In the ever-evolving world of artificial intelligence, few manage to combine sharp technical expertise with a nuanced understanding of business and ethical challenges. Laura Degioanni is one of these hybrid profiles, at the crossroads of data science, strategy, and innovation. Now in charge of AI and innovation at Saas Office, she reflects on her journey, career choices, and vision for a more responsible AI grounded in business realities.
From Finance to Tech: A Journey Driven by Curiosity
Nothing predestined Laura Degioanni to evolve in the field of artificial intelligence. A graduate of business school, Edhec Lille, she began her studies specializing in corporate finance, but quickly realized that her attraction to numbers went far beyond traditional financial analysis. During her internship at Ubisoft, in the IT management control team, she realized that the power of data extends beyond simple budget management. “I quite liked management control, but I was frustrated by the tools. I was hitting Excel’s limits and wanted to go further in data exploitation.”
It was through contact with Business Intelligence teams that she perceived data’s impact on decision-making. This revelation pushed her to orient herself toward data science, a discipline then in full expansion. She decided to complete her training by joining a Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence and Data Science at EDHEC, which allowed her to acquire the statistical and technical foundations necessary to evolve in this field.
Accenture: An Immersion at the Heart of AI Innovation
Her entry into Accenture marked a decisive turning point. Recruited within Accenture Labs in the Artificial Intelligence R&D teams in Sophia Antipolis, she worked on prospective projects aimed at anticipating future AI trends in different sectors.
“I learned to anticipate AI challenges well before they became hot topics. My role consisted of exploring new technologies, testing them, and imagining their concrete applications for our clients.”
Her expertise developed along several axes:
- AI and data protection: she explored federated learning solutions and synthetic data generation to preserve data confidentiality while enabling AI model training.
- AI and environmental impact: she focused on the energy consumption of AI models and ways to make these technologies more sustainable.
- Regulatory AI and compliance: she participated in developing tools to help companies comply with emerging regulations, particularly within the framework of the European AI Act.
Despite the richness of her assignments, Laura began to feel a certain frustration: “We worked on cutting-edge subjects, but sometimes too far ahead of the market. Sometimes clients weren’t ready, and our projects remained prototypes. I wanted to see my ideas materialize.”
It was this desire to work on more operational themes that pushed her to join Saas Office, a rapidly expanding company where she could apply her skills.
Saas Office: Building AI Grounded in Reality
Upon arriving at Saas Office, Laura Degioanni found herself heading the AI and Innovation team. Her challenge: integrate AI at the heart of the company’s solutions and processes, while guaranteeing tangible and measurable impact.
The projects she’s working on are organized around three main axes:
- Digitalization and AI to Optimize Workspaces
One of the first initiatives concerns optimizing flexible workspaces through AI. The objective is to offer interactive and intelligent floor plans, capable of adapting based on actual workspace usage. By leveraging data on space utilization, AI can formulate optimization recommendations and anticipate employees’ needs.
“We have access to data from IoT sensors integrated into our solutions, which allows us to better understand how spaces are actually used and to propose more efficient layouts.”
- AI Chatbots to Improve User Experience
A second innovation axis focuses on developing intelligent chatbots integrated into Saas Office products, to facilitate support and interaction. These solutions aim to improve user experience by offering proactive and personalized assistance, while supporting employees in tool usage and access to key information.
“Conversational AI represents a powerful lever to improve user experience, streamline interactions, and optimize operational processes.”
- Business Intelligence and Strategic Recommendations
Finally, one of Saas Office’s most ambitious projects consists of developing an AI-based strategic recommendations tool. The idea is to leverage economic, real estate, and social data to identify the best location opportunities for new workspaces.
“The objective is to enable our clients to make informed decisions about opening new offices based on objective data and predictive analytics.”
This project, still in the research phase, could benefit from academic collaborations.
Ethical and Responsible AI: A Personal Commitment
Beyond her professional projects, Laura Degioanni nurtures a genuine reflection on ethical and environmental issues related to AI.
“The race for generative AI has an enormous cost in terms of resources and energy. It’s crucial to adopt more frugal approaches and ask the question: do we really need such resource-intensive models for every use case?”
She advocates for better awareness of AI’s impacts, whether among businesses or the general public. She regularly speaks at conferences and schools to explain the challenges of these technologies and encourage a more responsible approach.
“Many people use AI without understanding what happens behind the scenes. My role is also to give them the keys to make informed use of it.”
An Inspiring Role Model for Women in Tech
Finally, Laura is very committed to promoting women in tech. Having herself evolved in an environment still predominantly male, she knows how essential it is to have role models to inspire younger generations.
It’s with this objective that she will participate on April 17th in the “Digital Woman Day” organized by Monaco Women in Finance Institute, where she will share her experience alongside other entrepreneurs and AI experts. “We need to show that tech isn’t reserved for an elite of engineers. There’s room for diverse profiles, with hybrid skills combining business, innovation, and data science.”
Through her journey and commitments, Laura Degioanni embodies this new generation of AI leaders, capable of combining strategic vision, technical expertise, and social responsibility. A precious approach at a time when artificial intelligence is profoundly transforming our society.
