From code to change: Real-world transformation at scale

Date:

November 4th

Time:

11:00 – 18:00 PM

We Are Back

We are living through one of the biggest shifts in modern history. An AI-powered, planet-wide transformation is unfolding right before our eyes. While some of us are accelerating the energy transition, others are making daily travel easier through shared and public mobility, and still others are helping people live healthier lives. We may work in different sectors, but we share one common goal: building a future the next generation will want to inherit.

 

Arch9 is a space to celebrate that purpose together and meet the people walking the same road. No sales decks, no inflated promises, just candid stories from peers who know the joys and headaches of turning code into real-world impact. Together we’ll swap lessons, challenge assumptions, and leave with fresh ideas we can act on the next day and the days after.

 

If you believe tech should serve future generations as much as this quarter’s results, Arch9 is your conference. Come add your voice and celebrate tech that truly matters.

The speakers

Chris Heemskerk

Founder & CEO, The Innovation Alliance
Keynote Speaker

Jan Dolinaj

CTO, Levi9
Keynote Speaker

Dario Djurica

Principal Architect, Levi9
Keynote Speaker

Arjan Hijstek

Partner Sales Engineer, Snowflake

Ana-Maria Cehan

Data Scientist, Levi9

Andrew Day

Operating CEO, ai.io

Andrew Evans

Director of Product Management, ai.io

Bart Vos

Director Digital Product & Digital Strategy, Asics

Daniel Capitanu

Data Architect, Levi9

Filip Stanisic

Software Architect, Levi9

Igor Dedic

Software Architect, Levi9

Kosta Stojakovic

Principal Architect, Levi9

Mirjana Kolarov

Delivery Director, Levi9

Mart Noten

Technical Product Owner (Cloud Enablement Team), NS

Mario Unkel

Solution Engineer, Auth0, Okta

Paul Betts

Sr. Consultant Partner Solution Architect, AWS

Pim van Boekhold

Business Development Manager, Ad Manager & Ad Data BENE, DPG Media

Richard Bakker

Data Analytics, Insights Manager, Ikea

Robert van de Steeg

Solution Architect, Stripe

Tim Stierman

Digital product leader, Global CX Platform, Ikea

Join Us

What if the most important business decision you made this year was showing up? 

 

Arch9 is all about bringing you the right people and right conversations. 

From workshops, to live demos and thought provoking talks, every detail is designed for genuine exchange to connect you with the people who drive change. 

 

Reserve your seat and get inspired.

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Our Agenda

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Angelina Best

CEO, Levi9

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Jan Dolinaj

CTO, Levi9

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Angelina Best

CEO, Levi9

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Jan Dolinaj

CTO, Levi9

The landscape of software development is undergoing a fundamental paradigm shift. The modern technical vision treats software less as a monolithic creation and more as a sophisticated integration of predefined building blocks and services. This evolution necessitates a transformation in engineering skill sets, focusing on continuous learning, adaptability, and abstract thinking to effectively compose and manage these interconnected systems.
Building on this vision, this presentation explores the new practices in AI-driven Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC). Based on Levi9 practical examples will show how to infuse AI into a future-proof SDLC, from intelligent requirement analysis to automated deployment and monitoring. Furthermore, we will introduce a practical maturity model for organizations to benchmark their current capabilities and present a strategic roadmap to accelerate the adoption of AI tools and methodologies.
 
Attendees will leave with a clear understanding of how to prepare their teams for the future of development and successfully embed AI into their engineering culture to boost innovation and efficiency.
Jan-Dolinaj-64x64

Jan Dolinaj

CTO, Levi9

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Dario Djurica

Principal Architect, Levi9

As Inter IKEA Data & Insights, we take an outside-in perspective, looking at the big picture to help IKEA navigate and stay up-to-date and relevant in an ever-shifting world. We’ve created always-on data products to serve the 220.000 IKEA co-workers and to lead the IKEA strategy direction.
 
We will showcase our internal CX platform: With over 2.5 million entries of feedback coming in every month across 63 markets. IKEA’s CX market research studies is one of the biggest worldwide, but just listening to that feedback alone isn’t enough; our goal is to truly understand why our customers are satisfied or not, and act to what our customers are telling us.
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Tim Stierman

Digital product leader Global CX Platform, Ikea

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Richard Bakker

Data Analytics & Insights Manager, Ikea

Learn how the NS initiated a cultural transformation from the ground up, collaborating with 15+ development teams, central platform teams, and different parts of the business. Explore how they used the migration journey as a means to completely re-write and modernize parts of their landscape leveraging modern Cloud solutions, resulting in increased ownership and new forms of control. This talk takes you through our progression to hybrid teams that embrace ownership and foster a culture of continuous knowledge sharing achieving meaningful change over time with regards to cost, security, productivity and overall developer satisfaction.
 
Join us as we share the lessons learned and show what we’ve built on this journey—proving that empowering teams and promoting safe experimentation pave the way for a sustainable and innovative NS.
Mart_Noten

Mart Noten

Technical Product Owner (Cloud Enablement Team), NS

Filip Stanisic, Software Architect, Levi9

Filip Stanisic

Software Architect, Levi9

Henk Boelman

Digital advertising is dominated by global Big Tech platforms. But what happens when a local media company challenges the status quo and builds its own ad technology?
 
In this session, Pim van Boekhold shares how DPG Media evolved from a traditional publisher, reliant on commoditized industry tech, into a future-proof media company with its own AI-powered advertising platform. He will walk through the business drivers behind this transformation, the role of AI today and tomorrow, and how trust, smart technology and local quality media can provide a real alternative to Big Tech’s dominance in advertising.
Pim

Pim van Boekhold

Business Development Manager, Ad Manager & Ad Data BENE, DPG Media

Bart_Vos

Bart Vos

Director Digital Product & Digital Strategy, Asics

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Mirjana Kolarov

Delivery Director, Levi9

In this keynote, audiences will gain insights into the art and science of innovation as practiced by the world’s leading organizations. We’ll explore what sets these innovation leaders apart and examine the lessons we can apply to our own organizations.
 
Innovation Culture: Uncover strategies for fostering and leading a culture that prioritizes innovation, aligning people and processes around creative thinking and execution.
 
Innovation Strategy: Learn how to create an Innovation Engine within your organization to make innovation a repeatable, scalable process.
 
Case Studies: Discover why some companies are able to innovate consistently while others struggle, and what we can learn from their approaches.
 
The session will provide practical, actionable steps for embedding innovation into your organization using the proprietary Innovation Scorecard framework.
Chris_Heemskerk

Chris Heemskerk

Founder & CEO, The Innovation Alliance

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Jan Dolinaj

CTO, Levi9

Andrew_Day

Andrew Day

Operating CEO, ai.io

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Andrew Evans​

Director of Product Management, ai.io​

Igor Dedic, Software Architect, Levi9

Igor Dedic

Software Architect, Levi9

For years, artificial intelligence (AI) has been a subject of fascination, innovation, and, at times, skepticism. However, today, AI is no longer just a promising concept; it has become a crucial driver of business transformation. Companies around the world are racing to integrate AI into their operations, seeking ways to optimize decision-making, automate processes, and develop entirely new business models. We examined what it truly takes to build AI-powered systems that deliver real, tangible value. The key takeaway? It all begins with data. There is a fundamental truth often overlooked in this AI revolution: AI is only as effective as the data it is trained on.

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Kosta Stojakovic

Principal Architect, Levi9

In the fast-paced and constantly evolving IT service industry, trust forms the cornerstone of successful partnerships between suppliers and clients. With over 20 years of experience, we aim to explore the critical role trust plays in delivering exceptional results, particularly when faced with challenging deadlines, uncertainty, and legacy system integration.
 
This presentation will highlight three case studies that showcase our team’s ability to navigate complex project demands, manage unforeseen obstacles, and adapt to shifting requirements. These examples will provide real-life insights into how trust and collaboration allow teams to not only meet expectations but exceed them, even under pressure.
 
Through these case studies, we will shed light on our company’s unique approach to fostering trust, demonstrating how it enables us to build long-lasting, thriving relationships with our clients. Ultimately, this presentation will underscore the message that trust is the foundation of every successful IT service partnership.
 
 
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Jelena Kutlaca Milosevic

Delivery Lead, Levi9

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Victor Munteanu

Test Architect, Levi9

We’ll explore how Snowflake’s cloud data platform is evolving beyond traditional querying. After a quick overview of Snowflake’s architecture, we’ll dive into Snowflake Intelligence—a natural language interface that lets anyone ask questions of their data without writing SQL. Through a live demo, you’ll see how conversational AI breaks down barriers between people and their data, while maintaining enterprise-grade governance. Bring your questions about making data more accessible in your organization.
Arjan Hijstek

Arjan Hijstek

Partner Sales Engineer, Snowflake

We will explore how organizations can move beyond traditional BI reporting and embrace AI-powered decision-making by transforming their data. From streamlining messy datasets to creating AI-ready systems, we’ll cover the critical steps needed to bridge the gap between static reports and intelligent automation.

Ana-Maria Cehan, Data Scientist, Levi9

Ana-Maria Cehan

Data Scientist, Levi9

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Daniel Capitanu

Data Architect, Levi9

Arch9 2024 Aftermovie

Chris Heemskerk

Founder & CEO, The Innovation Alliance

Chris Heemskerk is an innovation strategist committed to making Silicon Valley’s innovation practices accessible worldwide. With over a decade at Google and Apple, he now leads The Innovation Alliance, a global network of tech executives and innovation leaders. As Google’s former Head of Scaled Acquisitions in North America, he turned his division into a global hub for innovation and excellence, later advising Google’s Innovation Lab and co-developing two Harvard Business School case studies. He created The Innovation Scorecard™ to help companies strengthen innovation and find new growth. A sought-after speaker, he’s presented at the UN, Amazon, Salesforce, and Verizon. Chris teaches at the European Institute of Innovation for Sustainability, holds executive certifications from Harvard and Stanford, and an MSc from the London School of Business and Finance.

Jan Dolinaj

CTO, Levi9

Jan Dolinaj is the Chief Technology Officer at Levi9 IT, responsible for shaping the company’s technology strategy and leading the development of its Delivery Center across several countries. With a background in Computer Science from the Faculty of Technical Sciences in Novi Sad, Jan began his career as a Software Engineer and quickly moved into leadership roles, combining deep technical knowledge with a strong sense for people and organizational growth.
 
Since Levi9’s establishment in 2005, Jan has played a key role in the company’s transformation from a small startup into a tech organization with over a thousand employees.
 
He has led teams in Serbia, Romania, and Ukraine. With over 20 years of experience, and a consistent focus on innovation and community engagement, Jan remains a driving force behind Levi9’s ongoing growth and long-term success.

Igor Dedic

Software Architect, Levi9

I am a seasoned Software Architect with 15 years of experience spanning diverse technologies and platforms, with a strong passion for designing and developing applications that deliver seamless and engaging user experiences on any platform.

Daniel Capitanu

Data Architect, Levi9

I’ve worked with data solutions throughout my 19-year career, across diverse roles and technologies — including nine rewarding years as a proud Levi Niner. More than the technology itself, what truly inspires me is witnessing the organizational transformation that comes from adopting data-driven solutions. Seeing people unlock their originality, creativity, and innovative potential as they grow into true data citizens continues to fuel my passion. It’s this belief that has made me an ambassador for data-driven decision making.

Robert van de Steeg

Solution Architect, Stripe

Robert van de Steeg serves as a Solution Architect at Stripe, where he leverages his experience in digital payments and financial technology to architect for optimal implementations for enterprise clients across Europe. Combining technical expertise with strategic vision, Robert educates and inspires customers throughout their buying journey, ensuring Stripe’s solutions deliver measurable value aligned with both immediate objectives and long-term business goals.
 
With extensive experience in CRM, e-commerce, marketing, and ERP systems, Robert transforms complex business challenges into clear technical solutions. He’s known for his consultative approach, carefully matching customer needs to Stripe’s capabilities while uncovering opportunities to boost revenue, streamline operations, and enhance user experiences.

Andrew Evans

Director of Product Management, ai.io

A seasoned, customer-obsessed board-level data, analytics, and insights professional with a history of transforming businesses and driving significant commercial value from the collection, collation and use customer data.

Andrew Day

Operating CEO, ai.io

A customer-focused digital Product Management professional with 20+ years’ experience building and shipping products that prioritise what customers want to deliver experiences they love. Expert at defining product strategies, taking greenfield products from inception to launch, owning product roadmaps for established products and working within agile frameworks.
 
Currently working within agile frameworks in the fast-paced, dynamic and regulated Gambling industry. An effective communicator at all levels, I have led multiple cross-functional squads and teams working within a matrix organisation model, shipping large core products with large customer volumes and demands. Confident and experienced at making data driven decisions to deliver core metrics, whilst using product instincts to uncover new opportunities and using data to validate new and innovative concepts.

Pim van Boekhold

Business Development Manager, Ad Manager & Ad Data BENE, DPG Media

Pim has over 15 years of experience in digital advertising and played an important role in the rise of programmatic advertising in the Netherlands. With leadership positions at Blue Mango Interactive, Greenhouse Group, and GroupM/WPP, he guided top brands through the early adoption of programmatic buying and helped shape a rapidly evolving industry.
 
At DPG Media, Pim leads Business Development for Ad Manager and Advertising Data Solutions, defining the strategy, product vision, and go-to-market of the company’s self-serve advertising platform. This platform gives advertisers and agencies direct access to premium reach on DPG Media’s Trusted Web, with a focus on making advertising simpler, smarter and more impactful.
 

Mirjana Kolarov

Delivery Director, Levi9

Mirjana Kolarov, an accomplished Delivery Director at Levi9, began her career journey as a software tester before advancing to the role of Test Architect. Her unique ability to bridge the gap between technology and human potential promises to bring a fresh perspective to the table.

Arjan Hijstek

Partner Sales Engineer, Snowflake

Arjan Hijstek brings over 30 years of experience in the data industry, with a career spanning roles in both technical and commercial domains. His journey began before 2000 with positions at Information Builders and Sun Microsystems, followed by a 17-year tenure at Informatica, where he specialized in presales.

He continued to expand his expertise at Dell Boomi, working across both presales and sales for 2.5 years. Since May 2020, Arjan has been part of Snowflake, focusing on partner presales and helping organizations unlock the full potential of their data platforms.
Arjan lives in Badhoevedorp with his wife Tineke. He is a proud father to Joris, 27, who holds a master’s degree in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning.

Bart Vos

Director Digital Product & Digital Strategy, Asics

Bart is a commercial, value- and outcome-driven Digital and E-commerce Product Leader. He combines strategic vision with product-led excellence, incrementally enabling tangible consumer and business impact.
 
He specializes in shaping customer-centric, value-driven digital product strategies and enabling those through empowered product teams. By embedding experimentation, learnings, and metrics into a consistent operating model, a collective focus on maximizing business outcomes and long-term customer value is created.
 
Thriving at the intersection of business and technology, it’s his passion to drive seamless consumer experiences.
 
He is passionate about building energized and inspired teams and fosters a culture of learning and collaboration to deliver meaningful, lasting digital impact and change. Asides that, and aligned with the ASICS brand philosophy, he believes in the uplifting power of movement. Practicing that by prioritizing running and sports in his everyday life.

Ana-Maria Cehan

Data Scientist, Levi9

Ana-Maria is a Data Scientist at Levi9 company with over 10 years of experience working with data. She holds a background in computer science and optimization, including a PhD in optimization, which has shaped her expertise in building advanced analytical and AI-driven solutions. Throughout her career, she has focused on transforming complex challenges into actionable insights that drive impact. Outside of work, Ana is passionate about traveling and exploring new cultures, and she is also a devoted cat lover.

Mario Unkel

Solution Engineer, Auth0, Okta

Born and raised in the area of Amersfoort, The Netherlands. Started off as an implementation consultant in the Purchase-to-Pay world but since almost 4 years do nothing but Identity. I’m a Solution Engineer for Okta with a focus on Auth0 for CIAM.
 
I help organisations find the perfect balance between UX and Security by optimising authentication and authorization. With the biggest shift in the world of technology: AI, this is more relevant and critical than ever.

Dario Djurica

Principal Architect, Levi9

Dario Đurica is a Principal Architect at Levi9, with more than two decades of experience in the software development industry. Throughout his career, he has been involved in designing and implementing numerous complex software solutions for some of the largest European companies. At Levi9, one of his main responsibilities is the advancement and practical application of artificial intelligence – both in software development and as an integral part of modern solutions.
 
As a true technology enthusiast, Dario keeps a close eye on the latest trends (“the latest and greatest” technologies) and constantly explores ways they can simplify and improve people’s everyday lives. Beyond his professional role, Dario is a proud father of two and enjoys activities such as hiking, diving, and skiing.

Richard Bakker

Data Analytics, Insights Manager, Ikea

Richard has over 15 years of experience in data analytics within several roles and companies; starting as a consultant at PwC, also as the founder of his own company (where he provided analytics-as-a-service), and Head of Data Science at FRISS where he was responsible for all data related competencies for both the products as the company itself.
 
Within Inter IKEA Group, he is leading an international team of Data Analysts, Data Scientists, Power BI Developers and the Power BI platform that serves the many people at IKEA.
 

Mart Noten

Technical Product Owner (Cloud Enablement Team), NS

Passionate about helping organisations and departments unlock the full value of their platforms by giving them the right tools, support, and autonomy. I get a lot of energy from building teams that prioritise professional growth whilst executing besides customers to achieve meaningfull results.
 
At NS I’ve been focussing on closing the gap between developers and the platform teams that facilitate them to increase productivity and innovation. More often than not – platform teams can be distanced from their users: working in isolation and not fully grasping what their users want or need. Within the enablement team at NS we try to fix just that. We work with fantastic engineers from across all the NS on a vision that I believe will help the Netherlands now and in the future: Making the netherlands sustainably accessible, for everyone.
 
Before joining NS I worked at AWS as an application development consultant – working with customers to translate their business outcomes into applications that relied on the best AWS had to offer.

Tim Stierman

Digital product leader, Global CX Platform, Ikea

Tim Stierman is a digital product manager with over a decade of experience driving digital product development, e-commerce, and customer experience innovations. He has led major digital transformation programs across consultancy and client-side environments, building agile, cross-functional teams that deliver measurable business impact.
 
At Inter IKEA Group, Tim leads the development and operations of IKEA’s in-house CX data platform, enabling data-driven decisions that enhance the customer journey at a global scale.

Paul Betts

Sr. Consultant Partner Solution Architect, AWS

Paul Betts is a Senior Consultant Partner Solution Architect at AWS with an extraordinary 28-year journey spanning the evolution of enterprise infrastructure – from private datacenters to today’s hyperscale cloud environments. His comprehensive experience across major cloud platforms positions him uniquely to guide system integrators through their digital transformation journeys, helping them build robust technology practices and deliver innovative solutions to complex business challenges.
 
With a Ph.D. in Machine Learning, Paul combines deep technical expertise with practical industry knowledge to bridge the gap between cutting-edge technology and real-world applications. His commitment to technology education extends beyond the corporate sphere – he actively curates and supports STEM programs in local schools, helping nurture the next generation of tech innovators.
 
When not architecting cloud solutions or mentoring teams, Paul embraces adventure through rock climbing and tackles challenging black routes on his mountain bike, occasionally learning from gravity the hard way. As a dedicated father, he channels the same passion for growth and discovery into supporting his children’s aspirations.

Fiilip Stanisic

Software Architect, Levi9

For over a decade Filip was leading, or been part of, teams developing unique software solutions in industries of e-commerce, energy, content creation and the public sector. He is enthusiastic about the Cloud, Data-intensive applications and sustainability in software development.
 
As an Engineering lead, he is responsible for both technical leadership, innovation and team management. When he wears his Software architect hat, he focuses on defining the overall architecture and framework of a software system, while also trying to code as much as possible.

Kosta Stojakovic

Principal Architect, Levi9

As a Principal Architect with over 20 years of experience, I specialize in overcoming challenges across diverse business domains and technologies. My tenure at Levi9 spans more than nine years and is a testament to my dedication and growth. I thrive on solving complex problems and addressing the toughest obstacles, driven by a strong desire to empower businesses to achieve their full potential. Every decision I make for our customers is rooted in this commitment to excellence. I embrace the opportunity to learn something new each day, continuously enhancing my ability to deliver impactful solutions.

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