René Deist is responsible as Group CIO for the global IT Organization at Faurecia. In addition, he is driving the Digital Transformation for the Group. Combining the expertise of the IT organization with a business background, he is striving for speed and efficiency by means of Big Data and AI driven automation as well as a highly standardized process landscape. In his role as digital leader he enhances the Digital Business by connecting ecosystems. René Deist studied Mathematics, Business Sciences and Computer Science. Following his graduation, René Deist began a research in the area of Applied and Practical Computer Science. Besides working and teaching at the University of Bochum, he worked for consulting companies and was member of the Board of the IT organization of a large German Automotive Supplier.