Workshop Think Tank - AI in Machine Engineering & Production

Markus Exler is a thought leader in the field of transformation and turnaround. As a professor at the University of Applied Sciences Kufstein Tirol, he is responsible for the Institute for Cross-Border Restructuring, which he founded. Regular guest lectureships at universities in India, Dubai, and Singapore on the topics of M&A and turnaround contribute to the further development of his scientific approaches. In order to be able to generate digital business models and processes for the future, Markus is also a partner at the digital consulting firm nexum AG in Cologne, which has domestic and foreign branches and a team of around 200 IT-savvy employees. He also holds advisory board positions in various medium-sized companies. Markus is a member of the board of the BDU professional association for corporate restructuring. His motivation is to engage in constructive dialogue with the consulting industry and to contribute to German pre-insolvency legislation. He is co-editor of the journal KSI - Krisenprävention, Sanierungsberatung, Insolvenzmanagement (Crisis Prevention, Restructuring Consulting, Insolvency Management), published by Erich Schmidt Verlag, Berlin.

Thomas Schmid began his professional career in consulting with a focus on big data before moving into mechanical engineering as an entrepreneur in 2010. Since then, he has been consistently driving forward the transformation of his company from a traditional plant manufacturer to a sustainable solution provider with a clear focus on digitalization and the use of AI. He has international experience from China, where he lived before starting his career and has been running his own subsidiary since 2015.