A Conversation with Corporations Exploring The Potential of AI, Machine Learning, and Blockchain

Mike Robortaccio, Director, Corporate Development, Avis

Richard Crook, Head of Emerging Technology, RBS

Daniel Hulme, CEO, Satalia

Martin Adams, CEO & Founder, Codec

Euros Evans, CEO, Etch

Panelists :

Mike Robortaccio is the Director of Corporate Development for Avis Budget Group, a global leader in vehicle rental solutions servicing nearly 11,000 locations worldwide through its Avis, Budget, and Zipcar brands. He has worked on transactions in more than 20 countries, significantly expanding the company’s corporate footprint and portfolio of international brands, turning strategy & innovation initiatives into tangible results. More recently Mike has focused on strategic partnerships to help Avis navigate the ever-changing mobility landscape, exploring adjacencies such as FMaaS and Ride-Hailing, and maintaining a first-mover advantage within the industry. Mike holds an MBA in Finance from Seton Hall University, where he graduated at the top of his class, and brings his expertise in M&A and business development to give a unique perspective on disruptive technologies.

Richard Crook leads a team of engineers and innovators looking at emerging technologies and their application across RBS. His current focus is on the application of distributed ledger technology including blockchain across RBS. Richard has a 15 year career in investment banking technology, specialising in the building of financial ledgers and regulatory reporting for the largest financial service institutions.

Daniel Hulme is the CEO of Satalia, a London-based company that provides Artificial Intelligence (AI) inspired solutions to solve industries hardest problems. He is also the Director of UCLs Business Analytics MSc, applying AI to solve business and social problems. Daniel is a popular public speaker specialising in the topics of Philosophy, Technology, Innovation and Organisational Design. He is a serial TEDx speaker and speaker for the Singularity University. Daniel has a Masters and Doctorate in AI from UCL, lecturing in Computer Science and Business, and is passionate about how technology can be used to govern organisations and bring positive social impact. Daniel is the co-founder of the ASI and has Advisory and Executive positions in many companies. He holds an international Kauffman Global Entrepreneur Scholarship and actively promotes positive entrepreneurship and technology innovation across the globe.

Martin Adams is the CEO and Co-Founder of Codec -an innovative Creative Intelligence Platform that is revolutionising how content marketers engage with audiences across the Internet. Codec is backed by some of the biggest and best investors in the world (Dave McClure, Telefonica etc.) and fundamentally changing the way creative decisions are made, for the better. Martin has been a researcher at the Berkman Centre for Internet at Harvard University, and believes the world of 'Digital' has to be more accessible for people from different walks. He co-founded the Digital Leadership Council and Social Media Unit @ UCL to advance this mission. Previously he's worked at Songkick, and has been an intellectual property expert who's worked on investment/legal in the USA and UK for the biggest private equity and venture capital firms, as well as world leading tech companies like Facebook and Apple. Martin was listed on the Maserati Top 100 Entrepreneurs list, described as a 'Marketing Guru'by the Sunday Times and graduated on the Dean's List at Harvard Law School. He's fascinated by digital culture and how different groups can, or should, contribute to it.

Euros Evans has spent over 20 years in the construction industry. First as an apprentice builder with his Dad before studying to become an Architect. He built the first real estate website in the world in 1993. 20 years later, discovered blockchain. In realising its potential, set up NOMAN meetup group in 2015 and built a strong community around it. Over the next two years, Euros forged strong relationships with the people who he would eventually ask to join him on his very own blockchain project - Etch.