Pastore, Richard: - Richard (Rick) Pastore is the research principal of SustainableIT.org, where he develops and delivers research-based insights, tools, and seminars for executives driving technology-led environmental, social, and governance (ESG) sustainability. These include the ESG Sustainability Standards for IT and the IT Toolkit for Responsible and Sustainable AI, a project involving input from 50 tech leaders from a dozen industries. In this role, he continues to be inspired by the IT profession's culture of collaboration and shared purpose in solving seemingly impossible challenges. Rick has had a long career in IT media, including more than a decade as writer and editor of CIO magazine and contributing editor to cio.com. He helped grow the CIO Executive Council, a global peer advisory and leadership development program, which he served as VP. Prior to joining at the SustainableIT organization in 2022, Rick was the senior director and IT research advisor for benchmarking and consulting firm The Hackett Group.
Sundberg, Niklas: - Niklas Sundberg is Senior Vice President and Chief Digital Officer at Kuehne+Nagel, where he leads the company's global digital ecosystem, including AI transformation, cloud modernization, data and connectivity platforms, and Responsible AI governance. He oversees a global team of more than 800 technology professionals who are driving sustainable, secure, and future-ready digital capabilities across one of the world's largest logistics networks. Previously, Niklas served as Senior Vice President and CIO at ASSA ABLOY Global Solutions, Head of Global Enterprise Architecture at ASSA ABLOY Group, Managing Partner at Gartner, and Executive Vice President of Connecta, a publicly traded professional services firm. Niklas is a recognized advocate for Sustainable IT and Responsible Technology leadership. The absence of comprehensive literature in the field motivated him to write the Sustainable IT Playbook for Technology Leaders, establishing one of the first structured frameworks for practitioners. He is a member of the Board of Directors at the SustainableIT organization, an executive-led nonprofit advancing global sustainability through digital leadership.