CSEM is pleased to announce the appointment of Andrea Dunbar as the new Chief Technology Officer (CTO), effective January 2025. Dunbar will succeed Harry Heinzelmann, who will retire on January 31, 2025, after an esteemed 27-year career with CSEM.
© Andrea Dunbar, newly appointed Chief Technology Officer at CSEM, set to lead the organization’s technological advancements on a strategic level starting January 2025. Image Credit: CSEM
Andrea Dunbar joined CSEM in 2007 as a physicist and scientist and has successfully driven innovation, particularly in the areas of data and AI. In 2017, she was appointed head of what is now Edge AI & Vision, a multidisciplinary group spanning disciplines such as data science, optics, imagers, software, system architecture and data processing. Their activities include, for example, extracting precise information from videos and images that can be used to diagnose and monitor neurological diseases such as brain tumors. Or analyzing the gaze of airplane pilots to detect their fatigue and improve their reflexes.
In addition to developing intelligent image processing systems for industrial applications, Dunbar led a balanced portfolio of EU projects, industrial collaborations and Innosuisse initiatives and played a key role in building the Swiss TinyML community, which focuses on ultra-low power machine learning solutions for small, energy-efficient devices.
“Andrea’s deep understanding of our technological landscape, combined with her extensive network and strategic vision, make her the ideal leader to guide CSEM’s technological advancements,” says Alexandre Pauchard, CEO of CSEM.
In her role as CTO, Dunbar will shape CSEM’s technology vision, oversee the applied research roadmap, and strengthen CSEM’s impact through strategic partnerships and collaborations. She will also continue her teaching and mentoring activities as a ‘professor of practice’ at EPFL, further enhancing the collaboration between CSEM and the academic community.
“I am excited to take on the role of CTO at CSEM, an organization that plays a crucial role in addressing some of the world’s most pressing challenges,” says Dunbar. “I look forward to working with our talented teams to drive innovations that will benefit our partners, customers, and society at large.”
CSEM extends its deepest gratitude to Harry Heinzelmann for his exceptional contributions over nearly three decades. His leadership has been instrumental in guiding CSEM’s technological direction and establishing a strong foundation for the future.