Over three days, the MBA Summer Conference will explore a topic that increasingly affects organisations across sectors and leadership roles: Digital Resilience. The programme will feature keynotes and exciting discussions on several emerging digital topics that are profoundly impacting enterprises and society. The conference will provide a forum to discuss digital leadership and management issues surrounding cyber incidents, public debates about digital sovereignty, the rapid adoption of generative AI in the workplace, and how organisations and their leaders are navigating a fast-changing digital landscape shaped by technological innovation and geopolitical developments.
The event blends insights from research and practice with plenty of space to reconnect with old friends and peers, continue conversations over shared meals, and enjoy time together in Maastricht as summer begins.
The regular conference fee for external participants is €1,090. In celebration of Maastricht University’s 50th anniversary, MBA students and alumni benefit from a 50% discount, bringing the fee to €545. Members of the Alumni Association—or those who choose to join (annual membership fee: €40)—receive an additional €50 reduction, resulting in a final fee of €495. Maastricht University alumni and relations also benefit from a discount, bringing their fee to €595.
16.00 – 16.30 Coffee & registration |
16.30 – 18.00 Icebreaker Our 90-minute MBA icebreaker activity is designed to connect participants, spark ideas, build trust and energise collaborative conference learning experience.
· Diana Berdún Mingo – MBA Programme Advisor, Maastricht University · Daria Doets – MBA Programme Coordinator, Maastricht University |
18.00 – 19.30 Summer cocktails on campus to unwind, network and continue conversations in a relaxed, informal MBA atmosphere setting. |
09.30 – 09.45 Welcome & introduction
· Ron Jacobs – Executive MBA Director, Maastricht University · Anant Joshi – Associate Professor of Information Management & Conference Chair |
10.00 – 10.45 Opening plenary
The Reality Check – Understanding the Threat Landscape
Digital resilience starts with a clear-eyed view of the world as it is; not as we would like it to be. We explore the rapidly evolving threat landscape shaped by cyber risk, geopolitical tensions, and the unintended consequences of emerging technologies such as AI. |
10.30 – 10.45 Coffee break |
10.45 – 12.00 Expert panel
Cybersecurity across Industries
We invite alumni experts on cybersecurity to present insights and real-world cases for a shared understanding of how vulnerabilities arise, how threats materialise, and why traditional approaches to risk management are no longer sufficient.
· Martijn Antzoulatos-Borgstein – Senior Sales Director, Defense & Security, Livedrop · Guerrino Mazzarolo -ICT & Cyber Capabilities Portfolio Manager, NATO · Adam Sandenholt -Chief Information Security Officer, ING |
12.00 – 13.00 Lunch break |
13.00 – 14.30 Simulation session Moving from reaction to anticipation, the breakout sessions will highlight how leaders can embed resilience into decision-making processes, organisational structures and technology choices. You will engage with practical frameworks and board-level perspectives that translate complexity into actionable strategies.
· Adam Sandenholt – Chief Information Security Officer, ING |
14.30 – 15.00 Coffee break |
15.00 – 15.45 Keynote plenary
AI at Work
· Stephan Hartgers-Rus – CEO, Xomnia
Stephan Hartgers is CEO of Xomnia, a Dutch data and AI consultancy. Former McKinsey, Mobiquity and Hexaware executive, he advises organisations on AI transformation, digital strategy, innovation and technology-enabled change. |
15.45 – 17.00 Panel session
Positive impact case
· Tara Miranović – Digital Transformation & AI Consultant, EuroLink · Mihaela Popescu – Founder & CEO, CreateGrowth360 · Michael Price – Sr. Customer Solutions Manager, Amazon Web Services |
19.30 – 22.00 Conference dinner
Our “Thirsty Thursday” conference dinner will take place at Ipanema, a vibrant and atmospheric venue that offers an excellent setting for informal exchange and networking after the conference day. It will reconnect alumni and welcome new students, blending nostalgia with fresh perspectives, enriched by music, shared stories and engaging moments that go beyond a traditional sit-down experience. Attendance at the dinner is included in the conference fee. |
08.30 – 10.00 Breakfast session
Start your day with a thought-provoking “Breakfast Booster” linking Cipolla’s laws of human stupidity to digital resilience, revealing how irrational behaviour amplifies risk, undermines decision-making and challenges crisis response in complex, technology-driven environments.
· Philip Vergauwen – Professor, Maastricht University SBE & FSE |
10.00 – 10.45 Keynote plenary
The Role of a Human in a Digital Society
This keynote explores a human-centric digital society by examining how leaders shape organisational decisions, particularly in technology adoption. It addresses the challenges of ensuring effective human oversight, including technical limitations and the EU regulatory context, and considers the human role in interpreting AI-driven outcomes when systems lack explainability. Her address ultimately underscores that leadership accountability remains central to responsible digitalisation.
· Maja Brkan – Judge and Advocate General General Court European Union & Endowded Professor of Digitalisation and EU Law |
10.45 – 11.15 Coffee break |
11.15 – 12.00 Closing keynote
· Michiel Borgers – Director JIVC, Ministry of Defence of the Netherlands
Michiel Borgers is Director of the Joint Information Provision Command (JIVC) at the Dutch Ministry of Defence, after previously serving as CIO at Maastricht University. JIVC is responsible for the digital infrastructure and IT services of Defence, including large-scale modernization and resilience programmes. |
12.00 – 13.00 Lunch break |
13.00 – 13.30 Reflections & wrap-up In this closing session, we synthesise key insights from across the conference, translate reflections into clear conclusions, and define concrete actions to strengthen digital resilience, leadership effectiveness and organisational readiness in an increasingly complex and rapidly evolving technological landscape.
· Anant Joshi – Associate Professor of Information Management & Conference Chair |
13.30 – 13.45 Closing remarks
· Ron Jacobs – Executive MBA Director, Maastricht University |
