AWEiSE CIC

Dr Souad Slyman is a researcher-practitioner and strategic operator specialising in AI, innovation strategy and workforce development. Bridging academia and industry, she designs and scales initiatives that convert frontier research into production-grade products while building the capabilities, governance and partnerships required for sustainable adoption. Her portfolio spans curriculum and accelerator design, data and AI strategy, and public-private collaborations that create talent pipelines and deliver measurable economic and social impact. As an advisor and mentor, she supports founders and emerging leaders—especially women and under-represented groups—through practical frameworks for product validation, ethical AI use, and evidence-driven decision-making. A frequent contributor to panels and publications, Dr Slyman advocates for responsible innovation and inclusive growth, helping organisations move from ambition to execution with clarity and pace.

AWEiSE is proud to introduce our dedicated team, combining over two decades of expertise in academia, research, and management. We harness diverse skills in STEM, business, and policy to create pathways for women in data science and AI. Together, we are committed to empowering women and shaping the future landscape of leadership and innovation.

Tess Hilson-Greener is a trailblazing HR transformation expert, advisor and thought leader redefining how the profession will evolve in an AI-driven world. With over 30 years’ experience leading people and organisational impact across global enterprises including Deloitte, Inmarsat, Deutsche Bank, E.ON, FedEx, Astellas Pharmaceutical and Gilead Sciences, she brings both boardroom expertise, practical experience and a futurist lens. As the founder of HR2035, Tess leads a bold, research-driven movement that looks ahead to 2035 and works backwards to design the new models, capabilities and governance needed for HR to thrive and not just survive in the decade ahead. In 2026, she will launch the BREATHE™ WorkScope ecosystem and the AI-Centric PXB Model™ (People, Service, Breathe) it’s a revolutionary framework set to redefine the future operating system of HR. Tess is also a regular commentator and journalist on AI, workforce development, people strategy and policy, contributing to national and global conversations through events, publications and Westminster Government forums.

Cathy Daum is a software-industry leader with a 40-year career spanning senior VP roles at IBM, BEA (now Oracle), SAP, and leadership at Lotus in the Nordics/Benelux. With 25+ years in pan-EMEA management and six years global, she’s led new product launches, built partner ecosystems, shifted firms from on-prem to SaaS, managed M&A, and most recently rolled out AI across SAP’s global partner network. A long-time mentor and coach, she now runs a consultancy advising on software, tech, and AI. She holds BA/MA degrees from Cambridge, a postgrad diploma from Bath, and has lived/worked in six European countries

Bilingual English-French leader with 18+ years’ experience leading cross-market teams and enterprise transformations across EMEA. Proven success in driving revenue growth, operational excellence, and customer success through AI-enabled delivery, risk-aware program design, and deep cross-functional collaboration. Experienced in leading service operations in compliance-sensitive enterprise environments, with direct accountability for commercial and delivery outcomes across high stakes portfolios. MIT-certified AI Strategist and trusted executive advisor recognized for operational leadership, client partnership, and people development excellence.

Chris Pugliese is a London-based, award-winning AI technologist and hands-on engineering leader who architected the UK’s first “AI Accountant,” integrating LLMs, knowledge graphs, Open Banking, and real-time tax automation. As CTO at Pie Tax, he scaled the product from MVP to 60k+ downloads in under a year, driving multi-million-pound results with lean, high-trust teams. He’s worked across B2C/B2B with global brands like Google, Red Bull, and Disney across Europe, the US, and South America