2026 Speakers

With decades of experience in UX research, Marcos has led impactful work at Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Meta, GetYourGuide, and Choco Communications. He is currently a Staff UX Researcher at Meta Reality Labs Research, where he focuses on complex qualitative research, emerging technology, and long-term user adoption. At Meta, he has also led internal explorations into how UXRs can meaningfully integrate AI into their workflows. He values UX360 as a space that fosters community, connection, and the exchange of ideas across the UXR community, especially at a time when our tools, contexts, and roles are rapidly evolving.

Utkarsh Seth is a Senior Staff UX Research Manager at Google. Utkarsh has over 15 years of industry experience in the field of UX. His primary focus is to enable organizations to shape user experiences that are crafted, useful and usable. Over the last several years he has built and scaled multiple complex UX teams both within and outside the United States. His work revolves around empowering his team to achieve UX excellence by coaching people not only in their craft but also integrating in the product development process and co-own the product life cycle. Outside of his core UX work, Utkarsh is deeply passionate about coaching and mentoring aspiring UXers entering the field. He has been collaborating with Savannah College of Art and Design over the past 8 years to bridge the gap between academia and industry. His work has been published in Worth Magazine, Augusta Chronicle & Fast company. More recently, Utkarsh has been a close advisor on the UX Research program SCAD has launched. Utkarsh continues to ensure that the curriculum is informed by the needs of businesses that hire for the role and that the students are going through coursework that will fulfill those needs.

With a background in human sciences, specifically in anthropology, I’ve spent my career making digital experiences more human. I started as a journalist, then transitioned into market research before finding my way into UX research in 2014 in Mexico—just as the field was taking off there. From consulting to leading projects for Amazon and HBO, and later shaping UX strategy at Scotiabank, I’ve always loved connecting people, tech, and business. Now back in Milan, I lead UX Research at Nestlé, focusing on employee experience and making big, complex projects run smoothly and in a more human way.

Yoel has spent over 13 years navigating the ever-evolving world of UX, taking on roles in product design, UX research, and design leadership. Along the way, he has helped shape user experiences at global companies like Uber, Adidas, Delivery Hero, Tiket.com, and Bukalapak. His career spans three continents—North America, Europe, and Asia—where he has driven product innovation and user-centred strategies at scale. A passionate advocate for design justice and participatory research, Yoel has worked to ensure UX benefits underserved communities, from gig workers at Uber to emerging markets in Southeast Asia and Middle East.

A design leader who thrives at the intersection of innovation, design, and entrepreneurship, Rich has spent 25+ years transforming complex challenges into engaging experiences. From founding his own multi-disciplinary design agency to leading global teams at Google, Meta, and YouTube, he has scaled solutions impacting millions daily. Rich is currently a Principal/Director of Design at YouTube and serves as a UX lead for Google's mid-cap advisory board. Beyond the corporate world, Rich is a passionate educator, speaking at universities about the changing face of design and leading Google's apprenticeship program in Switzerland.

Barbara Koop is Head of Usability at Philips, helping to ensure all solutions can be used with the least amount of friction and the highest possible ease. Being in the company since 2018, Barbara and her team elevated usability from a group of experts to a company responsibility. With an academic background in Cognitive Psychology and AI, and a career in Human-Technology Interaction that spans 25 years, Barbara brings a wealth of knowledge and experience coming from Elsevier, Funda, several Dutch banks, and numerous other companies as well as self-owned startups. Barbara is also an engaging keynote speaker, always eager to inspire and get inspired.

Jeremy Raider-Hoàng is a Senior UX Design Researcher at IKEA, Ingka Digital, where he helps inform thoughtful and impactful design solutions through understanding customers and co-workers. From home transformations to everyday improvements, his work focuses on alleviating challenges to make better living spaces more attainable, no matter where home is. Previously, he worked at IDEO and Just Eat Takeaway, and with clients like the City of Utrecht, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.

Rosanna is a passionate tech product leader, coach, change maker and intrapreneur. She is leading with her brain and heart and focuses on establishing a low hierarchy team culture based on psychological safety, constructive nonconformity and DEIB. User-centric product management and people-centered leadership are her passion. She is an expert in IT transformation, especially in transition from project-oriented to user-centric product-oriented way of working. She is building and leading empowered and interdisciplinary product and platform teams. Her main topics include the development of culture, product leadership and tech strategy, as well as agile transformation. She is driving change by education through self-designed education programs, conferences and meetups.

With over 22 years of design experience, including more than a decade leading global product design teams, Hadi blends creativity with strategy to deliver impactful physical and digital products and solutions. He excels in problem-solving and strategic planning within complex ecosystems, leveraging eight years in healthcare to deeply understand chronic disease management and research. A certified ISO Business Trainer and Coach, he fosters growth through mentorship and shared learning. His passion for human-centered design fuels his exploration of its connection to neuropsychology, the focus of his forthcoming book.

I’m a UX researcher with 13+ years of experience in product and service design, focused on creating user-centered solutions with meaningful impact. As Director of UX Strategy at Paysafe Group, I guide teams in designing experiences that balance business goals with user needs, particularly in the fintech sector. I mentor a team of UX designers, researchers, and writers, fostering a collaborative and creative culture. My work focuses on humanizing technology by integrating user research throughout the product lifecycle, ensuring solutions are informed by real insights, validated through testing, and optimized for impact.

Elena Svergunenko serves as the UX Research Director at Xsolla, a global leader in video game commerce. She leads a dedicated team of UX researchers, employing diverse methodologies to enhance customer experiences and fuel product innovation. With a focus on strategic alignment, Elena develops cross-functional processes that streamline collaboration and deliver measurable value for both users and businesses in the dynamic gaming industry.

I have about 20 years of experience at the intersection of design and technology, working in consultancy, product area, and the banking industry with firms like Designit. Currently, I lead the UX and Research Team at Sabadell Corporate Bank. Throughout my career, I have collaborated with numerous clients across various geographical regions. In recent years, I have transitioned from leading teams to focusing on expanding design methods and mindsets throughout the organization. My daily activities include working with the design team, conducting generative research, enhancing design operations and product management, and promoting design principles across the organization.

Katherine is a seasoned futures, product, and service design researcher, passionate about human behavior and improving the overall experience of products and services.  They have spent the past three years leading the research team at Sabadell Corporate Bank. In their role, they guide the team in selecting and implementing research methods tailored to the organization's needs. The team has been key in transforming the organizational mindset, ensuring that the user's voice is a pivotal influence not only in project validation but also in shaping the roadmap and strategic decision-making.

Inga Scharfenberg is working as a Market Research & Customer Advocacy Manager at freenet AG with a focus on UX and customer centricity. Since user experience and user-centered design are highly important to her personally, she is also passionate about professionally contributing to creating the best possible user experiences and developing engaging customer journeys.

Carina Lehne de López is Chief Experience Officer and partner at eye square. She is responsible for key accounting, sales, development of user experience research methodology, controlling studies in the field of UX, and managing a team of UX researchers. She specializes in qualitative methods, emotion tracking, personas and iterative User Experience consulting during product development.

Shamindri Perera is a UX Leader with 18 years of experience across industries, including consumer electronics, gaming, enterprise software, and travel technology. She has held key roles at Dell, Razer, Samsung, Oracle, and Indeed, and currently serves as Head of UX for Airline Solutions at Amadeus. With deep expertise in design, research, strategy, and data-driven UX, Shamindri specializes in transforming product-focused experiences into scalable platform solutions that drive user engagement and business impact.

With an education in biotechnology and over a decade of go-to-market experience across half-a-dozen startups, Lloyd has always found himself to be at the intersection of research and the business. Everything came full circle for him at Stravito, where he has the opportunity to do research on researchers and use those learnings himself to build the go-to-market strategy.

Dr. Javier Bargas-Avila, a UX Director with 20+ years of experience, builds user-delighting products and high-performing teams. For 14 years, he scaled research organizations at Google (Cloud, Ads, YouTube, Play) after establishing the HCI research lab at the University of Basel. In 2025, he founded Astrolabium, a UX coaching and training company to empower talent development globally. He is an active contributor to the UX community, sharing insights through talks, publications, podcasts, and conference presentations.  With 20+ years of teaching experience, he lectures at the Universities of Basel and the University of Applied Sciences.

Helen Devine is a Principal Design Researcher at Lloyds Banking Group.  With over 20 years of expertise in strategy, user-focused research, data and insight, ethnography, and design across various sectors, she still loves hearing what people have to say. Before joining LBG, Helen successfully set up and embedded UX Research at The Economist, following roles at The Guardian, Shelter, and Asda. Helen is passionate about having the users’ voice at all levels, coaching and mentoring others and ensuring high standards in user research regardless of the scope of the study.

Natalie LeRoy is the Design and Research Head of Practice in Next Gen Engineering at Accenture London. Her work spans behavioral science, neurotech and AI applications for various markets at global companies and startups and she is passionate about creating a world where people are enabled to be their most creative beyond technology.

Head of Human-Centered AI and Innovation for Strategy and Talent and have been with Standard Chartered for 2.5 years. Previously been with Meta (short term), venture building/CVC with Silicon Valley venture building firm called Mach49, and I come from the academia. Today, I look after all the human factors surrounding AI and responsible AI for four departments. I sit on the Group RAI Council and Review Forums as a voting member where we review org-wide AI use cases on a weekly cadence, make decisions on responsible adoption of AI, review RAI standards in relation to the latest laws and regulations. I’m the co-product owner of the AI literacy program within and am a certified data ethics professional by Open Data Institute.

Senior UX Researcher, with a background in political science and journalism. I've spent my career transforming information into insights. Whether plowing through financial data to uncover hidden risks, leading strategic projects for commercial banking with an introduction of the end-user needs, or helping establish UX practices in low-maturity environments, I've worked to ensure that the human experience is part of the equation. Passionate about the intersection of individual stories, business, and technology, I'm especially drawn to working with underserved audiences and I believe in the "quiet" power of UX research by surfacing the right insights at the right time.

Chara is a Senior Researcher, currently obsessed with Riders as her users. She has a background in research psychology and an insatiable curiosity for understanding human behaviour. For the past 4 years, she has been mostly a solo user researcher at Logistics in DH, where she has embedded herself in different tribes, working across both customer-facing & internal products. Her superpower is Figureoutability—committing first and trusting she’ll figure it out along the way. She believes great research isn’t just about just delivering insights—it’s about influence, staying ahead, and sparking those ‘aha’ moments that shift mindsets.

Neha Viswanathan is a UX Research leader with 14+ years of experience driving innovation at the intersection of user needs and business strategy. As UX Research Director at Trustpilot, she leverages deep expertise in product strategy, monetization, and service design. She has led research at Meta (WhatsApp), Tripadvisor, and global brands like Google, Spotify, and Visa, shaping user experiences across diverse markets. Passionate about creativity and human-centered design, Neha has built and scaled research practices, fostering innovation, empowering teams, and translating insights into transformative solutions that drive global impact.

With over a decade of experience shaping digital experiences, Jean-Baptiste leads design and research at Bpifrance, France’s state bank for entrepreneurs. His background in computer science engineering and entrepreneurship provides a unique analytical perspective on design leadership. Previously, he worked on projects at Lyft and Stanford Research Park and held key roles at BNP Paribas and Orange Bank. He also founded Hype!, a platform curating outstanding locations in architecture, gastronomy, and art. Based in Paris, Jean-Baptiste draws inspiration from industrial design, traditional craftsmanship, and technology.

Hakan Yurdakul is the CEO of Bolt Insight, reshaping market research with their innovative BoltChatAI platform. With over 15 years at Unilever, he’s an expert in marketing strategy, brand positioning and product development. Hakan has a track record of turning insights into award-winning campaigns and delivering real business impact through transformation.

Udy is a seasoned UX expert with 25 years of B2C and B2B experience. After leading product design teams at companies like WalkMe, eBay, and Zynga, he now helps teams integrate AI tools into UX research and design. He also supports leadership teams in listening to users, embedding research practices, and designing interfaces that meet both business and user needs. Additionally, Udy partners with startups as a fractional design lead, guiding founders through onboarding their first designers and helping them get the most value from their design hires.

Venessa is a renowned design leader, speaker, and problem solver who specialises in creating experiences that meet business and customer needs. With a proven track record of building design practices and teams for brands such as Vodafone, Rightmove, and UK tech unicorn Cazoo, she is currently the Global UX Director at Dye & Durham. Through her blog, Venessa shares her invaluable insights and learnings on UX and design leadership.

I am a UX leader with over 8 years of experience in designing intuitive and user-friendly digital products. My mission is to bridge the gap between users and technology by transforming complex challenges into seamless and enjoyable experiences.

I specialize in user research, interaction design, and usability testing, guiding teams to create impactful, user-centered solutions.

I believe UX is not just about design—it’s a strategic approach that drives business success. By collaborating with product managers, engineers, and marketers, I ensure that UX strategies align with both user needs and business goals.

With more than 15 years in qualitative research, both offline and online, Tanya has conducted hundreds (or thousands, who counts?) of IDIs, FGs, and communities. She has carried out ethnographies and multicultural studies with much enthusiasm and is an early adopter of AI technology in market research.

Léanne Waterton is a Senior UX Researcher at Novo Nordisk, currently working in AI related initiatives aimed at tackling pharmeceutical production challenges. Léanne has a background in biology and social sciences, and has over ten years of experience working with user research in both the public and private sectors. Originally from Canada, Léanne has been living & working in Copenhagen for six years and has also worked in UX consulting, gaming, and on complex SaaS products. Léanne is passionate about making sure that products are developed with the user in mind from the start, ensuring empathy for the user is in place across the entire product lifecycle.

Michelle Bergenholz Groth is a Senior UX Researcher at Novo Nordisk, where she has been working since March 2024. She is currently involved in an AI initiative within the product supply area, where she ensures that products are developed based on user needs rather than pure technical feasibility. Michelle holds a Master's degree in Business and Organizational Anthropology from Copenhagen University and has extensive experience in the discovery research phase and UX research for product development. Prior to joining Novo Nordisk, Michelle worked at Microsoft and the SaaS startup Forecast.

Sonja Wilczek has been working as a Principal User Researcher at DigitalService GmbH des Bundes since 2023. Previously, she led the user research discipline at TIER Mobility and worked as a user research consultant for user centricity as well as an embedded user researcher in various corporate contexts. She is passionate about the user-centered development of (digital) services and products that create real added value for humans.

Adam Ebel is a UX Design Director based in Berlin with two decades of experience crafting award-winning products and services. He has worked at companies like Microsoft, Fitbit, Amazon, and frog design, shipping innovative product experiences such as the Xbox 360, Fitbit Blaze, Amazon Pay, Beatport Pro, and others. Passionate about the intersection of design, emerging technology, and human behavior, Adam builds and empowers teams that drive strategic innovation while fostering a culture of continuous learning and improvement. Whether designing game platforms, music services, or other products, his mission is to make people’s lives easier, healthier, more informed, and way more fun.