Martin Schleicher

Independent Consultant and Advisor, Automotive Software and Electronics

Martin Schleicher is an independent consultant and advisor specializing on software strategy, business models, and ecosystem development. Martin brings over 25 years of experience in automotive software and electronics. From 2021 to 2025 he was “Head of Software Strategy” in Continental Automotive where he defined and executed strategic software initiatives. Before he held multiple leadership roles in Elektrobit, including responsibility for company strategy, product and portfolio management, and partnerships. Martin has been contributing to industry associations, such as AUTOSAR, Eclipse SDV, SOAFEE and VDA. He is a regular conference speaker and serves on advisory boards of automotive conferences.

Partha Goswami, Ph.D.

Principal, PG Mobility Analysis LLC

Partha Goswami has 30+ years of experience in the automotive industry in R&D, Planning, and technology strategy. In his most recent role at GM as Professional Fellow, he was responsible for identifying emerging technology trends and their strategic impact. Currently, Dr. Goswami provides consulting and advisory services as Principal at PG Mobility Analysis LLC, focusing on smart mobility and disruptions by CASE (Connectivity, Autonomous, Services, Electrification) and SDV (software defined vehicle). Dr. Goswami regularly speaks at industry forums and is actively engaged with several industry groups, including SAE, COVESA, and GAMIC. In 2025, he was recognized and named in Automotive IQ Top 20 Voices in the automotive industry. He was also awarded by SAE International as their Class of Top 2025 Contributors. He holds a Ph.D. in Applied Mechanics from Iowa State University, an MBA from the University of Michigan, and a certification as a foresight professional from the University of Houston.

Dr. Umar Zakir Abdul Hamid, EMBA

Head of CEREBRUM

Dr. Umar Zakir Abdul Hamid, EMBA, is a business and mobility leader operating at the intersection of technology, policy, and transformation across global markets. He contributed to CASE mobility development at Sensible 4 in Finland, co-shaped ZEEKR’s European go-to-market strategy within the GEELY ecosystem, and led PROTON International’s global expansion (also within GEELY ecosystem). He is the author of Mobility Reimagined: My First Decade at the Crossroads of Change (SAE, 2025), which shares insights on global expansion, digital transformation, and inclusive leadership. Dr. Hamid also authored five SAE Edge Research Reports covering multiple unsettle topics referring to the next-generation mobility challenges. Umar currently serves as Head of CEREBRUM, Johor Corporation’s innovation and transformation platform in Malaysia, where he orchestrates state-level economic and cross-border mobility initiatives, focusing among others on topics such as integrated first-mile/last-mile solutions between Southern Malaysia and Singapore through private-public-people partnerships. He has been the Secretary of the SAE Cooperative Driving Automation (CDA) Committee since 2020 and is a strategic advisor to the Finnish autonomous technology startup Sensible 4.