Workshop - McKinsey QuantumBlack

Gardar Björnsson Rova leads QuantumBlack Private Capital, McKinsey's global center of excellence for Artificial Intelligence, where he guides investors and companies in AI strategy and value creation. As a Partner at McKinsey & Company and co-founder of QuantumBlack's Nordic presence, he spearheads the global service line for Generative AI investments, working with private equity firms and institutional investors. His unique background combining policy analysis from the Hertie School with pioneering work in advanced analytics enables him to bridge the gap between technological innovation and practical business implementation in AI.

Kasper Janehag is a Senior Machine Learning Engineer and Tech Lead at McKinsey & Company's QuantumBlack, where he leads development of key ML-based assets and implements MLOps best practices. His unique background combines aerospace engineering from the University of Washington (3.9/4.0 GPA) and experience at NASA's Aeromechanics Laboratory with extensive ML engineering expertise. From developing data science products at Stockholm Exergi to teaching AI theory at GKN Aerospace, Kasper brings technical depth and leadership experience to complex ML challenges, while maintaining a passion for mountain biking and sci-fi.

Arash Dabiri is a Data Scientist Fellow at QuantumBlack, McKinsey's AI division, where he specializes in classical machine learning, data visualization, and generative AI applications across industries. His unique dual degree combining Computer Engineering from KTH Royal Institute of Technology and Business Administration from Stockholm School of Economics enables him to bridge technical and business perspectives. His experience includes pioneering work in speech-to-text algorithms for Swedish dialects and developing data pipelines for ML startups, bringing a diverse skill set to AI consulting.

Axel Backlund is a Fellow Data Engineer at QuantumBlack, McKinsey's AI division, where he applies his expertise in industrial engineering and financial technology. An alumnus of KTH Royal Institute of Technology and EPFL, he combines technical skills with entrepreneurial experience as co-founder of Belt of Sweden and former iOS developer at Hedvig. His diverse background, from project leadership at Kravallen to financial engineering studies, brings a unique perspective to data engineering in AI consulting.