X-Change 2026 Agenda

Dion, an MBA graduate of Henley UK, is the MD of IS³ & CEO of Digital Industries (Pty) Ltd which is focused on Industrial Operational Technology (OT). He has had more than two decades of experience in financial and technology organizations and began his career in the late 1980s by helping develop and support the first digital trading platforms for traded options and futures. In the early 1990s, he joined Siemens where he gained a wide variety of experience in emerging markets (Europe, Asia, and Africa) and technology development. Dion was the group CEO of Siemens Energy for approx. 5 years, before taking up a leadership role in Germany from 2010 until 2013. His executive leadership experience spans large corporates as well as entrepreneurial enterprises where he spent close to 5 years focused on sustainable development activities. He joined EOH in 2018 and helped establish Digital Industries shortly thereafter as the leading industrial operational technology company in Africa, helping accelerate the pace of industrial digital transformation.

Nilen Bermal serves as Head of Business International, where he brings extensive technical leadership experience to drive international business growth. Beginning his career with a brief internship at a System Integrator company, Nilen joined IS³ in 2007 and has since progressed through key leadership roles including Technical Director and Technical Manager.

With a BSc in Electrical Engineering and 19 years of dedicated service at IS³, his journey from Senior Engineer to leadership positions demonstrates his commitment to technical excellence and business development in the industrial automation sector. His comprehensive industry knowledge and expertise in delivering technical solutions continue to drive the organisation’s international growth strategy.

Initially Combining his passions for Industrial Automation and Computer Engineering, Sameer soared into the world of Industrial Automation Systems. He has worked on many projects as a Systems Integrator and spent 4 years developing solutions that filled gaps in the automation market.

Realising that an exponential approach is required to address these gaps, he took on the role of National Solutions Architect at Wonderware Southern Africa in 2012 (Now IS³). Through client interactions, knowledge sharing, and problem solving he gained a vast amount of knowledge across all industries.

With his knowledge gained over the past 18 years, he continues to shape the future of industrial organisations by actively informing customers, across all industries, of the latest technology trends through his consultative approach.