The Optimist – Conversations with the leaders and industries shaping Europe’s digital future

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 speaks with Carlo Ratti, Director of the MIT Senseable City Lab and CEO of Carlo Ratti Associati, about how data, AI, and human intelligence are transforming the future of urban life.

In this episode of The Optimist, Dale Rickert speaks with Jochen Ditsche, Global Head of Digital Team at Roland Berger, about how AI is reshaping expertise, work, and human value in an age of infinite information. From automation and digital distraction to consulting, leadership, and education, Jochen argues that the future won’t belong to those with the most information, but to those who can appl...

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 skills in the workplace.

In this episode of The Optimist, Dale Rickert speaks with Holger Schell, Head of Technology & Foundation, Schwarz Digits, about the infrastructure layer behind Europe’s digital future. They explore why sovereignty is no longer just a political concept, but a technical and operational necessity. From cloud infrastructure and security to resilient architectures and trusted systems.

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 what it really takes to turn them into scalable systems.

In this episode of The Optimist, Dale Rickert speaks with Oliver Steil, CEO of TeamViewer, about what it really takes to move from AI experimentation to operational impact. They explore why the biggest challenge isn’t capability, but integration — how AI fits into real processes, systems, and day-to-day work. From fragmented pilots to complex enterprise environments, the conversation reveals why w...

In this episode of The Optimist, Dale Rickard speaks with Thomas Saueressig, Chief Customer Officer and Member of the Executive Board at SAP SE, about what it really takes to turn AI into measurable business value. From productivity gains across entire value chains to the importance of business context, data, and trust — this conversation goes beyond hype and dives into execution.

In this powerful episode of The Optimist, Dr. Dale Rickard is joined by Carla Husted (Mercator Foundation) and Kai Zenner (European Parliament) to tackle one of the most urgent questions of our time: Can Europe become digitally sovereign — and what happens if it doesn’t?

In this episode of The Optimist, Dale Rickert speaks with Christian Kirschniak, Managing Director and Partner at BCG, about what it takes to move from pilots to real, AI-led transformation. They explore why governance matters more than tools, how legacy systems slow progress, and why leadership - not technology - ultimately determines success.

In this episode of The Optimist, Dale speaks with Claudia Alsdorf, Head of Business Development at Schwarz Digits, about why sovereignty starts far earlier than cloud strategy — and why infrastructure, data ownership, and trust are becoming decisive competitive advantages.

Europe is at a turning point and we're exploring how to shape the future instead of merely reacting to it. Press play and join the movement.

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).

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 win the tech race.

Can the Mittelstand go global, go green, and go AI? EY’s Jan Brorhilker busts myths about Germany’s quiet powerhouses.

Don’t print this email: ServiceNow’s Robert Rosellen on why Europe’s biggest digital opportunity lies in the public sector.

Virtual twins are shaping real futures: Sabine Scheunert of Dassault Systèmes reveals why Europe’s next big leap won’t be physical, but virtual.

A VC and a banker team up to fix Europe's growth funding gap – and they’re optimistic it’s not too late.

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 driver for transformation? In this episode, Frank Göller outlines why Europe still has what it takes to lead — from reinventing its production mindset and betting big on electrification to mastering AI.

On the fourth episode of The Optimist, we take you into the highest ranks of Europe's most valuable company: our guest Thomas Saueressig is a member of the executive board at SAP SE, directly responsible for 38.000 colleagues – and customer services and delivery. Thomas shares insights from his latest customer meetings, explains why working with universities is crucial for talent sourcing and rete...

The third episode of 'The Optimist' takes you into the new world of work. Kathrin Schwan und Tobias Regenfuss, both Managing Directors and AI leaders at Accenture, explain the emergence of “Agentic AI”, where not only single tasks, but entire teams and organizations are supported or run by artificial intelligence. So what do these AI agents actually do? How do they work together and create revenue...

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 Partner at BCG’s Hamburg office, and he shares how his team builds an internal AI lab, trains so-called “Black Belts” in AI and works on turning AI into a revenue stream for its clients. Andrej shares how he automates some of his o...

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 hosts the very first TECH by Handelsblatt Conference at the IPAI in Heilbronn and explains his optimistic views on digital sovereignty and Germany‘s and Europe‘s tech potential: “I’m convinced we will become a leader in cyber...