Dennis Thelen

For every digital transformation to succeed, skills and capabilities are fundamental to execution. This includes not just experts in topics like AI, Cloud, Data Analytics – but also a huge number of “Translator” roles: people who are able to build the bridges between different functions and innovative digital solutions. Yet, often you won’t find all these people on the hiring market, but need to build them internally.

In this panel discussion, we will discuss the pressing topics for teams and entire companies in the context of these upskilling projects, including (but not limited to):

• How to build an end-to-end digital skills strategy
• How to tailor the skill-building offerings to the different learning goals, different prior knowledge, and different learning styles of individual employees
• How to engage people with a combination of blended self-learning and collaborative learning journeys

As the Digital Transformation Manager at BASF Coatings GmbH, Dennis Thelen is an expert when it comes to structuring change processes in line with a “digital culture”. In this role, he develops and implements digitalisation training programmes and works as an in-house coach to help managers and teams to structure their work together. After studying economics at the Humboldt University of Berlin, where he focused mainly on entrepreneurship and innovation, Dennis Thelen has held various positions at Siemens AG and BASF Coatings GmbH.