Meet the Experts

Santiago Walliser

PhDc, Quantitative Finance

Co-Founder

Santiago bridges the gap between business strategy and technical reality. He helps our clients identify AI opportunities and develops the roadmap for implementation. He designs solutions that integrate seamlessly into existing or new systems. This creates a high-performance foundation for AI applications that directly automate workflows and enable more precise business decisions. Parallel to his professional work, he is finalizing his PhD in AI at the University of Zurich; he previously completed his Master's degree in the top 4.7%.

Lars Stauffenegger

M.A., Banking & Finance

Co-Founder

Lars leads the development of tech platforms, drawing on his expertise in data, business, and software. With a strong analytical foundation, he has evolved into diverse roles, empowering companies to bridge business and technology. Lars holds a Master's in Banking & Finance from the University of St. Gallen, with a focus on technology-driven business models.

Michel Chapuis

PhD, Economics

Strategic Advisor

Michel is a senior leader with over 16 years of experience in financial services, specializing in strategy, business development and corporate venturing. As an advisory board member at Lean FS, he contributes to shaping the company's business model and refining service offerings to drive sustainable growth. By providing strategic expertise and leveraging his Industry experience, he helps position Lean FS as an industry leader and building strategic partnerships. Michel holds a PhD in Economics.

Isabel Burger

Marketing Manager HF

Head of Marketing

Isabel drives impactful digital marketing strategies with years of experience across industry and agency environments. She played a key role in transforming a traditional agency into a digital consultancy. Isabel specializes in results-driven digital marketing. She holds a degree in marketing management from a Swiss higher technical school.

David Tschan

Computer Science

Head of Technology

David is a skilled full-stack developer with over 9 years of experience in software development. He specializes in SaaS solutions and consulting, covering the full development value chain. He contributes to high-quality web applications and digital products. David studied computer science at ZHAW.

Boris Vasilenko

MSc, Computer Science

Senior Software Engineer

Boris works on backend systems with a strong focus on complex calculations and scalable architectures. He designs robust logic and data flows that perform reliably under high load and growing product requirements.

Marco Fernandez

MSc, Mathematics and Foundations of Computer Science

Senior AI Specialist

Marco has diverse technical degrees from the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, over a decade of professional experience, and several years of international management experience in finance, IT, and artificial intelligence. His focus lies in prototyping data science and AI solutions, testing, and thorough evaluation.

Stefan Huber

PhD, Speech Signal Processing

Senior AI Specialist

Stefan specializes in modular machine learning frameworks and AI, aligning scientific advancements with business goals. With over 21 years of experience, he has led major AI and voice technology projects, designing scalable solutions for voice processing and natural language understanding. He holds a PhD in Speech Signal Processing.

Muzzamal Aziz

Pharm-D

Operations Assistant

Muzzamal has been supporting Lean FS for over four years and is a key part of keeping our day-to-day work running smoothly. He handles essential administrative tasks, provides reliable operational support across the team, and contributes to structured lead generation activities. His consistent and detail-oriented approach helps the team stay organized, efficient, and focused on delivering high-quality solutions to clients.

Mohammed Banani

Computer Science

Software Engineer

Mohammed builds polished front ends for web apps and digital products. He turns complex requirements into clean, responsive interfaces for desktop, iPad, and mobile, and improves UX through rapid prototyping and a strong eye for design.

Elené Machaidze

Computer Science

Junior AI Specialist

Elené supports the development of digital products, with a focus on UX and UI work. She helps prepare training workshops, tests AI-tool use cases for clients, and contributes to marketing initiatives across the team. Elené is currently completing her Bachelor's degree in Computer Science at the University of Zurich.

Anton Aleynikov

MSc, Quantitative Finance

Junior AI Specialist

Anton supports the development of AI models, empowering clients to make informed, data-driven decisions. With several years of experience in data-driven consulting, he leverages advanced data science techniques to uncover actionable insights. Anton holds a joint Master's in Quantitative Finance at ETH Zurich and the University of Zurich.

Aditeya Gupta

BSc, Econometrics and Operations Research

Junior AI Researcher

Aditeya works on developing AI-powered solutions that specifically improve decision-making processes in complex business environments. His focus is on designing interpretable, efficient, and reliable models to drive data-driven innovation across various business sectors. He is currently completing his Master's degree in Quantitative Finance at ETH Zurich and the University of Zurich. With his background in econometrics, quantitative methods, and AI research, Aditeya combines cutting-edge analytical methods with practical applications in business.

Anna Vasileva

PhD, Banking & Finance

Sustainability Expert

Anna brings advanced research expertise to data-driven sustainability topics. She advises and develops practical solutions at the intersection of sustainability data and data analysis. She holds a PhD in behavioral and sustainable finance from the University of Zurich.

Daniel Fink

MSc, Quantum Machine Learning

Cloud Platform Expert

Daniel designs modern architectures for data-driven platforms and cloud services. He has over nine years of professional experience at Siemens and TeamViewer, specializing in the Microsoft technology stack. His academic background includes advanced research in quantum computing and machine learning, as well as a Master's degree with honors in simulation technology from the University of Stuttgart.

Frederik Wetzel

MSc, Business and Economics

Operations Expert

Fredi is an entrepreneur with extensive experience in operational processes and strategic marketing. He has founded multiple startups and specializes in AI-driven digital solutions that support scalable growth. With a background in marketing and strategic management, he brings a pragmatic, entrepreneurial perspective to innovation and value creation.