Keynote Speaker · Leadership & AI · Polar Skipper
Where the map ends,
leadership begins.
A keynote for the main stage.
Keynotes and workshops for leaders and employees. For organisations that need to work together and make decisions under uncertainty.
Keynote speaker on leadership in uncertainty. 25 years as a technology executive, 23 expeditions in the Arctic and the North Atlantic. For conferences, congresses and kick-offs in Switzerland, Germany, Austria and internationally.
Member since 2020
The Explorers Club, New York
Andy Fitze MI'20 · Flag Expedition, Flag No. 229
- Keynote in English or German
- 3× Digital Shaper of Switzerland: 2022, 2023 and 2026
- Member of The Explorers Club, New York
For people responsible for setting direction
An executive team has to decide with incomplete information. A board has to identify which assumptions deserve closer scrutiny. A group leadership team has to explain a change of course before its outcome is known.
Andy Fitze addresses that responsibility through experience in technology organisations and at sea. Which information deserves trust? Where is challenge needed? And when does waiting become the riskier decision?
A keynote for the main stage
The signature keynote brings original expedition footage together with the questions facing senior leaders. Scenes from on board, an original soundtrack and live-controlled visuals and sound make situations involving decisions under uncertainty tangible.
“Where the Map Ends” can open or close a congress, group leadership meeting or annual conference. The briefing establishes what matters to the audience and the role the keynote should play in the programme.
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Explore the signature keynote and its formatKey facts
- Duration
- 35–60 minutes
- Programme role
- opening, closing or standalone keynote
- Language
- English or German
- Stage
- standard stage or extended panoramic setup
Who is your event for?
CEOs and group executive teams
Setting direction, choosing priorities and taking responsibility for decisions when the outcome remains uncertain. The signature keynote starts with responsibility for the organisation, rather than implementing a course already set by others.
Boards of directors and supervisory boards
Assessing decision-making information, asking difficult questions and exercising the responsibilities of the board. The signature keynote can be tailored to a board audience; the AI Board Retreat provides a separate working format for specific AI questions.
Leaders and middle managers
Making decisions within their remit and providing direction when priorities change. The keynote's emphasis takes account of the decisions the audience can actually make.
HR, employees and business owners
An HR conference raises different questions from an employee event or an evening for business owners. Dedicated formats address those different audiences and occasions.
AI remains a leadership responsibility
Andy Fitze co-founded SwissCognitive with Dalith Steiger in 2016. He advises boards and executive teams on AI strategy and transformation.
His AI keynote is not a demonstration of the next tool. It examines how organisations assess system recommendations, establish decision rights and retain the ability to intervene when a recommendation does not fit the situation.
Digital Shaper of Switzerland
2022, 2023 and 2026
Top 10 AI Influencers
AI Magazine, 2023
Swiss CIO Award 2015
CIO of the Year, large enterprise category
Keeping options open
“I wasn’t just looking for a way through. I was looking for ways out.”
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What working at sea makes visible
At sea, an assessment has to be checked against changing conditions. A crew member may notice a change before the skipper does. What matters is whether that observation is heard in time and leads to action.
Organisations face a related leadership question: how does important information reach a decision, especially when it contradicts the plan? The expeditions provide concrete situations to examine, not a claim that running a company is the same as running a sailing crew.
Locked in the Pack Ice
The film from Svalbard shows the conditions the crew had to respond to. It offers a view of the expedition material behind the keynote.
Technology leadership and expedition experience
Andy Fitze spent more than 25 years in technology leadership, including as Group CIO of RUAG. Today, he combines that background with his work as an AI strategist and co-founder of SwissCognitive.
He is president of the Swiss IT Leadership Forum and a board member of swissICT. An electrical engineer with an Executive MBA from the University of St. Gallen, he brings both technical understanding and experience of organisational responsibility.
Alongside this, he has organised and led 23 expeditions. His experience as a polar skipper shapes his perspective on preparation, judgement and working together under uncertain conditions.
Both fields of experience inform his work on stage. Adventure is not presented as an end in itself; the focus is on what leaders can examine in relation to their own decisions.
- Co-founder SwissCognitive
- President Swiss IT Leadership Forum
- Board member swissICT
- TopCIO of the Decade
- 3× Digital Shaper of Switzerland
- Member of The Explorers Club, New York (MI'20)
- Sailing Instructor & Yachtmaster Ocean, Royal Yachting Association
- Electrical engineer, Executive MBA HSG
Pack ice off Svalbard. Every minute a new situation.
What organisers and audiences say
“What Andy Fitze captivates his audience with is less a lecture than an expedition.”
“We can warmly recommend Andy as an outstanding keynote speaker to all organisers.”
“Andy Fitze was a keynote speaker at the last Sustainability Days. His presentation, packed with technical and emotional content, delighted the audience. Countless positive responses to his presentation underline this. He enriched the Sustainability Days with his contribution.
We can warmly recommend Andy as an outstanding keynote speaker to all organisers.”
“[…] a profound meditation on leadership in extremis […]”
«His keynote was an unforgettable experience that enriched our conference and stimulated participants both intellectually and emotionally.»
«Andy captivates from the very first second. A clear recommendation for every leader looking for a new perspective.»
«His practical tips are real navigation aids for anyone facing economic challenges. The images will stay with me for a long time.»
«It was not just a talk about the topic, but a talk for life that made me think.»
Translated from German.
From the audience
- «I had to turn 60 to have tears in my eyes after a keynote.»
- «I was so captivated by the images.»
- «A talk that moved me deeply.»
Voices of participants after the keynote
On stage at
UBS Wolfsberg, Meta Hamburg, Oslo Rescue Conference, AURA Zurich, Showpalast Munich, Sustainability Days Messe Basel, Carinthian Chamber of Commerce, American Club of Hamburg, ABB
A keynote or work on your own decision?
A keynote brings a subject to an audience. A workshop starts with a specific question facing a team. The AI Board Retreat provides a confidential setting to work on the organisation's own AI questions.
The entrepreneur dialogue and short talk offer other options for client events and evening programmes. The overview helps you choose the right way of working.
Materials for your programme planning
The speaker dossier summarises Andy Fitze's background and stage offering. Your audience and the purpose of the event guide the content discussion.
Frequently asked questions
PODCASTS & INTERVIEWS
In Conversation
On radio and podcasts, Andy Fitze talks about leading in uncertainty and what expeditions into uncharted waters mean for companies in the age of AI.
SRF 1 Persönlich · Explore North · TOPhoch3 · M.U.T.cast
Andy Fitze · Interviews & Podcasts
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Enquiry
Planning your next leadership event?
Share the date, location and audience, along with the question you want the event to address. Andy Fitze will reply personally within 48 hours to discuss the content and setting.
“Working with Andy Fitze was uncomplicated, friendly and very competent.”
Direct contact keynote@andyfitze.com · Forch near Zurich, Switzerland · LinkedIn