On Stage
Speaking Engagements
Where can you find me next...
Upcoming
INTERPHEX Technical Theater
Technical theater presentation on AI-driven solutions in pharmaceutical manufacturing.
ValConnect Innovation Day — Lisbon
ValConnect Innovation Day bringing together life sciences professionals for AI and digital transformation insights
ValConnect Innovation Day — Research Triangle Park
ValConnect Innovation Day for the US East Coast life sciences community
PDA Europe Annual Meeting 2026
Speaking at the PDA Europe Annual Meeting on quality and AI in pharmaceutical manufacturing
8th Global QA Conference (RQA)
Keynote on AI governance in regulated industries at the Royal Quality Assurance conference.
Learn more →Past Speaking Engagements
2026
DARQA Spring Event — The Wisdom Gap
Keynote 'The Wisdom Gap — Why AI Needs Your Judgment More Than You Might Think.' Explored AI case studies from whale conversation to AlphaFold, the human-in-the-loop critique, and the evolution of the wisdom worker.
Key Takeaways
- AI is exceptional at pattern recognition and data processing, but judgment — the ability to weigh context, ethics, and consequence — remains distinctly human.
- Three case studies illustrated the spectrum: whale communication research (AI as translator), Herculaneum scroll decipherment (AI as enabler of impossible tasks), and AlphaFold (AI as accelerator of scientific breakthroughs).
- The “wisdom gap” is the space between what AI can compute and what humans must decide. Closing it requires not more AI, but better-trained humans.
- The evolution from knowledge worker to wisdom worker is the critical career transition for quality professionals in the AI era.
HSRAA26 — Guardians of the Record
Day 1 keynote 'Guardians of the Record: How AI Can Help (and Hurt) GxP Archives' at the HSRAA conference on archiving in the digital era. Covered AI in document management, human-in-the-loop oversight, and the intermediate knowledge layer model.
Key Takeaways
- GxP archives are the single source of truth for patient safety decisions. AI can enhance their management — but unchecked AI can also introduce silent corruption.
- Introduced the “intermediate knowledge layer” model: AI processes data, humans validate conclusions, and the archive preserves both the decision and the reasoning.
- Chesterton’s Fence applies to archiving: before automating or migrating legacy records, understand why the current structure exists.
- Risk-based approach is essential — not all records carry equal regulatory weight, and AI governance should reflect this hierarchy.
2025
RQA 2025 International QA Conference
Speaker and panel participant at RQA's flagship conference themed 'Quality that Works: Pragmatism over Perfection.' Sessions on AI in GxP environments, human-in-the-loop oversight, and the perfection paradox in regulated industries.
Key Takeaways
- The “perfection paradox” — the pursuit of perfect compliance can actually undermine quality by creating rigid systems that can’t adapt.
- Pragmatism over perfection means building quality systems that are good enough to protect patients and flexible enough to improve continuously.
- Human-in-the-loop AI is not optional in GxP — it’s a regulatory expectation. The question is what “meaningful oversight” actually looks like in practice.
- The quality community is at an inflection point: those who embrace AI thoughtfully will lead; those who resist or adopt blindly will struggle.
11th SARQA/DKG QA Conference
Keynote 'The Intelligent Compliance Revolution: How AI Elevates Human Expertise in Life Science QA' — exploring the intersection of first principles thinking, data maturity, and practical AI adoption in quality assurance.
Key Takeaways
- The greatest danger for innovation is not failure, but the smooth functioning of something that has long been obsolete.
- First principles thinking applied to QA: instead of asking “how do we automate our current process?” ask “what is this process actually trying to achieve?”
- Data maturity is the foundation — you can’t build AI on a data infrastructure designed for paper-based workflows.
- The merger of first principles thinking (from GQMA) with data maturity insights created a practical framework for QA teams evaluating AI readiness.
Kiss the Future AI Summit 2025
Delivered keynote 'Beyond the Noise: Why Hype May Be the Most Valuable Medicine for Life Sciences,' participated in the main stage panel on patient-centered care in the AI era, and facilitated a dedicated AI workshop for pharmaceutical partner Bosnalijek.
Key Takeaways
- Hype isn’t the enemy — it’s the engine. Every transformative medical breakthrough from penicillin to precision oncology began with bold promises before proven results.
- Hype creates urgency, secures investment, attracts talent, and preserves patient hope. Without it, innovation dies in the lab.
- The panel on “Precision Meets Compassion” explored how pharmaceutical companies can embrace AI while maintaining patient-centered care throughout digital transformation.
- The Bosnalijek workshop delivered practical first principles frameworks: “new trains on old tracks” and avoiding the “Kodak moment” became touchstones for ongoing innovation discussions.
GQMA 29th Annual Conference — Closing Keynote
Closing keynote delivered entirely in German: 'First Principles für die KI-Revolution' — why fundamental thinking is the key to the future of life sciences. Introduced the 'new train, old tracks' framework and Chesterton's Fence as a lens for AI adoption.
Key Takeaways
- “Neuer Zug, alte Gleise” (new train, old tracks) — the industry’s biggest AI mistake is running powerful new technology on legacy processes designed for a paper world.
- Chesterton’s Fence: before tearing down a regulation or process, understand why it was built. Annex 11 and 22 exist for reasons that AI doesn’t automatically resolve.
- First principles thinking is the antidote to “innovation theater” — where organizations adopt AI for optics rather than outcomes.
- Closing with “Die Wahrheit von heute ist der Witz von morgen” (today’s truth is tomorrow’s joke) — a reminder that the quality profession must stay humble and adaptive.
PharmaTalk Conference 2025
Speaker at PharmaTalk's Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Excellence conference. Presented on AI-driven transformation and first principles thinking, alongside discussions on sustainability, supply chain excellence, and the power of first followers in driving industry change.
Key Takeaways
- “Fall in love with the value you’re creating, not the problems you’re solving” — a powerful reframe for how we approach operational excellence.
- The shift from KPIs to KBIs (Key Behavior Indicators) is transformational — ideal results require ideal behavior.
- Leadership is overvalued; the power of the first follower is underestimated. Real change happens when that crucial second person steps up and validates the vision.
- 70% of resources go to validation rather than innovation — we must find smarter approaches.
- Data isn’t just for dashboards — it’s to steer the process. Industrial AI doesn’t need to live in the cloud; the future is hybrid, bringing cloud power to on-premise data.
- The person-centered care closing reminded us why we work in healthcare: compassion and kindness profoundly impact patient recovery.
Medtech Summit Berlin 2025
Speaker at the Medtech Summit covering software and AI for medical devices and IVDs. Sessions on EU AI Act regulatory sandboxes, cybersecurity frameworks for medical devices, and the latest AI innovations reaching patients.
Key Takeaways
- The EU AI Act’s regulatory sandboxes offer a structured path for medical device AI innovation while maintaining safety standards.
- Cybersecurity for medical devices is no longer optional — frameworks from Google and academic institutions are setting new baselines.
- AI/ML applications in medtech are moving from lab curiosity to patient-facing reality across the UK and EU.
- The intersection of software regulation and AI classification creates complex but navigable compliance landscapes for medtech innovators.
PDA Good Digital Manufacturing
Participated in PDA's Digital Manufacturing Conference alongside the RQA keynote. Discussions on Quality by Design, Real-Time Release, AI governance, and data integrity as the foundation for effective AI systems.
Key Takeaways
- AI implementation governance needs harmonized standards — the industry is moving fast but inconsistently.
- Data integrity remains the foundation for effective AI systems; without it, AI amplifies errors rather than solving them.
- Practical AI applications in pharma manufacturing are showing tangible results, moving beyond pilot purgatory.
- Regulatory approaches need modernization for AI-specific considerations — current frameworks weren’t designed for adaptive systems.
RQA Virtual Conference — Mission Impossible
Delivered the keynote 'Mission I'm Possible' on leading the quality revolution — how quality professionals can transform from compliance cops to digital change agents. Then raced to join the PDA Digital Manufacturing Conference for QbD and RTR discussions.
Key Takeaways
- The critical disconnect: our technologies are up to 600 million times more powerful than when our quality management approaches were designed in the 1970s.
- Predictive quality systems powered by AI and real-time data can revolutionize our approach — but only if we lead rather than merely adapt to change.
- Courage, empathy, and education are the three pillars for overcoming resistance to change in quality organizations.
- The quality revolution discussed at RQA is being powered by exactly the technologies explored at PDA — from predictive maintenance to NLP and generative AI applications.
- The mission isn’t impossible — it’s inevitable.
PDA Week 2025
Presented on AI-driven holistic risk management during PDA's flagship annual event. Three days spanning sustainability, supply chain excellence, quality risk management, and person-centered care — a reminder of why we work in healthcare.
Key Takeaways
- Sustainability doesn’t have to be a barrier of expertise, cost, or time — it must be embedded into organizational culture with personal targets that drive meaningful change.
- The shift from purely commercial to quality-driven approaches in supplier management is reshaping how we evaluate partnerships.
- The EU AI Act defines AI as an electronic decision-making system, emphasizing safety, trustworthiness, and ethical implementation — pharma must prepare now.
- Takeda’s “Qrafts” (qualified risk assessment facilitators) concept shows how to enhance risk assessment quality at scale.
- Real-time data collection and analysis is fundamental for building customer trust and gaining operational visibility.
- The closing on person-centered care was a powerful reminder: small acts of kindness have immeasurable impact on those facing difficult times.
Interphex 2025 — AI-Powered Data: Revolutionizing RTR and QbD
Presented 'AI-Powered Data: Revolutionizing RTR and QbD' — introducing the Data to Action Maturity Model and exploring how 97% of life science data goes unused, and what to do about it.
Key Takeaways
- 97% of life science data is not used — the industry is drowning in data but thirsting for insight.
- The Data to Action Maturity Model provides a roadmap from descriptive analytics to self-optimizing processes.
- Process Analytical Technology (PAT) combined with AI enables real-time monitoring, adaptive Real-Time Release, and predictive manufacturing.
- AI adoption is like exploring a new continent — you can’t wait for the map to be drawn by someone else.
Agentic AI — Revolutionizing Processes with Autonomous Systems
Webinar exploring how agentic AI systems are transforming process automation in regulated industries.
PEX Webinar Panel
Panel participant discussing process excellence and the role of AI in operational improvement for regulated industries.
Barcelona TUG — The Future of Quality
Speaker at the Barcelona Technology User Group on the future of quality management and AI-driven transformation in life sciences.
2024
RQA Brighton — First Principles of Quality
Delivered 'First Principles of Quality — Rebuilding Foundations for a Data-Driven Future.' Introduced the Three Personas of Innovation framework (Challenger, Historian, Technologist) and the Space Pen Story for problem reframing.
BioPhorum TS Member Exchange
Speaker at the BioPhorum Technology Solutions member exchange, sharing perspectives on AI adoption and digital maturity in biopharmaceutical manufacturing.
EU AI Act Conference — Medical Devices
Explored the implications of the EU AI Act for medical devices and pharmaceutical companies, covering compliance strategies and risk classification.
LSHTM — AI Ethics in Healthcare
Speaker at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine on AI ethics in healthcare and life sciences — navigating the boundary between innovation and responsible deployment.
SOFAQ Lyon
Speaker at SOFAQ, the French quality association, on AI-driven quality management and digital transformation in the pharmaceutical sector.
ISPE Conference — AI in Pharma
Presented 'The Future of Work' at the ISPE conference, exploring practical AI applications in pharmaceutical manufacturing, why the future is not a place to go but something to build, and quality systems innovation.
RQA Virtual Conference 2024
Speaker at the RQA's virtual conference on AI and quality assurance innovation in regulated industries.
TUG Europe Barcelona
Speaker at the European Technology User Group on the future of life science regulations and data-driven quality transformation.
GCC Pharma Summit
Keynote and panel at the GCC Pharma Summit exploring the future of work, AI adoption, and quality management in the Gulf region's pharmaceutical sector.
2023
PDA Quality and Regulations
Speaker at PDA's European quality and regulations conference on navigating the evolving regulatory landscape with data-driven strategies.
RQA Belfast — Breaking the Ice
Speaker at the RQA annual conference in Belfast to a packed auditorium, laying the groundwork for ongoing collaboration with the RQA community on AI and quality.
QA Experten Workshop
Workshop for German QA experts on AI fundamentals and first principles thinking for quality professionals.
2022
RQA Conference — Quality ReUnited
Speaker at the RQA's return to in-person events after the pandemic, marking the reunion of the quality assurance community.
HUG Madrid — Connected Life Sciences
Speaker at the Honeywell User Group in Madrid on connected life sciences and the role of data connectivity in pharmaceutical quality.
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