Few individuals have experienced the journey from breakthrough research to global technology leadership from as many perspectives as Prof. Edouard Bugnion.
As Vice President for Innovation & Impact at EPFL, Prof. Bugnion is at the forefront of Switzerland’s efforts to transform world-class research into globally competitive companies and technologies. His own career embodies this journey: he co-founded VMware, pioneering technologies that would become foundational to modern cloud computing and served as its first CTO. He later co-founded Nuova Systems, which was acquired by Cisco, where he became Vice President & CTO. VMware ultimately grew into a global technology leader and was acquired by Broadcom in 2023 for approximately $60 billion, ranking among the decade’s landmark technology transactions.
An ACM Fellow, Prof. Bugnion has spent his career bridging scientific discovery, entrepreneurship, investment, and global technology leadership - giving him a rare perspective not only on how innovation begins, but on what it takes to scale it globally.
As artificial intelligence, geopolitics, and global competition reshape the innovation landscape, Switzerland faces a defining question: how can it turn more breakthrough ideas into world-leading technology companies?
During this interactive Learning by the Lake conversation, Prof. Bugnion will share his perspective on Switzerland’s next innovation playbook, exploring the connections between research, entrepreneurship, capital, and global markets - and what investors, entrepreneurs, executives, and institutions can do differently.
More than a discussion about technology or AI, this is a conversation about innovation, competitiveness, and Switzerland’s place in the next generation of global technological leadership.
Places are strictly limited to preserve the interactive format. Secure your seat and join one of Switzerland’s foremost technology leaders for a unique exchange of ideas and perspectives.
Agenda
Registration and Welcome Drinks
Panel and Q&A Session
“Beyond Research Excellence, Building the Next Generation of Global Technology Leaders” with Prof. Edouard Bugnion, Vice President for Innovation & Impact, EPFL
Apéro
Registration/Pricing and terms and conditions:
Registration
Please note that registration is mandatory.
Members of CFA Society Switzerland: subsidized price of CHF 60.
Candidate members of CFA Society Switzerland: subsidized price of CHF 60, please contact us at info@cfasocietyswitzerland.org if you have issues with registration.
Non-members of CFA Society Switzerland (CFA charterholders, CFA candidates, other interested parties): CHF 120.
Terms and conditions
Full refund - cancellation is made by the participant online and is possible until 25 September 2026.
For media inquiries and press passes, please contact events@cfasocietyswitzerland.org.
Thank you to our Sponsor
Speaker
Prof. Edouard Bugnion
Vice President for Innovation & Impact, EPFL
Prof. Edouard Bugnion
Prof. Edouard Bugnion is Vice President for Innovation & Impact and Full Professor of Computer Science at EPFL.
A graduate of ETH Zürich and Stanford University, he spent 18 years in Silicon Valley, where he co-founded VMware and served as its first CTO. VMware went on to become a global technology leader and was ultimately acquired by Broadcom in 2023 for approximately $60 billion, one of the landmark technology transactions of the decade.
He later co-founded Nuova Systems, which was acquired by Cisco, where he became VP & CTO of the Server, Access & Virtualization Technology Group, helping bring Cisco’s Unified Computing System to market.
Since joining EPFL in 2012, Prof. Bugnion has combined world-class research, entrepreneurship, and technology leadership. He is an ACM Fellow, recipient of the ACM Software System Award, and a member of the Swiss Academy of Technical Sciences (SATW). He has also served as EPFL Vice President for Information Systems and as a Director of Innosuisse.
Today, as Vice President for Innovation & Impact, he is at the forefront of EPFL’s efforts to transform scientific breakthroughs into start-ups, technologies, and global impact.