Maria Saggese

Maria Saggese

GBS Solution Lead Partner Global & Europe West EY
Maria Saggese

I am a transformative leader with 20 years of international experience in driving large-scale Business transformation programs enabled by Technology at various multinational companies, including Fortune 500 companies. Passionate about value creation through sustainable change, I specialize in GBS operating models across key functions of the value chain, from strategy to implementation including digital enablement with disruptive innovators and greenfield ERP systems. I have gained extensive hands-on experience in the successful delivery of mission-critical results at an amazing set of Chemical, Life Science, Consumer Products, Agribusiness and Technology clients. 

SSOWOMEN Leadership Day & Excellence Labs: May 18th, 2026

9:45 AM EMPOWERING WOMEN IN GBS: THE POWER OF SELF-ADVOCACY

In the fast-evolving world of GBS, women often encounter gaps in promotion, visibility, power, networking, and influence. This panel discussion will address these challenges head-on and provide practical strategies to help you take control of your career trajectory.

Join us as we uncover the barriers that limit advancement and share actionable insights to raise your profile, expand your network, and communicate with authority.

In this session, you will learn to:

• Enhance Visibility: Showcase your achievements so your contributions are recognized and valued

• Build Powerful Networks: Create connections that open doors for collaboration and growth

• Influence with Confidence: Speak like a leader—communicating with clarity, authority, and impact

• Lead with Presence: Learn how to show up with confidence and authenticity, making your leadership presence natural and impactful

Leave inspired and ready to champion yourself—and give back to those who supported you, creating a cycle of empowerment and mutual growth.


Workshops & Conference Day One: May 19th, 2026

9:00 AM Workshop A4 AGENTIC AI-EMPOWERED SERVICE MANAGEMENT: UNLOCKING THE NEXT LEVEL OF GBS MATURITY

As Global Business Services (GBS) organizations expand into broader functional scopes and deliver increasingly complex services, operating models and service management frameworks must evolve. Traditional workflows designed around ticket routing and reactive support are no longer sufficient. The rise of Agentic AI - AI that can act autonomously, make decisions, and execute work on behalf of users - is redefining how services are designed, orchestrated, and continuously improved.

This session explores how leading GBS organisations are harnessing Agentic AI capabilities to elevate service performance, reduce manual workload, and transform the employee experience.

• Redesign the Service Management Framework to connect processes, data, and journeys across a matrixed global organisation

• Establish business partnering roles and a unified “front door” experience enhanced by AI-driven guidance

• Deploy Agentic AI to transition from case handling to case prevention — resolving issues without tickets, anticipating client’s service requests, orchestrating workflows end-to-end, and enforcing policy automatically

• Use predictive insights and autonomous performance steering to optimize SLAs, drive continuous improvement, and measure value creation in real time

Fausto Grelli, Head of Enterprise Service Management, McDonald’s

Dominik Loerts, Partner, Technology Consulting (Data & Analytics), EY

Maria Saggese, GBS Solution Lead Partner Global & EMEIA, EY


3:15 PM WHY ARE CUSTOMER-CENTRIC SERVICE PORTFOLIO AND CATALOGUE ARE GBS’S GATEWAY TO THE FUTURE?

Service catalogue and portfolios are vital for GBS organisations, enabling them to communicate effectively with customers using a consistent taxonomy and language. This customer-centric approach enhances the perceived value of GBS offerings and improves customer experience. However, many GBS organizations face challenges due to poorly defined and inconsistently structured service catalogues that prioritize internal terminology over customer understanding. Whilst some GBS invest in creating these resources, they often neglect ongoing maintenance.

• The necessity of a well-defined service catalogue - serving as GBS's customer-facing "menu" - and a strategic service portfolio for effective service management

• Explore strategies for developing these resources and transitioning from reactive to proactive service delivery.

• By leveraging AI, GBS can better anticipate business needs, drive innovation and facilitate growth. Join us to discover how to create a more dynamic and responsive GBS


Check out the incredible speaker line-up to see who will be joining Maria.

Download The Latest Agenda