Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA

We're a global technology company that's been at the forefront of motion technology for over 75 years, founded by brothers Dr. Wilhelm and Dr.-Ing. E.h. Georg Schaeffler in 1946. What started as a vision in Herzogenaurach has grown into a worldwide team of around 82,800 people, all working to make mobility more efficient, sustainable, and innovative. We partner with major automobile manufacturers and serve aerospace and industrial sectors, developing precision products that keep the world moving. Our work spans across automotive technologies - powertrain, chassis, e-mobility, and vehicle lifetime solutions - as well as industrial bearing solutions and robotics. The recent merger with Vitesco in October 2024 marks an exciting chapter as we become an even stronger motion technology company. Beyond the technical work, we invest heavily in our people through the Schaeffler Academy, offer flexible working arrangements, and maintain the culture of a family-owned business while operating on a global scale.

Getinge is a global medical technology company founded in 1904, dedicated to making life-saving technology accessible to more people. With a passion for life that drives everything they do, Getinge provides hospitals and life science institutions with products and solutions that improve clinical results and optimize workflows across intensive care, cardiovascular procedures, operating rooms, sterile reprocessing, and life sciences. Headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden, Getinge has grown from a small rural town into a global medical technology leader with approximately 12,000 employees operating in 40 countries and sales in more than 135 countries. The company achieved 31.8 billion SEK in net sales in 2023 and has been listed on the Nasdaq Stockholm Large Cap since 1993. From ventilators trusted by healthcare providers worldwide to sterilization systems and surgical workflow solutions, Getinge stands behind the moments that matter - for every life saved and every breakthrough made.

In 1981, two British entrepreneurs, Peter Ogden and Philip Hulme, founded Computacenter with a vision to help organisations navigate the rapidly evolving world of technology. What started as a pioneering IT services company has grown into a global powerhouse, now employing over 21,000 people across more than 70 countries. For over four decades, Computacenter has remained steadfast in its commitment to centring everything around the customer, building unrivalled value through long-term partnerships rather than quick wins. Today, Computacenter stands as one of the world's leading independent technology and services providers, trusted by some of the greatest organisations in both corporate and public sectors. The company helps customers source, transform, and manage their technology infrastructure to deliver meaningful digital transformation. Under CEO Mike Norris's leadership since 1994, Computacenter has evolved from a UK-focused business into a FTSE 250 public company with a global footprint, operating the largest technology Integration Center in Europe and maintaining service centers worldwide. Their approach combines deep technical expertise with a genuine commitment to sustainability and responsible business practices, believing in winning together for their people, their customers, and their planet.

We've been deeply rooted in northwest Germany for nearly 100 years, and we're proud to be one of the leading energy companies in the German sector. Our team of about 9,000 people works every day to connect energy, telecommunications, and IT - three essential industries that are shaping our future. We supply green energy, secure networks, and high-speed internet to communities across our regions, supporting everything from residential homes to large municipalities and businesses. Our approach is hands-on and practical: we're actively building wind farms, expanding fiber optic networks, developing hydrogen storage solutions, and rolling out charging infrastructure for electric vehicles. We believe the energy transition and digitalization go hand in hand, and we're committed to making both work for the people in our regions.

Gartner, Inc. is the world's leading research and advisory company, delivering actionable business and technology insights to executives and organizations globally. Led by CEO Eugene A. Hall and headquartered in the US, the firm operates across every major industry, providing the objective guidance that C-suite executives rely on to make critical decisions about technology strategy, vendor selection, and emerging market trends. The company's core business centers on three primary delivery mechanisms: research reports that synthesize market intelligence and technology assessments, consulting engagements that address strategic priorities and vendor capabilities, and conferences designed to give leaders clarity in complex markets. Gartner is particularly recognized for its Magic Quadrants and Hype Cycles - analytical frameworks that have become industry standards for evaluating technology vendors and tracking the maturity of emerging technologies. These branded research products cut through vendor noise to provide positioned assessments of market players and innovation trajectories. Gartner's technical domains span business strategy, technology advisory, market research, vendor assessment, and emerging technology trends analysis. The firm's analysts and advisors dig deep into vendor capabilities, strategic priorities, and market shifts to deliver insights that give clients a competitive edge. For professionals in cybersecurity roles, Gartner's research typically influences enterprise security architecture decisions, vendor shortlists, and strategic technology investments - making familiarity with its methodologies and outputs valuable context for understanding how large organizations evaluate and adopt security technologies.

Schwarz IT is the technological heartbeat of the Schwarz Group, one of the world's leading retail organizations with over 575,000 employees and 13,900 stores across more than 30 countries. With annual revenue exceeding 167 billion euros, Schwarz IT manages the entire digital infrastructure and software solutions for the Group's retail divisions Lidl and Kaufland, as well as Schwarz Produktion, PreZero, and Schwarz Digits. The company has established itself as one of Germany's largest IT players, covering the complete food value chain through state-of-the-art digital solutions and services. Operating from multiple international locations including Germany, Spain, Bulgaria, and Romania, Schwarz IT delivers comprehensive IT expertise spanning classic software development, IT consulting, artificial intelligence applications, and IT security. The organization employs a solution-driven approach built on partnership, ownership, vision-driven innovation, and enthusiasm. Schwarz IT manages critical technology platforms including SAP systems, Microsoft Azure cloud infrastructure, STACKIT (the European sovereign cloud), and enterprise security platforms. The company serves as the backbone for one of Europe's largest retail groups, processing operations for 6 billion customers while maintaining excellence in quality, stability, and cost-effectiveness.