08.30 - 10.30 CET
Brand Finance will be in Davos on Tuesday, 20th January to launch the Global 500 2026, the 20th edition of its annual study of the world's strongest and most valuable brands.
Join us for breakfast and a panel discussion with C-Suite leaders on “AI Rising: The Evolution of Brand and Trust” and sharing the latest trends and insights from the leading brands in our study.
Join other senior leaders at an exclusive event, hosted in association with Infosys, to:
More on the panel discussion:
The proliferation of artificial intelligence is a rocket boost for innovation, but it has blurred the boundaries of authenticity and trust. This challenge creates an opportunity for brands. As AI levels the playing field across industries, trust, purpose, and human connection become how companies differentiate themselves and grow. Brand is how those values are communicated and how companies connect with customers.
Financial and marketing leaders will discuss AI’s impact on financial performance, how trusted brands drive share price and growth, and new, exclusive qualitative data from Brand Finance on how AI is changing the role of resilience, brand, and trust.
| 08.30 - 09.00 | Networking Breakfast |
| 09.00 - 09.15 | Opening Remarks and Presentation of Global 500 2026 Results by Mike Rocha, Chief Commercial Officer, Brand Finance |
| 09.15 - 10.00 |
Panel Discussion: AI Rising: The Evolution of Brand and Trust |
| 10.00 - 10.30 | Networking |
Infosys is a global leader in next-generation digital services and consulting. We enable clients in more than 50 countries to navigate their digital transformation.
With over four decades of experience in managing the systems and workings of global enterprises, we expertly steer our clients through their digital journey. We do it by enabling the enterprise with an AI-powered core that helps prioritize the execution of change. We also empower the business with agile digital at scale to deliver unprecedented levels of performance and customer delight. Our always-on learning agenda drives their continuous improvement through building and transferring digital skills, expertise, and ideas from our innovation ecosystem.
Jayesh has been with the company for over twenty years and took over as the Group CFO on 1st April 2024.
As the Group CFO, Jayesh is responsible for corporate finance & treasury, business finance, taxation and financial planning, analysis & reporting. He cultivates and manages Infosys’ strategic relationships and communications with shareholders and the investor community. He is also responsible for mergers & acquisitions, infrastructure and facilities management.
He also champions the company’s Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) agenda, ensuring that ESG is at the heart of Infosys’ strategy to achieve profits with a purpose.
Prior to taking this role, Jayesh was the Deputy CFO of the company. He has played a pivotal role in the various financial transformations that the company has undergone over the last few years
Jayesh has over 25 years of experience across a wide spectrum of finance functions. He has also played variety of roles at Tishman-Speyer, Rediff.com, Mu Sigma and KPMG. Jayesh is a Chartered Accountant, Cost Accountant and holds a bachelor’s degree in commerce from Mumbai University, India.
Sam Burns is the Global Chief Marketing Officer of KPMG International with over 33 years of marketing experience in two of the world’s leading professional services firms and has been listed in Marketing Week’s Top 100 Marketing leaders for the last 6 years. Passionate about brand and creativity, Sam credits her success to staying curious, being grounded and retaining the commerciality instilled from a three-year stint in sales at the start of her career. KPMG was one of the first organisations to launch a Trusted AI Framework, achieve ISO accreditation for AI Management Systems and the firm’s “You Can with AI” global marketing campaign has been instrumental in positioning KPMG as a leading advisor in the AI space.
Feroz Sheikh is the Chief Information and Digital Officer at Syngenta Group, a global leader in agricultural innovation. Based in Basel, Switzerland, he drives the company’s IT and digital strategy, spearheading transformative initiatives to enhance food security, sustainability, and productivity in agriculture.
Feroz has been instrumental in advancing the company’s digital transformation, notably through the development of Cropwise, a digital platform connecting over 180 million acres of farmland worldwide. His leadership extends to Syngenta’s AI initiatives, which empower farmers with data-driven solutions.
Prior to joining Syngenta in 2018, Feroz was an accomplished entrepreneur, having founded and led multiple technology-driven ventures, securing venture capital funding and achieving successful mergers and acquisitions. He also contributed to philanthropic efforts, leveraging digital technologies to make education accessible to children in India.
As a passionate advocate for agricultural data standards, Feroz serves as Chairperson of the Board at AgGateway, a global non-profit consortium of over 200 companies driving digital connectivity in agriculture.
Feroz holds a bachelor’s degree from Delhi College of Engineering and completed the executive management program at the Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode. His passion for innovation, rooted in early achievements like building a superconductor and a robotic arm in high school, continues to shape his vision for a sustainable agricultural future.
Mike is a global authority on brand economics and valuation, with extensive experience of helping businesses grow by maximising the value creation potential of their brands.
He has over 20 years of experience across a wide range of branding challenges, leading assignments on brand-led growth, brand-related cost savings, brand-based negotiations and transactions, and expert witness work for disputes.
His experience of leading teams of analysts on the evaluation of brand strength and value for the world’s most valuable brands gives him unique insight into the factors that drive brand success globally.
Prior to joining Brand Finance, Mike was the global lead for the brand economics practice at Interbrand. He has a broad range of experience across many sectors, with clients including Allianz, AXA, British Gas, BUPA, Ericsson, Goldman Sachs, Hertz, Hyundai, Kia, Mastercard, Orange, PayPal, Samsung, Standard Chartered Bank, Virgin, among others.
Mike studied Economics at Cambridge University and is a Chartered Marketer and Chartered Accountant, having qualified with Arthur Andersen in London. He is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales, ICAEW Valuation Group and Chartered Institute of Marketing.
