26. OBI Tech Talk: Web Performance & AI in Business

Join us for the OBI Tech Talk in September!

⏰ Event-Details:
Doors open: from 6pm

18:30 PM – “Web Performance”
Alaa Reuschenbach - IT Consultant & Software Engineer @ SWAGLab
Lucas Dohmen - Principal Consultant & Software Engineer @ SWAGLab
19:15 PM – “AI in Business: From Hype to Real Business Value”
Johannes Martiny - Management & Transformation Consulting, Exxeta AG
20:00 - Open discussion, casual networking & pizza!

Location: OBI Office, Carlswerk, Cologne
Talk Language: English 🇬🇧
Cost: Free admission.

Talk 1: Web Performance
Web performance directly affects revenue, conversion rates, SEO, usability, and productivity. Rather than a one-time project aimed at perfect scores, it requires continuous optimization focused on noticeable, immediate gains without extensive refactoring.
Through a practical example, we demonstrate actionable quick wins, address typical performance pitfalls, and focus on real user perception. We also cover the limits of quick fixes, showing when deeper analysis is needed and how to prioritize sustainable improvements.

Alaa Reuschenbach (IT Consultant & Software Engineer @ SWAGLab)
Alaa is an experienced software developer and IT consultant with a focus on performance optimization of complex web applications in e-commerce. He explains technical backgrounds in an understandable way and enjoys sharing his knowledge within the community. In his free time, he channels his passion for precision into racing simulators, because just like in code, every millisecond counts there too. 🏎️

Lucas Dohmen (Principal Consultant & Software Engineer @ SWAGLab)
Lucas is an experienced architect, team lead, software developer, and trainer with 18 years of experience. Most recently, he was the team lead of a web team working on a twelve-year-old codebase with 45 million active users worldwide. There, he successfully led a project to improve the performance of the web application. He is the co-author of "The Rails Way" book series, an experienced conference speaker, and a podcaster.

Talk 2: AI in Business: From Hype to Real Business Value
Artificial Intelligence is currently one of the most widely discussed topics in the business world. While many organizations have been exploring AI for some time, only a few have succeeded in translating it into sustainable business value.
In his keynote presentation, Johannes Martiny explains why many AI initiatives fail to deliver results in practice, highlights the success factors shared by leading organizations, and demonstrates how AI can be strategically leveraged to optimize processes, reduce employee workload, and unlock new sources of value creation.
Drawing on Exxeta’s proprietary PAICE® Framework, participants will gain practical insights into how organizations can successfully navigate the journey from initial AI ideas to measurable business outcomes—presented in a clear, tangible, and business-focused manner.
Participants will learn:
• Why many AI projects fail to deliver the expected business value
• Which critical success factors determine a successful AI implementation
• How organizations can deploy AI in a meaningful and profitable way
• What specific opportunities AI can create for their own business

Johannes Martiny (Management & Transformation Consulting, Exxeta AG)
Johannes is Strategy Consulting and Transformation Expert at Exxeta, where he advises organizations on digital transformation, the adoption of emerging technologies and corresponding operating model impacts. With more than 20 years of experience across digital business sectors—including former roles as an entrepreneur and positions at Holtzbrinck Ventures, Amazon, and Accenture — he brings extensive expertise at the intersection of technology, innovation, and business development. His focus is on helping organizations translate digital innovation and Artificial Intelligence into tangible business outcomes and measurable value.

Parking: You can park directly in front of our main entrance (please do not park near the E-Werk). Please find a detailed map with coordinates here.
Exit in the evening: As some gates are closed in the evening, please use the gate near Teltec Köln, Schanzenstraße 29, to leave the premises.

Disclaimer: By attending, you agree that photos and videos taken during the event may be used on social media platforms such as LinkedIn to promote future events.