The Autonomous Main Event 2025

With over 32 years of experience in the automotive and technology industry, Ricky Hudi acts as Chairman of The Autonomous. Passionate about innovation and the development of autonomous driving technologies, Ricky is a true pioneer in the mobility sector. After holding various roles at BMW AG and AUDI AG he took over in January 2009 as EVP Development Electrical/Electronic AUDI AG. He also founded his own company “FMT – Future Mobility Technologies” and is leveraging a world-wide network of key players in the autonomous driving industry.

Kurt Sievers has been President and CEO of NXP Semiconductors since May 2020, leading strategic initiatives like the acquisition of Marvell’s Wi-Fi Connectivity Business Unit and the merger with Freescale Semiconductor. He holds a Master of Science in Physics and Computer Science from Augsburg University, Germany. Kurt serves on several boards, including Capgemini S.E., ESIA, GSA, AENEAS, ZVEI, and OAV and has been with NXP since 1995.

Missy Cummings is a Professor at George Mason University's College of Engineering and Computing, directing the Mason Responsible AI program and Mason Autonomy and Robotics Center. A former naval officer and one of the U.S. Navy's first female fighter pilots, she holds a B.S in Mathematics, an M.S in Space Systems Engineering, and a Ph.D in Systems Engineering. She is a Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and the Royal Aeronautical Society, and a Commissioner for the Global Commission on Responsible AI in the Military Domain.

Dr. Martin Hart is responsible for developing assistance systems at Mercedes-Benz Cars, including EE chassis and brake control systems and the driving simulator. As part of the E/E product group, he oversees cross-departmental system development. Dr. Hart studied electrical engineering at the University of Karlsruhe and completed his doctorate at Daimler-Benz AG. He has held leadership roles at Mercedes-AMG GmbH and in automatic transmission development. Since 2016, he has led E/E brake control, chassis systems, and DRIVE PILOT software.

Marcus Hafkemeyer is the CEO of CARizon, China, with nearly 30 years of executive experience in the automotive industry. He previously served as CTO of Volkswagen Group China, Vice President of BAIC Group, and Executive Strategy Advisor at Huawei Automotive. At CARIZON, Marcus leads the development of intelligent driving solutions tailored to the Chinese market, leveraging partnerships with Horizon Robotics and Volkswagen. His expertise spans product development, strategic initiatives, and automated driving technologies.

Ronen Smoly has been the CEO of PlaxidityX (formerly Argus Cyber Security LTD.) since 2020. Prior to this, he served as VP of Sales for three years, leading market penetration and expansion. With over two decades of experience in sales management and business development across telecommunications, cybersecurity, and media, Ronen has held senior roles at Hola, Cisco, NDS (a News Corp Company), Jungo, and Cardonet. He holds a BSc in information systems, industrial engineering, and management from the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology.

Mathias Pillin is CTO of Bosch Mobility and a Board member since 2023. He began at ETAS in 1999 as a software developer, then joined Bosch, holding roles in software, electronics, sales, and project management. In 2012, he became Head of Development and SVP for Car Multimedia. From 2016–2019, he was EVP for Drivetrain Electrification, then President of Chassis Systems Control (2020) and Cross-Domain Computing Solutions (2021–2022).

Katrin Matthes is Lead Software Technologist at Ampere, driving cross-functional software and the company’s software-led transformation. She represents Ampere and Renault Group in the European SDV initiative Shift2SDV. Previously, she was Platform Software Lead Architect at Intel and spent 17 years at Texas Instruments in mobile telephony roles. Katrin holds a dual French-German Master’s in Electrical Engineering from KIT and INPG.

Jens Hinrichsen is the Executive Vice President and General Manager of Analog and Automotive Embedded Systems at NXP Semiconductors, overseeing the company's analog product portfolio and system offerings for the automotive market. With 25 years of experience in the semiconductor industry, Jens began his career at Philips Semiconductors in 1995 and has held various roles in Europe, Asia, and the U.S. He holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering and Business from the Technical University in Berlin and has been with NXP since 1995.

Omer Keilaf is the co-founder and CEO of Innoviz Technologies, a leading supplier of LiDAR sensors and perception software for autonomous vehicles. Under his leadership, Innoviz has raised $371 million and grown to over 400 employees. In March 2024, BMW launched its Personal Pilot function using Innoviz’s LiDAR, marking one of the first series production L3 autonomous vehicles on German highways. Omer previously served in an elite technological unit of the IDF and held senior roles at Consumer Physics and STMicroelectronics.

Lars Reger is executive vice president and chief technology officer for NXP Semiconductors. He is responsible for managing new business activities, R&D in automotive, industry 4.0, the internet of things (IoT), mobile and connectivity & infrastructure. Prior to joining NXP as CTO of the automotive division in 2008, he was responsible for business development and product management within Continental’s connectivity business unit. In December 2018, Lars was appointed NXP’s CTO and has since then been responsible for the technology portfolio of NXP.

Benedikt Wolfers is a founding partner of POSSER SPIETH WOLFERS & PARTNERS (pswp), a law firm specialized in national and international regulation for different industries, notably automotive, energy, finance and infrastructure. He has been engaged for many years in the design and approval process for SAE L3 and 4 systems and the development of homologation and road traffic law. He is advising OEMs, semiconductors, tier 1 companies in Europe and the US and has long-standing experience with national and international regulatory bodies and governments.

Dr. Stefan Poledna is the CEO & CTO at TTTech Auto. He is responsible for the technology roadmap, all scientific topics and quality management in both companies. Dr. Stefan Poledna has over 30 years of international industry experience in innovative embedded systems development. He has authored several patents with a focus on safety, communication, and automated driving. He received his Ph.D. degree in computer science with distinction from Vienna University of Technology, where he also lectures on Dependable Computer Systems.

Richard Damm is President of the Federal Motor Transport Authority (Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt, KBA) in Germany. He is also chairman of the UNECE Working Party on Automated, Autonomous and Connected Vehicles in Geneva where the globally effective regulations on automation of vehicles are generated. Before being appointed President of KBA, Mr. Damm served at the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure in Bonn and Berlin. Richard is an internationally recognized expert in the field of the worldwide harmonization of vehicle regulations.

Andreas Kugi has been the Scientific Director of the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology since July 2023 and Full Professor for Complex Dynamical Systems at TU Wien since 2007. He received his degree in Electrical Engineering from TU Graz and earned a Ph.D. from Johannes Kepler University Linz in 1995, followed by his habilitation in control engineering in 2000. His research focuses on complex dynamical systems, mechatronics, robotics, and process automation. Andi authored over 400 publications, holds 169 patents, supervised over 60 Ph.D. dissertations.

Georg Kopetz is co-founder, CEO and member of the executive board at TTTech. As the company’s Chief Executive Officer, he is responsible for the overall strategy of the corporation, marketing, sales, finance and human resources. He also serves as the President of TTTech’s joint-venture company TTControl in Brixen/Bressanone, Italy. After attending school in Germany, Austria and the US, he studied law at the University of Vienna in Austria and at the Université Paris II (Panthéon-Assas) in France.

Jennifer has spent her entire adult life on stages, in front of the camera or at the microphone, in Trinidad &Tobago, the UAE and Europe working as a performing artist, presenter and voice over artist. Additionally she studied media management and media journalism and is currently doing her master's in business psychology. Continuously learning and receiving new perspectives is her great passion. In her free time she loves to travel to new places, spend time with friends and family or try out any kind of sport.