Squirro Appoints Lauren Hawker Zafer as Chief Operating Officer

Influential AI innovator is recognized for her significant impact on the growing tech company.

Zurich, Switzerland and New York – April 8, 2025

Squirro, a leading enterprise GenAI platform provider, today announced that it has promoted its dynamic Chief Marketing Officer, Lauren Hawker Zafer, to the role of Chief Operating Officer. As the strategic architect and operational lead at Squirro, Hawker Zafer will play an essential role in turning the company’s ambitious vision into execution.

During her tenure as CMO over the last 15 months, Hawker Zafer has made a significant mark, shaping Squirro’s brand perception as a global, innovative and award-winning company. She has become one of the AI industry’s most esteemed keynote speakers and a prominent member of the Women in Tech Council. She founded and hosts Squirro’s popular podcast ‘Redefining AI’ which has an ever growing following of 50,000 AI enthusiasts. The show explores the broader societal, economic, and political implications of AI, delivering a platform for independent and informed education. In 2024, the podcast won the prestigious New York Digital Award, while Hawker Zafer was personally recognized for her commitment to making AI accessible and understandable with a Top AI Voice badge for her contributions on LinkedIn. In July last year she also won a Squirro stellar leadership award for her leadership style, a combination of empowerment and accountability.

“Lauren’s contribution to Squirro has been remarkable,” commented Dr. Dorian Selz, co-founder and CEO, Squirro. “She has not only built our reputation and our education infrastructure—The Squirro Academy—co-created our technical documentation and established a program of insightful courses, but she also plays an influential role on the broader stage, having established herself as a prominent thought-leader in the AI sector. Lauren is among a growing group of female leaders who have smashed through the technology glass ceiling to evangelize and lead the debate on enterprise generative AI. I am delighted that I will have her by my side as we grow the company.”

In her new role as COO, Lauren Hawker Zafer will act at the side of Dr. Dorian Selz. Among her responsibilities will be driving company-wide efficiency and ensuring that innovation scales effectively while monitoring the financial health, market competitiveness, and operational excellence of the company.

“I am determined to reinforce Squirro’s place as a leader in the global AI ecosystem, but it is also important to build resiliency and high performance, identify and strengthen partnerships, and grow our market share,” said Lauren Hawker Zafer. “I am proud to have inspired other women and underrepresented groups to recognize the life-changing possibilities that AI and innovation deliver and intend to continue reinforcing this essential message in my new role.”

About Squirro:

Squirro is a global leader in enterprise-grade generative AI and graph solutions, specializing in semantic search, insights, and automation. Since its founding in 2012, the company has been at the forefront of AI innovation, empowering organizations with intelligent technology that enhances decision-making and efficiency. Headquartered in Switzerland, Squirro operates across key global markets, with offices in the United States, the UK, and Singapore.

Trusted by industry leaders such as the European Central Bank, the Bank of England, Standard Chartered Bank, Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation, Henkel, and Indicia Worldwide, Squirro is committed to delivering cutting-edge AI solutions. Its mission is to augment human intelligence, streamline processes, and unlock actionable insights—enabling enterprises to navigate complexity and harness the full potential of their data.