Janina Kugel, born in 1970 in Stuttgart, initially worked at an international management consultancy after studying economics in Mainz and Verona. Later, she joined Siemens AG, where she held the position of Chief Human Resources Officer responsible for 380,000 employees after several positions both domestically and internationally starting in 2015. Janina Kugel was Siemens’ secret superstar for many years. She gave the company “a young, cool image in tune with the times” (FAZ). As a speaker at international tech and future conferences, a social media influencer, or a TED speaker, Kugel preached about disruption, diversity, and digitalization. As one of the few women in top positions, she gained enormous reputation as a thought leader in key future topics, far beyond the German-speaking world. In early 2020, Janina Kugel left Siemens AG and has since worked as a board member and senior advisor. She is a member of international advisory boards in education, culture, and business, and also advises the German government. Janina Kugel is a mother of twins and lives with her partner in Munich.