alsdorf, Head of Business Development at Schwarz Digits What if Europe’s biggest security risk isn’t digital — but physical? In this episode of The Optimist, Dale speaks with Claudia Alsdorf, Head of Business Development at Schwarz
Optimism in challenging times - Setting the Stage for TECH 2026
Dale Rickert, Managing Director at TECH by Handelsblatt & Moritz Schönleber, Head of Event Production at Handelsblatt Europe is standing at a turning point — technologically, politically, and economically. So how do we shape the future inst
What is the secret of reinventing organizations, Alexander Lorbeer?
Dr. Alexander Lorbeer, CEO of ada Learning Most “transformation” efforts flop – ada’s CEO Alexander Lorbeer explains why, what to do instead, and how AI might lead teams, but can’t replace your gut (yet). For the final episode of Season 1,
Can Sovereign AI be Europe’s superpower, Matthias Biniok?
Matthias Biniok – Head of IBM Client Engineering DACH, IBM What if Europe’s edge in AI isn’t speed or scale – but trust, values, and smart rules? IBM’s Matthias Biniok makes the case for “Sovereign AI” as the new chance for the continent to
How is Germany’s Mittelstand winning in tech, Jan Brorhilker?
Jan Brorhilker, Managing Partner Assurance at EY Germany Can the Mittelstand go global, go green, and go AI? EY’s Jan Brorhilker busts myths about Germany’s quiet powerhouses. In this episode of The Optimist, Jan Brorhilker, Head of Assuran
Is technology the savior of bureaucracy, Robert Rosellen?
Robert Rosellen, Vice President Sales & Country Manager Germany at ServiceNow Don’t print this email: ServiceNow’s Robert Rosellen on why Europe’s biggest digital opportunity lies in the public sector. What if digital transformation isn’t a
What is the real impact of virtual worlds, Sabine Scheunert?
Sabine Scheunert, CEO Central Europe at Dassault Systèmes What if the next great industrial revolution doesn’t happen in factories – but in 3D? Sabine Scheunert, CEO Central Europe at Dassault Systèmes, joins The Optimist to explain how vir
How can European startups reach the next level, Marco Iannaccone and Alexander Kudlich?
Marco Iannaccone (Member of the Executive Board, HypoVereinsbank/UniCredit) and Alexander Kudlich (General Partner, Capital 468) What happens when a top European banker and a leading VC team up to fix the continent’s tech funding gap? Join
How can Europe lead the car-tech revolution, Frank Göller?
Frank Göller, Automotive Expert & Partner at Horváth The European automotive industry is under massive pressure — falling demand, shifting relations with the U.S. and strong competition from China. But what if that pressure is the perfect d
What does it mean to be a tech leader, Thomas Saueressig?
Member of the Executive Board of SAP SE for Customer Services & Delivery The Optimist is presented by TECH by Handelsblatt Media Group and independent from the Handelsblatt editorial team. With the Technology Experience Convention Heilbronn
Are AI agents our new colleagues, Kathrin Schwan & Tobias Regenfuß?
Tobias Regenfuß (Senior Managing Director Technology Lead, Accenture DACH) & Kathrin Schwan (Managing Director – Lead Data & AI, Accenture DACH The Optimist is presented by TECH by Handelsblatt Media Group and independent from the Handelsbl
Andrej Levin, how do we benefit from AI?
Dr. Andrej Levin, Global Lead AI at Boston Consulting Group (BCG) The second episode of The Optimists welcomes an AI optimist: the Global Lead AI at Boston Consulting Group (BCG), Dr. Andrej Levin. Andrej is also Managing Director and Partn
Rolf Schumann, why do you want digital sovereignity?
Rolf Schumann, Co-CEO at Schwarz Digits & CDO at Schwarz Group The inaugural episode of The Optimists welcomes a digital optimist and coder at heart: the Co-CEO of Schwarz Digits & CDO at Schwarz Group, Rolf Schumann. He discusses why he ho
