Business & Management

Professionals who specialize in the organization and oversight of business activities, as well as focus on planning, directing, and controlling company operations

Edwin M Sarmiento

Edwin M Sarmiento

is the Managing Director of 15C, a consulting and training company that specializes in designing, implementing and supporting SQL Server infrastructures. He is a 12-year former Microsoft Data Platform MVP and Microsoft Certified Master from Ottawa, Canada (but he’s originally from the Philippines) specializing in high availability, disaster recovery and system infrastructures running on the Microsoft server technology stack. His background in Unix has taken him to the world of DevOps and Docker to containerize SQL Server. He is very passionate about technology but has interests in music, neuroscience, social psychology, professional and organizational development, leadership and management matters when not working with databases.

Edwin lives up to his primary mission statement: "To help people and organizations grow and develop their full potential."

is the Managing Director of 15C, a consulting and training company that specializes in designing, implementing and supporting SQL Server infrastructures. He is a 12-year former Microsoft Data Platform MVP and Microsoft Certified Master from Ottawa, C... Show more

Mihaela Draghici

Mihaela Draghici

Mihaela is a product leader with 15 years experience in building B2C and B2B global products and leading product teams in various industries, from education, e-commerce, to affiliate marketing and automotive.

She's led and scaled cross-functional teams, launched new products, and worked closely with business, design, engineering, and leadership teams in complex environments, while shifting away from a project mindset and towards a user-centric and outcome-oriented approach.

Mihaela believes that putting people first, both end-users and teams, is the key to creating great products.

Throughout her experience, she identified that most product teams don’t fail because of strategy, or lack of skill. They fail because they are not truly aligned in how they understand the work.

She now helps product leaders and cross-functional teams uncover hidden misalignment, clarify how they communicate, and build and speak the shared language needed to make good decisions and deliver outcomes that matter, faster.

Topics include:
- cross-functional collaboration
- outcome-driven product development
- inclusive leadership
- language & alignment in cross-functional teams

After my sessions, audiences typically:
- recognise how language quietly shapes collaboration and decision-making
- see why well-intentioned teams drift out of alignment over time
- gain practical ways to surface hidden assumptions in their own teams
- rethink “alignment” as an ongoing leadership responsibility, not a one-off event

Most importantly, leaders leave with a sharper lens for spotting problems before they turn into delivery failures or team friction.

My talks are grounded in real team dynamics, not idealised models, and they challenge people to look honestly at how they work together.

Mihaela is a product leader with 15 years experience in building B2C and B2B global products and leading product teams in various industries, from education, e-commerce, to affiliate marketing and automotive. She's led and scaled cross-functional... Show more

Dean Savović

Dean Savović

Dean is Senior DBA practicing SQL Server since version 7.0 and main areas of interest are performance tuning and troubleshooting SQL Server database. Primary focus is on OLTP databases with occasional adventures with Business Intelligence. He finished Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing and MBA on Faculty of Economics in Zagreb. His premise was that it is very useful to combine technical knowledge with management process knowledge that help us in our everyday work. He works in Dinofni which is specialized in data management field on Microsoft SQL Server.

Dean is Senior DBA practicing SQL Server since version 7.0 and main areas of interest are performance tuning and troubleshooting SQL Server database. Primary focus is on OLTP databases with occasional adventures with Business Intelligence. He finishe... Show more

Ayesha Bagus

Ayesha Bagus

I believe technology works best when it's built around people. Almost 20 years in People leadership, Agile, and organisational development, I've learned that real innovation happens when teams feel genuinely seen and supported. I speak at conferences about Systems Thinking and diversity because I've witnessed how surface-level fixes rarely stick, meaningful change requires understanding the deeper patterns that shape how we work together. At KRS, I partner with leadership to build cultures where people can show up as themselves, where curiosity matters as much as competence, and where different perspectives aren't just welcomed but actively sought out. I'm drawn to the messy, human side of work: the conversations that shift thinking, the vulnerabilities that build trust, the moments when strategy meets intuition and something new becomes possible.

I believe technology works best when it's built around people. Almost 20 years in People leadership, Agile, and organisational development, I've learned that real innovation happens when teams feel genuinely seen and supported. I speak at conferences... Show more

Bas Schuurmans

Bas Schuurmans

Bas Schuurmans has been working for Valcon (previously VIQTOR DAVIS) for 10 years as a Senior Principal Business Analytics Consultant. During these years, he has primarily worked on the Front-end. Here, he has gained extensive knowledge and experience in Dashboarding & Reporting and has specialised in Data Visualisation & Data Storytelling. Within Valcon, he is the lead of the Front-End Engineering Offering, sharing knowledge and experience both within and outside the company. He is enthusiastic, skilled and creative with Power BI, working on innovative ideas, creating and implementing them.

Bas Schuurmans has been working for Valcon (previously VIQTOR DAVIS) for 10 years as a Senior Principal Business Analytics Consultant. During these years, he has primarily worked on the Front-end. Here, he has gained extensive knowledge and experienc... Show more

Vishal Pawar, Ph.D.

Vishal Pawar, Ph.D.

Dr. Vishal Pawar, a 15+ year Data and Analytics visionary who continues to excel in Cloud Analytics as a Principal Architect at Lunavi, shines as a 5-time Microsoft Data Platform MVP and an esteemed member of the Microsoft MVP Reconnect program, alongside being a Microsoft MVP Alumni, while also holding the distinguished title of a 6-time MCT, and has inspired and educated over 130,000 students as an Udemy instructor; as the co-founder of MyCloud.Guide and boasting over 10 professional certificates, Vishal serves as a beacon of excellence, his journey, which began in engineering, led him to achieve a Ph.D. in Computer Science and an MBA in Information Systems, epitomizing the relentless pursuit of knowledge, and beyond his professional accomplishments, he's a devoted family man and mentor, illuminating the path for 130,000+ aspiring professionals worldwide on Udemy and earning a reputation as an international speaker at Microsoft conferences such as Inspire, Build, Microsoft 365, and Microsoft Data Conference, where he has shared his expertise on a wide range of topics, from Power Platform to Azure Synapse, and delving into unique areas like the Power BI Report Server; his passion and dedication to empower end-users have even led him to write a book, making complex subjects accessible and easing the journey of those who seek knowledge and mastery.

Dr. Vishal Pawar, a 15+ year Data and Analytics visionary who continues to excel in Cloud Analytics as a Principal Architect at Lunavi, shines as a 5-time Microsoft Data Platform MVP and an esteemed member of the Microsoft MVP Reconnect program, alon... Show more

Veit Heller

Veit Heller

I’m a technologist at heart, though life often leads me into managerial roles. For the last 15 years, I’ve built products, led and advised companies, published papers, and shared my insights at conferences and in articles on the web.

I’m a technologist at heart, though life often leads me into managerial roles. For the last 15 years, I’ve built products, led and advised companies, published papers, and shared my insights at conferences and in articles on the web. Show more

Nikki Maginn

Nikki Maginn

Nikki Maginn is a powerhouse at the intersection of engineering excellence and
human-centered leadership. A nuclear engineer, pilot, and former Division I athlete from the
University of Tennessee, she brings a rare blend of grit, curiosity, and compassion to every
stage she steps on. Nikki holds a B.S. in Nuclear Engineering and has complemented her
technical foundation with advanced leadership and management training throughout her career.
Currently, Nikki is the founder of Inside Out Engineering, a groundbreaking initiative that delivers
emotional intelligence training to engineers in industry, academia, and beyond. She is also an
advisor and coach to organizations seeking to build cultures of accountability, trust, and
innovation through people-first leadership.
Her career path spans high-stakes roles across the nuclear, logistics, and technology sectors.
As Director of Program Management at the largest material handling and logistics manufacturer
in the country, she drove multimillion-dollar cross-functional programs while cultivating cultures
of accountability, trust, and psychological safety. Prior to that, she held executive leadership
roles in the nuclear startup space, directing engineering operations for small modular reactor
development. Here Nikki negotiated nuclear fuel contracts, built partnerships with global nuclear
suppliers, ran new product development to ensure the ultimate safety and program performance
in one of the most demanding technical environments on earth.
In parallel with her technical and leadership work, Nikki has been a lifelong advocate for mental
health and emotional well-being in STEM. She has conducted research and facilitated programs
on emotional intelligence, resilience, and workplace culture, translating insights from psychology
and behavioral science into actionable tools for engineers and technical leaders. She has also
founded and led mentorship programs, women’s networks, and engineering education outreach
initiatives, ensuring that the next generation of engineers—especially women in STEM—enter
the field with both the technical expertise and human skills to thrive.
Nikki speaks and writes on topics ranging from courageous leadership and emotional
intelligence in technical fields to building mentorship cultures and leading with authenticity in
male-dominated industries. Her story challenges traditional notions of leadership—and reminds
us that empathy is not a soft skill; it is a core skill for the future of work.

Nikki Maginn is a powerhouse at the intersection of engineering excellence and human-centered leadership. A nuclear engineer, pilot, and former Division I athlete from the University of Tennessee, she brings a rare blend of grit, curiosity, and com... Show more

Rodrigo Groener

Rodrigo Groener

Rodrigo Groener has been working with Microsoft Dynamics 365 and the Power Platform for more than ten years, delivering projects as a developer, project lead, and solution architect. His focus has ranged from building business applications on Dataverse and Dynamics 365 to designing scalable integration and governance architectures for enterprise customers.
Over the past two years, Rodrigo has been deeply focused on how Dataverse can serve as a robust platform for AI voice agents, especially in customer service scenarios where reliability, observability, and low-latency API design are critical. He enjoys translating real-world project experience into practical patterns and reusable templates that teams can apply immediately.

Rodrigo Groener has been working with Microsoft Dynamics 365 and the Power Platform for more than ten years, delivering projects as a developer, project lead, and solution architect. His focus has ranged from building business applications on Dataver... Show more

Hugo Rosário

Hugo Rosário

Senior leader at a €4B multinational, heading an IT team of 40+ focused on Salesforce. Experienced speaker at Dreamforce, World Tour, and Dreamin conferences. Member of the Salesforce Customer Advisory Board (Platform) and founder of a private Manufacturing Business Group for industry decision makers. Trailblazer Group leader since 2019.

Senior leader at a €4B multinational, heading an IT team of 40+ focused on Salesforce. Experienced speaker at Dreamforce, World Tour, and Dreamin conferences. Member of the Salesforce Customer Advisory Board (Platform) and founder of a private Manufa... Show more

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