Saturday, 3 October 2026 – Day 1

10:00-11:00 Fireside Chat

11:00 – 11:45 Intergenerational Panel

Sunday, 4 October 2026 – Day 2

10:00-11:00 Executive Panel

11:00-11:45 Interactive Workshop

Leadership Café: Conversations That Inspire, Connect, and Grow

Moderator: Coming Soon

Sunday, October 4 | 15:00 – 15:45 CET

Leadership Café Mentors

Coming Soon

Coming Soon

Comin Soon

Coming Soon

Session Description: Leadership develops through experiences, meaningful conversations, and learning from others who have navigated similar challenges. The IEEE Region 8 Young Professionals Committee will host an interactive mentoring experience, bringing together emerging professionals and experienced IEEE volunteers, industry leaders, and academia in a dynamic roundtable format.

Rather than a traditional panel discussion, participants will rotate through parallel mentoring tables, each dedicated to a different leadership theme. Every table will be facilitated by an experienced mentor who guides conversations through real-life experiences, practical advice, and interactive discussions. The session emphasizes cross-generational learning, international collaboration, and peer-to-peer knowledge exchange, reflecting the diversity of IEEE and the conference theme, Evolution: Advancing Leadership Across Generations. knowledge exchange, reflecting the diversity of IEEE and the conference theme, Evolution: Advancing Leadership Across Generations.

Participants will leave with new perspectives, meaningful professional connections, and a personal leadership action plan.

Intergenerational Panel

Engineering the Future: Women Securing their Place in Industry 5.0

Moderator: Dr. Jeewika Ranaweera, Co-Chair IEEE Metaverse

Saturday, October 3 | 11:00 – 11:45

Abstract: As we shift to Industry 5.0, driven by megatrends like human-machine collaboration, sustainability, and personalized solutions, women’s contributions in engineering are essential. This panel explores how gender-diverse leadership fosters innovation, adaptability, and inclusive team building, enabling women to drive transformative change. With insights from Industry 4.0 advancements, real-world case studies, and actionable strategies, highlighting how women engineers are shaping the future, leading innovation, securing their place in this new industrial era.

Intergenerational Panelists

Dr. Dejan Milojicic, HPE Fellow and VP, Hewlett Packard Labs,

Mary Ellen Randall, President-Elect, IEEE 2025

Dr. Thomas Coughlin, IEEE Past President, IEEE 2025

Dr. Kathleen Kramer, President, IEEE 2025

Executive Panel

Track 1: Engineering the Future: Women Securing their Place in Industry 5.0

Moderator: Dr. Jeewika Ranaweera, Co-Chair IEEE Metaverse

Sunday, October 4 | 10:00 – 11:00

Abstract: As we shift to Industry 5.0, driven by megatrends like human-machine collaboration, sustainability, and personalized solutions, women’s contributions in engineering are essential. This panel explores how gender-diverse leadership fosters innovation, adaptability, and inclusive team building, enabling women to drive transformative change. With insights from Industry 4.0 advancements, real-world case studies, and actionable strategies, highlighting how women engineers are shaping the future, leading innovation, securing their place in this new industrial era.

EXECUTIVE PANELISTS

Dr. Dejan Milojicic, HPE Fellow and VP, Hewlett Packard Labs,

Mary Ellen Randall, President-Elect, IEEE 2025

Dr. Thomas Coughlin, IEEE Past President, IEEE 2025

Dr. Kathleen Kramer, President, IEEE 2025

Workshop Essential Leadership Skills

Workshop with Shilpa Shastri, Apptio IBM

Moderator: Dr. Jeewika Ranaweera, Co-Chair IEEE Metaverse

Sunday, October 4 | 10:00 – 11:00

Abstract: As we shift to Industry 5.0, driven by megatrends like human-machine collaboration, sustainability, and personalized solutions, women’s contributions in engineering are essential. This panel explores how gender-diverse leadership fosters innovation, adaptability, and inclusive team building, enabling women to drive transformative change. With insights from Industry 4.0 advancements, real-world case studies, and actionable strategies, highlighting how women engineers are shaping the future, leading innovation, securing their place in this new industrial era.