AI LEADERS EMEA 2026

The landscape of AI leadership in the EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) region for 2026 is defined by a shift from experimental "pilots" to Sovereign AI, regulatory compliance (EU AI Act), and the rise of the "AI Factory" model within enterprises.

Based on recent industry moves and upcoming summits, here are the key entities and individuals leading the charge:

1. Key Corporate & Strategic Leaders

• James Northway (Assembly): Newly appointed EVP, Global Head of AI and Data Strategy. He is leading the evolution of AI-driven experience design and investment decisions across Europe.

• Dave Henderson (CGI): As CTO, he is spearheading "Sovereign AI" solutions, positioning CGI as a "Best in Class" leader for secure, compliant AI infrastructure in highly regulated European markets.

• Henna Virkkunen (European Commission): As Executive VP for Technological Sovereignty, she is the primary political architect for the EU's 2026 AI initiatives, including the Frontier AI Grand Challenge to develop large-scale sovereign European models.

• Bridget Hopkins (Assembly CEO, Europe): A central figure in scaling performance-driven AI marketing models across the EMEA region.

2. Top Enterprise AI Pioneers (Speakers & Influencers)

The following leaders are recognized for moving AI from IT labs into core business operations:

• Emanuele D’Agati: Global Head of Digital Transformation & AI at Bayer.

• Debmalya Biswas: Executive Director & AI CoE Lead at UBS.

• Nicki Mørk Bolbroe: Product Director Data Science at Novo Nordisk.

• Tjerrie Smit: Chief Analytics Officer at NN Group.

• Prashanth Halady: Chief Product Owner for AI and Automated Driving at Bosch Group.

3. Strategic AI Hubs & Events for 2026

If you are looking to network with these leaders, the following summits are the primary "power centers" for 2026:

Event

Date (2026)

Location

Focus

World AI Cannes Festival

Feb 12–13

Cannes, FR

Business impact & Society

Chief AI Officer Exchange

Feb 25–26

London, UK

Enterprise AI Factories & Governance

Rise of AI Conference

May 5–6

Berlin, GER

European AI Ecosystem & Founders

AI Summit London

June 10–11

London, UK

Practical Enterprise Applications

RAISE Summit

July 8–9

Paris, FR

ROI, Compute, and Generative AI

4. Emerging Trends in EMEA Leadership

• The "AI Factory" vs. CoE: Leaders are moving away from centralized "Centers of Excellence" (CoEs) toward agile "AI Factories" that allow decentralized teams to build tools within platform-level guardrails.

• Sovereign AI: A massive push (led by France and Germany) to ensure data stays within European borders and complies with the EU AI Act, which becomes an operational reality this year.

• Agentic Systems: The focus has shifted from simple Chatbots (GenAI) to Agentic AI—systems that can think, reason, and act independently to solve business workflows.

Would you like me to find more specific contact details for any of these leaders, or perhaps look into AI leadership specifically within the Middle East or African markets?