Helmut Linde is the Global Head of Data Science & Analytics at Merck KGaA (Darmstadt, Germany). He is responsible to drive innovation in the field of advanced analytics and artificial intelligence and to ensure that the company leverages the potential of these modern technologies. He leads an organization of expert data scientists and in-silico researchers who support all Merck businesses in advanced analytics projects. Before joining Merck, Helmut has held various leadership roles at the software company SAP in the area of data science, overseeing the development and implementation of customer-specific forecasting and optimization solutions. Helmut has an academic research background in mathematical physics.