AI & Business

Thomas Zöller teaches as a distance learning professor at IU International University in the Data Science department. His focus is on advanced analytics and artificial intelligence and their key role in digital transformation.

After studying computer science with a minor in mathematics, Zöller received his doctorate from the University of Bonn with a thesis in the field of machine learning in image processing. This was followed by several years of application-oriented research - including at the Fraunhofer Gesellschaft. In his further career, Zöller held various positions with a focus on business intelligence, advanced analytics, analytics strategy and artificial intelligence. In the course of these activities, he was able to gain experience in the defence technology, logistics, retail, finance and automotive sectors.

Dr. Marleen De Smedt, M.D. with specialisation in occupational health, public health and in statistics, is a former official of the European Commission/Eurostat, where she has worked for more than 25 years in various leading positions in the Directorate of social statistics, in particular in the field of public health and well being, and as an advisor for the Director General.

Lara Lusa is an Associate Professor of statistics at the Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Information Technologies of University of Primorska (Koper/Capodistria) and at the Medical Faculty of University of Ljubljana, Slovenia. She has many years of research-experience in the field of medical Statistics, in which she also authored numerous publications in the field of virology and recently some on COVID-19-specific topics.

Katharina Schüller studied psychology at the Technical University of Dresden and then earned a degree in statistics at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. In 2003, while still a student, she founded STAT-UP Statistical Consulting & Data Science Services, which she has headed as CEO ever since. The company supports decision-makers in companies as well as politics and administration in building data strategies and data competence as well as developing data applications and models to make data-based decisions with the help of statistics, artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Schüller developed risk modelling software for the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment. This is the prototype of a programme that supports the risk assessor in creating and documenting quantitative risk models.

In 2020, it initiated the development of a Data Literacy Charter under the sponsorship of the Donors' Association for the Promotion of Sciences and Humanities in Germany, which was signed by more than 100 representatives from business, politics and science. In 2021, the IEEE Standards Association appointed her to lead an international working group to develop a global standard for Data & AI Literacy.

Schüller was also involved in the development of the app Stadt, Land, DatenFluss by the German Adult Education Association. This was created to strengthen citizens' data literacy by explaining how new data-based technologies work in a playful way.

Julian studied Mathematics at the University of Augsburg and is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Epidemiology at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München. He started as an intern in January 2021 and has continued working for STAT-UP as a working student. Before he came to STAT-UP, he worked as a tutor and teaching assistant, and also volunteered as a content creator for an online learning platform.

Fulvia Mecatti is Professor of Statistics at University of Milano-Bicocca with 30 years of experience as a researcher and as a teacher. She has excellent methodological and didactical knowledge in statistical literacy. Her research includes sampling designs and  computer intensive statistical methods as applied to social, gender and health data. She is a former elected member of the board of the Italian Statistical Society and a former president of its Survey Sampling Methodologies section.

Christine Neubauer has a degree in visual communication design. For her work, she has broad practical experience in project and communication consulting in the special fields of cloud, SMEs and certification criteria. She was and is active in various national and European projects.

Dr. Andreas Liebl is Managing Director of the appliedAI Initiative GmbH and the appliedAI Insititute for Europe gGmbH with the goal of empowering professionals in Europe to responsibly develop and apply AI systems to help shape the world we want to live in. He is a member of the Global Partnership on AI, where he serves as an expert on AI innovation and commercialisation, among other advisory roles. Prior to his current role, he was Managing Director of UnternehmerTUM, worked at McKinsey and did his PhD at the Chair of Entrepreneurship at TU Munich.