Archives: Speakers

Constantin Weberpals is a researcher focused on applying artificial intelligence to clinical research and operations. With a background in information systems and machine learning, his work has explored machine-learning-based biomarkers and AI for clinical trial operations at Stanford University. He also worked at McKinsey & Company, advising biopharma on improving operational efficiency through technology.

As part of the Offshore Wind Delivery team at Scottish Enterprise John is responsible for Developer Engagement around ScotWind and INTOG projects. He is also Category Manager for foundations and substructures. In these roles he works with developers, industry and the supply chain to maximise the economic opportunities for Scotland. John has been with Scottish Enterprise since 2006 and has worked in international marketing, international trade and in sector teams covering Energy Systems and Offshore Wind. Prior to this John worked in the private sector in international marketing for software companies.

As the CMO and Co Founder of DioniLife, the exclusively non-alcoholic portfolio company founded by spirits industry innovators, Keane is responsible for global marketing initiatives.

With more than twenty-five years of experience in the adult beverage industry, he has an exceptional track record in international marketing – both turning round and accelerating performance.

Keane has driven brand sales in North America, Europe, Africa and Asia at different price points and scale at Diageo and then led marketing at the Stoli Group. He has experience leading brands in most categories of spirits and beer including Tanqueray Gin, Captain Morgan Rum, Guinness, Talisker Malt Whisky and Kentucky Owl Bourbon.

As a marketing leader Nik has built teams and capability programmes for company mission delivery. He thrives on providing front line support for sales by building creatively positioned brands with effective commercial drivers that lead to results

Rowena is co-founder and CEO of leading drinks branding specialist Denomination. This female-owned and led agency has offices in Sydney, London, San Francisco and New York. Denomination works across the drinks industry for a broad cross-section of clients from boutiques to multinationals, and across all disciplines of branding design and innovation.

Now in its 23^rd year, Denomination continuously pushes boundaries in a bid to capture consumers’ hearts. The agency is a leader within the drinks design industry in terms of driving sustainability, and has been certified Climate Neutral since 2021. Denomination has been awarded Global Design Agency of the Year a record seven times by Harpers Wine & Spirits, and – amongst the 350+ international awards that the agency has won – includes five coveted DBA Design Effectiveness Awards.

Rowena has a BA Communication from Charles Sturt University, an GMQ from AGSM UNSW, and is a GAICD. Outside of Denomination, Rowena sits on both profit and not-for-profit boards as a non-executive director.

Rowena’s insight, passion and knowledge about the drinks industry means she is a regular contributor to drinks, business and design press, and has judged, lectured and chaired panels in design, innovation and drinks branding.

In February 2015, Ilham Chahboune joined SICPA SA as Sales and Marketing Manager, where she was responsible for marketing materials and product management related to Product and Brand Protection.

Since then, Ilham has advanced to the role of Business Development Director. In this position, she is responsible of developing and growing business in the Wines & Spirits, Luxury, and Cosmetics segments by introducing SICPA technologies, ranging from physical materials to digital solutions.

Prior to joining SICPA, Ilham held positions at Philip Morris International, Nestlé, and SC Johnson.

She holds a degree in International Business from Iona College and New York University (NYU), New York, USA.

Himanshu Upreti is the Co-founder and CTO of Ai Palette, an AI-powered deep-tech startup founded in 2018 that enables global CPG brands to accelerate product innovation through its patented predictive Gen and Agentic AI technology.

Leading a team of over 50+ members, he scaled Ai Palette to 27 markets across six continents, serving clients such as Nestlé, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Kellogg’s, and ITC, before its acquisition by GlobalData Plc in 2025. The startup raised millions in funding from global investors, including the Singapore Government, Pi Ventures, and Exfinity Ventures.

Himanshu was included in the prestigious Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list; his work has been featured in CNBC and TechCrunch. His startup has won global accolades, including Top 10 Global Food & Retail Tech Startup (Switzerland) & Top 50 Nasscom Emerge Awards (India)

Before founding Ai Palette, Himanshu worked at Visa Data Labs, where he filed 2 trade secrets and played a major role in restructuring Visa’s tech stack. He is an IIT graduate with bachelors in Mathematics and Computing

Born and raised in Milan, Daniele earned a degree in Economics with honors from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. Since 2002, he has lived in London, where he spent ten years at Goldman Sachs, working in private equity and later leading the bank’s internal hedge fund.

After launching his own business and managing his hedge fund, Benros Capital, Daniele went on to head the European operations of Halcyon Asset Management. He has been an angel investor for many years, primarily focused on companies in the technology and consumer goods sectors.

This passion led him to join forces with his childhood friend Luca Travaglini to create Planet Farms, with the goal of revolutionizing traditional agriculture through a highly technological and sustainable vertical farming system. Under his leadership, Planet Farms has grown rapidly, becoming a leading player in the vertical farming sector in Europe.

Derek Grimes is the Executive Vice President of Global Clinical Research at QPS Holdings, LLC, where he leads global Phase I–IV clinical operations and strategic partnerships. With over two decades of experience in clinical research, Derek has built and managed large-scale programs across the US, Europe, and APAC, specializing in oncology and early-phase drug development. Before joining QPS, he held senior leadership roles in academic and industry settings, where he focused on operational excellence, innovation in clinical trial execution, and global regulatory strategy. Derek is passionate about bridging US and APAC clinical research ecosystems to accelerate global drug development.