Panos A. Panay serves as President for the Recording Academy®. In his role, Panay drives business growth across the entire organization to further expand the service offerings for Academy members and the industry, focusing on identifying new partnerships, global expansion and leveraging new technologies. Prior to joining the Recording Academy, Panay served as the senior vice president for Global Strategy and Innovation at Berklee College of Music and is a fellow at MIT Connection Science. At Berklee, he led the development and execution of the college's overarching strategic plan; founded the Institute for Creative Entrepreneurship; oversaw its campuses in New York City, Valencia (Spain) and Abu Dhabi, as well as the Music + Health and India Exchange Institutes; and steered new partnerships, program development and the incorporation of new technologies. Panay has been recognized in Fast Company's Fast 50, Inc Magazine's Inc 500, Mass Hi-Tech All Stars, and Boston Globe's Game Changers.
Dr. Nici Sweaney spent nearly two decades as an academic scientist and a data scientist consulting for global organisations like the UN, World Bank, and AUS Aid before founding Ai Her Way in 2023. Ai Her Way specialises in deploying AI to enhance operational efficiency and eliminate administrative workload, while championing ethical practices and gender equality. Dr. Sweaney has made significant contributions to the field, appearing at over 50 events, including TEDx, podcasts, and international conferences, advocating for ethical AI practices and championing the role of women in shaping the future of technology. Through Ai Her Way, Dr. Sweaney has helped entrepreneurs and professionals across diverse industries embrace innovation and focus on what truly matters. Passionate about industries to operate ‘AI-first’, she has worked with clients across 20+ industries, committed to making AI an accessible tool for positive impact.
Gabi Lopes is Senior Vice President of Global Insights at Universal Music Group. Since 2014 she has led UMG's global research and insight capabilities, guiding labels, markets, and corporate strategy through an ever-changing landscape. Utilizing a range of data sets and a multi-method global approach, the team delivers unique analysis of consumers' evolving attitudes and behavior, informing marketing, commercial opportunities, A&R, and strategy. The team speaks to 100,000+ consumers across nearly 30 markets, layering social analytics, qualitative research, and a variety of consumer engagement data. Before this role, as Market research Director at the trade association representing the global recording industry (IFPI) from 2001 to 2013 in London, Gabi was integral in the creation and publication of the recording industry's statistics, as well as informing the industry's legal and public policy strategy with consumer insight. With extensive experience in the international music industry, including working at Warner Music in Mexico City and Atlantic Records in New York, Gabi is currently based in Los Angeles, having grown up in Rio de Janeiro.
