Meet Dr. Kathrin Kind-Trueller, a trailblazing alumna of SSBM Geneva’s Online Executive DBA program, a multi-award-winning leader in the application of AI to business, and a new member of SSBM Geneva’s Advisory Board. With over two decades of experience, her career has been a testament to transformative leadership and technological innovation. Now serving as the Chief Data Scientist and AI Director for Cognizant’s Global Growth Markets, Dr. Kind-Trueller continues to revolutionize the way AI drives business growth and innovation, making her an inspiration for aspiring professionals in the field of technology and beyond.
Your career spans over two decades and includes contributions to automotive, AI, and business innovation industries. Can you share the key milestones that have shaped your journey?
I often describe my career as a winding road rather than a straight highway – though it’s fitting I started in the automotive industry! My first major milestone was getting my foot in the door at a leading car manufacturer, where I discovered how data-driven insights (from sensors and actuator signals) could turbocharge vehicle development. This fascination with leveraging data led me to pivot into AI-focused roles. During the early days of AI in the form of ML adoption, I was fortunate to help pioneer machine-learning applications in business operations – think of it like upgrading from a manual transmission to an automatic, but for entire corporate workflows. Over the years, I’ve shifted gears to lead cross-functional teams, launched start-ups in emerging technology fields, and championed strategic innovations at the enterprise level. These experiences shaped my passion for integrating cutting-edge AI solutions into practical, real-world business scenarios.
As a multi-award winner in AI applied to business, including the prestigious Forttuna Award, what does this recognition mean to you?
Receiving the Forttuna Award felt a bit as hitting the “big red NOS button” in a Fast & Furious movie – it gave me an extra boost of confidence and signaled that my work has genuinely contributed to the field. Awards are wonderful acknowledgments of the effort my teams and I pour into creating impactful AI solutions. However, they also come with an unspoken promise: keep pushing boundaries, keep exploring what’s next, and keep collaborating. In essence, it’s both an honor and a motivator, reminding me that innovation in AI should always serve a meaningful purpose, whether that’s improving lives, businesses, or the broader economy.
Balancing an impressive professional career with academic contributions, including authoring books, is no small feat. How do you stay motivated and manage your time?
If there’s one skill I’ve mastered, it’s turning coffee into strategic plans – or as my friends joke, “espresso into inspiration.” Jokes aside, the key has been learning to delegate effectively, i.e. trusting my team and surrounding myself with equally passionate expert collaborators. I keep a meticulously prioritized schedule, splitting my day between what absolutely must be done now and what can be scheduled for the near future (or creatively outsourced). Writing books and academic papers is particularly energizing because it’s an opportunity to reflect, research, and share. I find that being active in both industry and academia creates a feedback loop: hands-on projects in business inform my academic writing, while academic pursuits sharpen my thinking for industry challenges. Maintaining that synergy—while staying fueled by caffeine—keeps me motivated and organized.
As a new member of the Advisory Board at SSBM Geneva, what inspired you to join this institution, and what do you hope to bring to the table?
When I first encountered SSBM Geneva, I was taken by the institution’s innovative mindset and global perspective – a bit like meeting a fellow explorer who also loves blazing new trails, I started my Executive DBA journey during the pandemic, so it made sense to be able to have the flexibility of working and researching from home. It quickly became clear that SSBM was not content with traditional education models; it wanted to reimagine what business and management education could be in the digital age. Joining the Advisory Board felt like a natural fit. I hope to bring not just my experience in AI and business innovation but also a willingness to experiment, iterate, and collaborate across disciplines. My goal is to help create programs that prepare students for a rapidly changing world – where you`ll find overall robots may one day make your latte, but critical thinking and entrepreneurial spirit remain irreplaceable.
How do you envision your expertise in AI and business innovation contributing to shaping the future of education at SSBM Geneva?
I see AI as a powerful vehicle for personalized and adaptive learning. One-size-fits-all curricula are quickly becoming relics of the past. With AI, e.g. we can tailor educational experiences to individual student needs, let an AI answer questions about a particular subject as an expert study companion, whilst still ensuring the answers for assignments come from the student, track progress in real-time, mark exams automatically, and predict challenges before they become roadblocks. In parallel, my background in business innovation can help SSBM Geneva integrate industry demands into the curriculum – so we’re not just teaching theory, but also equipping students with the agility to pivot in fast-paced environments. Ultimately, I hope to foster a culture of continuous learning and experimentation, positioning SSBM Geneva at the forefront of AI-driven education.
What advice would you give to students aspiring to build a career in AI or pursue innovation-driven roles?
First, become a lifelong learner – AI evolves faster than the latest smartphone update. Keep your knowledge fresh through courses, conferences, and hands-on projects. Second, cultivate resilience; not every experiment will lead to a breakthrough, I have learned immensely from my mistakes. They taught me that every failure is a clue toward the next success. Third, collaborate widely: AI solutions rarely happen in a vacuum; they need domain experts, creative thinkers, and business leaders working in tandem. Lastly, don’t forget the human element – whether you’re building an algorithm for a medical device or an e-commerce chatbot, empathy for the end user is paramount. After all, AI is there to serve people, not the other way around, so keep the human-in-the-loop.
You also completed the Executive DBA program at SSBM Geneva. Could you share your experience with the program and how it has influenced your professional journey?
The Executive DBA at SSBM Geneva was like a grand tour of knowledge, with pit stops in cutting-edge research, strategic leadership, and global business insights. It gave me the academic backbone to analyze complex problems critically, and to challenge accepted norms with evidence-based reasoning. This program was not about memorizing theories but about applying theoretical frameworks to real-world corporate challenges—something that aligns perfectly with my passion for bridging the gap between academia and industry. The faculty and peers in the program were diverse and brought in perspectives from countless sectors and regions. This interplay of ideas not only sharpened my skill set but also expanded my professional network exponentially, and I was able to win new friends, excellent professionals themselves, who supported me in my dissertation journey, and some of them are themselves lecturers too (Kudos to Dr. Koh, Dr. Wong, Mr. Tan, & Dr. Fogarty).
In short, the Executive DBA was a transformative experience that reinforced my conviction: knowledge should be dynamic and actionable, continuously pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in business and beyond.
In closing, whether I’m working on AI-powered solutions, guiding start-ups to scale, writing books, or contributing to SSBM Geneva’s mission, my driving force remains the same: harness innovation to make a positive, tangible impact.
Dr. Kathrin Kind-Trueller’s journey exemplifies the remarkable heights that can be achieved through dedication, expertise, and the pursuit of lifelong learning. Her contributions to AI and business innovation resonate far beyond her professional achievements, serving as a beacon of inspiration for students and alumni of SSBM Geneva. We are proud to have been a part of her journey and look forward to seeing her continued impact in shaping the future of technology and business.