Announcing the AU 2022 General Session Speakers

The General Sessions on Day 1 and Day 2 of AU 2022 provide a look at pioneering projects across industries, an introduction to the big themes and ideas we’re exploring at the conference, and the major announcements for the week, including new tools, new partnerships, and new strategies. If you’re not joining us in New Orleans, you can still register for your free AU 2022 Digital Pass now.

General Session Day 1

In the General Session Day 1 on Tuesday at 11:00 AM CDT, Autodesk President and CEO Andrew Anagnost will share how moving our collaboration—and our data—to the cloud can help create solutions to the disruptions we face today. He’ll be joined onstage by these industry leaders:

David Brand
Senior Project Manager, British Antarctic Survey (BAS)

David Brand is the Senior Project Manager for BAS, delivering a new operations and scientific support building at Rothera Station in the Antarctic. The project will create more efficiency and increased resilience, allowing BAS to sustain and enhance its contribution to polar science. Brand has worked in project management for 18 years on transportation and infrastructure projects for BAS, the British Army, and London Gatwick Airport.

Eric Iverson
Head of Product Strategy, Amazon Studios

Eric Iverson is a senior technology executive and a 21-year veteran of media and entertainment. Currently the Head of Product Strategy at Amazon Studios, Eric previously served as CIO and CTO at Creative Artists Agency (CAA), where he oversaw the tech department. Before CAA, Iverson spent 17 years at Sony Pictures, as the Divisional CIO for Sony Pictures Television. In 2019, Iverson was a finalist for LA Business Journal’s Enterprise CIO of the Year Award. He holds a degree in music from Pepperdine University.

Betim Berisha
CEO, BBi Autosport

Betim Berisha is the founder and CEO at BBi Autosport. He started BBi in 2005 after many years working as an engineer for Porsche Motorsport. Berisha’s mission was to create a business that returned artistry and craft to the exotic tuning market. In the years since, BBi Autosport has become a household name among Porsche enthusiasts and throughout the and racing world.

Meagan Williams
Stormwater Program Manager, City of New Orleans

Meagan Williams serves as the Stormwater Program Manager for the Department of Public Works, focusing on planning and implementing stormwater management practices citywide through the development of projects, initiatives, and policies. Her work involves meeting the diverse needs of each community throughout New Orleans and ensuring that communities are the top priority of each implementation.

General Session Day 2

In the General Session Day 2 on Wednesday at 11:00 AM CDT, leaders from across industries will share how they are transforming their businesses to become more agile, resilient, and efficient. Autodesk Executives Steve Blum, Amy Bunszel, Diana Colella, and Jeff Kinder will be joined on stage by:

Pascal Sayah
Engineering Design Manager, Bravida

Pascal Sayah’s role at Bravida is to build and lead an in-house design team to deliver value to their most critical projects. Built around the concepts of virtual design and construction, the team takes an integrated approach to project delivery. Sayah’s background is in mechanical engineering, and he’s been a licensed PMP since 2018.

Caroline Jacob
Lead CMF Strategist, Seymourpowell

Caroline Jacob leads the Colour Material Finish Strategy team at Soymourpowell, where she started in 2018. Her passion lies in creating positive environmental change through democratic design. She works closely with the Product Experience, Transport, and Brand teams, co-developing creative visions for an array of projects—including the Virgin Galactic Spaceship and the UK rail operator Heathrow Express.

Jeremy Smith
CTO, Jellyfish Pictures

Jeremy Smith is the CTO for one of the most advanced technical animation and VFX facilities in the world. Over the past ten years, Jellyfish has grown from an eight-person team to a crew of over 300. Smith studied IT and VFX in Canada before landing in England, and recently completed his Master of Science, focusing on how cloud-based technologies can be utilized to benefit the high-performance computing demands of the media, entertainment, and broadcast industry.

Whether you’ll be there in New Orleans or joining us online, don’t miss out on the inspiration and the innovation of these incredible speakers. Register for your free AU 2022 Digital Pass today and we’ll see you next week.