It's your time to get closer ​

Prior to launching The Event Strategist, Nicola held various roles on both the brand and agency sides of the business, most recently as the Global Vice President of Event Marketing Strategy for SAP, where she was responsible for designing and optimizing event strategies for events ranging from 25 to 25,000 people.

Nicola has designed event portfolios that capture new audiences, drive accelerated business performance, and add customer value in North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia, giving her a unique understanding of the impact that regional nuances bring. 

She’s led teams through strategic reinventions of event portfolios as they shift their approach from only in-person events to integrated portfolios that include the appropriate mix of physical, digital, and hybrid events. 

Nicola has been inducted into the Canadian Meeting Hall of Fame, named as a “Top Woman in Events” by Event Marketer Magazine, named to the Event Marketer “B2BDream Team” and named to the “2022 Top Event Marketers” lists by Eventible and Bizzabo. 

Bob Bejan is Microsoft’s Corporate Vice President Global Events, Studios and Marketing Community and responsible for the development, production and execution of global events and experiential marketing.  

For the last 18 months, Bob and the team have transformed from a global live event organization into an interactive television network, broadcasting globally. Named the 2021 PCMA Business Events Strategist of the Year, he’s responsible for Microsoft’s Production Studios, delivering programming and training around the world.  

For 30 years, Bob has consistently landed senior level positions in a variety of industries and mediums including: Writer/Composer/Co-Producer of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles albums and tour, inventor/Co-Founder of Interfilm (the world’s first interactive movie/game), founding Executive Creative and Production at Warner Bros. Interactive, founding Executive Producer at the Microsoft Network and founding Executive at Microsoft Advertising. Bob received his BA in Theater from the University of the Pacific.  

Colin oversees Salesforce’s Global Brand, Creative, Content, and Customer Insights efforts.  He previously served there as Chief Creative Officer, Head of Industry Marketing, and Corporate Messaging, and has held Product and Marketing leadership roles with EventPro, Red Bull, and eSoles.

He has considerable experience in the High-Tech sector in both Software & Services and Manufacturing; as well as in the Automotive and Motorsports field. Colin is a former professional race car driver who has competed in over 20 countries, and was a Formula 1 test driver for Red Bull Racing.

He works closely with the Wings for Life Foundation, a non-profit organization for spinal cord research. Colin holds a BA in Marketing from San Francisco State University.

Ada Agrait is the SVP and Global Head of Corporate Marketing for SAP responsible for leading all global corporate marketing, digital marketing, events, engagement and brand strategy for the company’s digital-first transformation.

Prior to SAP, Ada spent more than 17 years at Microsoft, most recently as VP of Commercial Marketing. At Microsoft, she held senior leadership roles in MSN, Bing, Windows Phone, Azure, and helped the company build its first global demand center. 

She also serves as the Board President of the Dress for Success organization in Seattle, an organization that empowers women to achieve economic independence by providing a network of support, professional attire, and the development tools to help women thrive in work and in life. 

Ada was born and raised in Puerto Rico and is passionate about mentoring and empowering women in diverse communities and supporting career growth for the next generation of talent. 

Udi Ledergor is a five-time Marketing leader at B2B start-ups and currently the Chief Evangelist at Gong. As Chief Evangelist, Udi oversees Gong’s market leadership through new product launches and thought leadership.

On his journey from Marketer #1 to Gong’s Chief Marketing Officer, he led the creation of the revenue intelligence category, pioneered an iconic, human-centric brand, and led Gong’s marketing efforts from zero to hundreds of millions in revenue. 

Passionate about startups and brands during the day, whisky, music, and social activism at night, Udi’s also an author, speaker, mentor, angel investor, board director, and advisor based in San Francisco. 

Daniel is an accomplished senior marketing leader with over 20 years of full-funnel branding and performance experience from global and regional leadership roles at HERE Technologies, eBay, and Mercedes-Benz. He’s most passionate about building strong brands to generate demand and grow customer value.

Daniel is known for empathetic coaching and developing individuals and high-performance teams. As the Head of Strategic Marketing at HERE Technologies, his teams deliver the overarching brand positioning, marketing strategy, campaign and messaging frameworks, content and creative assets, website experience, and events to drive awareness and demand.  

As a former professional triathlete and sports enthusiast, he’s striving for growth, continuous improvement, and lifelong learning. Daniel holds the Certificate of Business Excellence from Columbia Business School’s Chief Marketing Officer Program. 

Megan joined Google in April 2019, and serves as the Global Events Solutions, Strategic Lead. She partners across Google to understand how events drive business, build communities and promote cultural continuity, informing strategy for a global team of amazing design and event professionals.

She leads an internal/external innovation effort called the Google Experience Institute, focused on the futures of human-centered, multi-modal experience design.

Eyal is the former Chief Product & Engineering Officer at Twilio, which oversees the execution of Twilio’s CPaaS and Segment’s CDP future product roadmap. Previously, Eyal spent 14 years at Google. He was a Vice President & General Manager at Google Cloud. He led a portfolio of products and technologies, including Kubernetes, Istio security Mesh, SaaS Billing, Serverless, Marketplace, Observability, and other products.

In his previous roles with Google, Eyal led YouTube’s engineering teams and, before that, spearheaded the development of Advertising products, including starting up Ad Exchange and Real Time Bidding. Before joining Google, Eyal founded Voice and Video SaaS streaming startup and was in the IAF Research Group after graduating from Tel Aviv University. 

Eyal was selected to serve on Kaltura’s board due to his vast experience building successful SaaS products and innovative platform technologies. 

Award-winning inventor, musician and entrepreneur. TED speaker, Forbes U30 alumni, visiting professor at CalArts, Matan is the co-founder of Shift, an impact-driven innovation lab, and Tongo – the world’s first tongue-computer interface. 

His inventions translate physical signals (brainwaves, heartbeats, motion, etc.) into music, help people with disabilities to express themselves in new ways and have been featured in talks, performances and interactive installations all over the world.  

Laura Heisman is a CMO that builds brands and businesses, with the customer at the center of everything. Her mission is to help shape the next generation of heroes within companies, who are inspired to use technology to build better outcomes for the future.

With 25 years of experience across marketing disciplines – from customer marketing, to branding, to product marketing, to public relations, to field marketing – Laura’s emphasis in integrated communications has underpinned every business and customer outcome she has led for influential brands in technology, including VMware, GitHub and Citrix.

Laura is an advocate for developing women in business and creating new inroads for growth. She is a member of International Women’s Forum, has served as executive sponsor for Women Employee Resource Groups at multiple companies, and is devoted to mentoring women and girls to build a stronger pipeline of diverse talent in technology. 

Roman is a Product Marketing Manager in the EMEA Google Ads Marketing team. In this role, he helps agencies and other third parties grow with Google’s product solutions. Roman has spent over 12 years at Google across three offices and four roles, including advanced product support and go-to-market.

Craig has been producing live events and broadcasts professionally for over 30 years.  In his current role at VMware, he works closely with an outstanding global team of technical professionals and partners to design, develop, and produce delightful end-to-end collaboration technology, event, and broadcast experiences.

A key area of focus for the team he leads is VMware TV.  That team’s goal is to improve viewer experiences and streamline video creation and delivery capabilities for colleagues all while significantly reducing costs.  They have established, and continue to grow, a ‘one VMware’ platform for live video streaming, video on demand, advanced video production tools, and webinar programs for colleagues, customers, and partners.

Prior to joining VMware, Craig was VP of operations for a national AV rental and staging company, did a stint in web and enterprise software development, and toured as an audio engineer.  When he’s not producing live events, or dreaming about the future of enterprise video, he’s usually skiing, hiking, or sipping whiskey.

Rachel is the marketing director for the EMEA commercial and public sector marketing at Amazon Web Services (AWS). In her role she is responsible for marketing strategy to drive awareness, demand generation and customer engagement. Rachel leads a team of marketers and operations that work across the region to educate the customers on the AWS products and services and drive exceptional customer experience, communicating in the channels that customers want to consume.

Rachel has 20+ years’ experience, gained from working across functions to deliver outcome-based marketing to enterprises, start-ups, B2Cand service organisations.

Dennis has degrees in both Computer Science and Digital Film & Animation. He started his career at Unix and Oracle and has been with SAP Customer Experience (formerly hybris) since 2008. Since 2021 he joined the newly formed SAP Learning Systems organization. Where he is heading Learning Systems Product Enablement until today.

Sam Hagen is the Head of Americas Event Marketing at AWS, responsible for holistic event strategy of bar raising experiences within region, in collaboration with both regional and global stakeholder groups.

With a background in theater & public-artevents, the evolution of his career lead him to experiential marketing. Having worked on both agency and brand sides, Sam has tirelessly worked to ensure event marketing tactics always work backwards from the customer’s needs, while attendee experience design remains front and center.

Sam’s is passionate about delivering scale appropriate ROI, as dynamics in audience engagement continue to shift both in response to our post pandemic era, and as our society and business values lean further into the importance of building more inclusive experiences.

As Chief Marketing Officer, Joyce leads global marketing as Twilio executes its vision of
becoming the leader in the emerging customer engagement category. Joyce brings over two
decades of experience scaling commercial innovation and growth in the technology sector
through large scale digital transformation and brand elevation strategies. Her expertise spans all
facets of Go-To-Market including digital, brand, communications, channels and product strategy
for global technology and SaaS companies.

Previously, she served as the Chief Marketing Officer for Genesys and was responsible for
driving market expansion and revenue diversification strategies including customer acquisition,
engagement and channel growth.

Joyce is passionate about increasing brand value and revenue growth by advancing a data-
driven organization and demonstrates her thought leadership as an active member of the CMO
Council, Executive Council Member of the Forbes CMO Practice, Wall Street Journal CMO
Network, and as part of the Fast Company Executive Board. She also serves as a member of
the board of directors and the audit committee at Quicklogic corporation (QUIK), and member of
the board for Bring Me A Book, a non-profit focused on bringing the joy and transformational
power of books to all children in under-resourced communities.

Joyce has two bachelor of science degrees in Business Finance and Architecture from
California Polytechnic State University.

Amit is a seasoned marketing executive with extensive experience planning, developing and executing B2B and B2C marketing strategies from the ground up. His success stems from the potent combination of people management skills, a strong data analytics and statistics background, business acumen, creativity, passion and a keen eye for detail. In brief, Amit is the rare executive who merges both the art and science of marketing.

Bonny Shapira, the driving force behind Cisco Live EMEA, has led Cisco’s second-largest customers and partners conference with pride since 2015. As the visionary leader, Bonny shapes the overall strategy and execution of the conference, connecting it seamlessly with Cisco’s vision. With a team of Cisco professionals, he spearheads the content program, meticulously curating hundreds of educational sessions such as breakouts, techtorials, panels, and case studies.

With a diverse background in marketing and business development at Cisco since 2004, Bonny brings a unique perspective to his role. This breadth of knowledge enables Bonny to forge invaluable connections between various facets of the business and the larger goals of the conference. In his personal life, he finds passion in swimming, Spanish, Negronis, and his wife and three kids.

Bonny’s commitment to excellence and his ability to bridge diverse experiences have made him a trailblazer in the technology conference landscape. His leadership at Cisco Live EMEA inspires innovation and fosters connections, propelling the event to new heights. Through his visionary approach, Bonny leaves an enduring mark, shaping the future of technology conferences and driving Cisco’s impact in the industry.

Ewelina, originally from Poland, discovered her true passion in the UK, where she has resided since 2015. With a remarkable career spanning over 14 years, Ewelina has established herself as an accomplished Event Manager, proficient in various facets of the industry such as hospitality, fine dining, and private parties. In 2016, she transitioned into the world of Tech, assuming the role of Site Event Team Lead for Meta’s Community, Culture, and Engagement Team.

Ewelina not only thrives in her daily responsibilities but also plays a vital role in the Women@ EMEA steering committee. She actively contributes to defining strategies, advocating for the cause, and enabling engagement within the Meta Resource Group (MRG). Ewelina’s impact extends far beyond the committee as she provides invaluable support, guidance, and resources to the Women@ chapter teams. Furthermore, she is an engaged member of the Global Community Leader Advisory Committee (GCLAC). This committee collaborates closely with Meta’s Internal Community team, ensuring the voices and needs of community leaders are heard and advising on the development of impactful programs.

As the leader of the Event Pillar for the Global Hackathon Board of Directors, Ewelina serves as a core member in a team of eight individuals who play a critical role in planning hackathons worldwide. Her exceptional skills as an event manager shine through in her remarkable organizational abilities, meticulous attention to detail, imaginative creativity, and aptitude for conceptual design.

Ewelina’s infectious enthusiasm and unwavering commitment to excellence have earned her a well-deserved reputation as an exceptional event planner. Her remarkable achievements were recognized when she was awarded the prestigious Event Planner of the Year 2022 at the renowned Miss Jones Awards in the UK.

Within 2.5 years at EY, Paul has rapidly risen to the position of Senior Global Product Manager. A leader in transformational change and a technophile at heart, he thrives on the buzz of working in a vibrant and innovative environment that allows him to bring the latest technologies and digital experiences to EY audiences everywhere.

Prior to EY, Paul served as both Head of Product Management, and later as Chief Product Officer at Symbox.
Paul holds BEng (Hons.) degrees in Digital Communications and Multimedia Systems, and in Electronic and Electrical Engineering from the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow. He is also a graduate of the Oxford Executive Leadership Programme at the Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford.

Tacy Trowbridge is a strategic and mission-driven leader focused on improving learning outcomes for individuals and organizations. She guides teams that inspire and guide students and adult learners to achieve career goals. Most recently, she spent 12 years leading learning initiatives for Adobe’s Global Education team, advocating for the importance of teaching creative and digital literacy skills, and speaking to global audiences.

Tacy started her career as a teacher and a technology coordinator in California schools, earned a master’s degree in Learning, Design and Technology, and then led learning and research initiatives at the University of California and Stanford.

Ulf Kossol is a dedicated digital & social media enthusiast who has believed unwaveringly in the power of connected businesses since 2006. During his 14-year career as an officer in the German Armed Forces, he ventured into entrepreneurship during the era of the new economy and the early days of Web 2.0. In 2009, he ultimately made the switch to T-Systems Multimedia Solutions.

At T-Systems Multimedia Solutions, Ulf Kossol started as a Senior Consultant for Social Business and later assumed the role of Managing Consultant (Head of) Social Business Technology in 2012. He played a significant role in advancing and implementing the concepts of social business.

Since 2023, Ulf Kossol has held the position of Director of People Experience at Telekom MMS, overseeing the portfolio encompassing internal communication, work method transformation, and collaboration. In this capacity, he is dedicated to ensuring that employees have an optimal working environment and can collaborate effectively.

Arnaud Dolignon is the Director for Accenture Liquid Studios in Germany, Switzerland and Austria. He is also the founder and Product Owner of Accenture global Enterprise Metaverse platform, Virtual Show Floor.

During the last three years, Arnaud and his team have created an immersive platform to bridge the physical barriers brought during the pandemic. This platform is now used in conjunction of many worldwide corporate venues but also for learning, recruitment, branding, ecommerce and customer service.

For more than 20 years, Arnaud has been leveraging his passion for technology to the benefits of clients, as an entrepreneur or a consultant. Arnaud is an author of programming books. He also holds multiple patents in the domain of Artificial Intelligence. He received his Master in Paris Institute of Electronics & Telecom.

Sarah Norton is the Senior Customer Enablement Manager at Salesloft where she is responsible for designing impactful live training programs and scaled customer curriculums in partnership with post-sales teams.

Like many folks in the Customer Education space, Sarah has worn many hats, from implementing enterprise customers to onboarding new hires. Her multi-faceted experience of working with both internal and external teams has shaped her approach to learning experiences, always aiming to meet the learner where they are.

In addition to being passionate about ensuring learners meet their full potential, Sarah also strives to make learning fun and engaging. Her personal goal is to make each person laugh at least once in each training session.

Jan Pilhar is a digital transformation expert with a focus on delivering cutting-edge customer experiences. Combining strategy, technology and data to help organizations drive digital re-invention initiatives and create new services and revenue streams.

Jan worked for agencies, brands and consultancies across Europe, Asia and the U.S. and managed complex multinational projects. He is part of the IBM iX DACH leadership team and co-leads the digital advisory practice.

Bradley builds digital learning for Google managers and is a lead in Google’s L&D community. Previously, he worked across sales training and product enablement at both well established companies and startups. Over a 20 year career, he’s been hands-on in practically every L&D role.

Bradley earned his bachelor’s degree with honors in classical music from the New England Conservatory. The whole story is long and complicated.

Margot Hernandez is Senior Vice President, Video Production at Citi. She is responsible for global video content delivery and digital channel management.

Prior to joining Citi, Margot was at Major League Baseball Advanced Media, managing media operations on emerging streaming technology for clients such as ESPN and HBO. She is an avid sports fan and part-time musician.