Neural Concept appoints three proven leaders to accelerate global expansion

• Brett Chouinard, former Altair COO and President, joins Neural Concept as chairman of the Board of Directors 
• Industry leaders Pietro Cervellera and Alex Read join Neural Concept to accelerate global growth and industry-specific solution strategy

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Lausanne, Switzerland – July 1st, 2026 – Neural Concept, the global AI platform and Engineering Intelligence leader for next-generation product development, today announced the appointments of Brett Chouinard as Chairman of the Board of Directors, Pietro Cervellera as Chief Revenue Officer and Alex Read as Senior Vice President of Vertical Solutions. The appointments follow a period of significant momentum for Neural Concept. Since closing its $100M Series C led by Goldman Sachs Alternatives, the company has expanded its global footprint across Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific, including the opening of its first Asia-Pacific office in Seoul.

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“AI is becoming a foundational layer in how physical products are designed, engineered and brought to market,” said Dr. Pierre Baqué, CEO and founder of Neural Concept. “Brett is one of the sharpest minds to have shaped the previous era of engineering software, and his decision to join us as Chairman reflects the conviction we share about what comes next. Pietro and Alex bring a new depth of experience, creativity and market insight to our leadership team. Together, they are exactly the people we need to help us forge that next era.”

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As the new chairman of Neural Concept’s Board of Directors, Chouinard brings nearly 30 years of experience at Altair, where he held several senior executive roles, including Chief Operating Officer and President, Chief Technology Officer, and Chief Product and Strategy Officer. His appointment brings strategic depth to Neural Concept's board as the company navigates its next phase of global growth.
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“Neural Concept is at the forefront of a major shift in engineering, where AI is becoming a strategic driver of speed, productivity and competitive advantage in physical product development,” said Chouinard. “I’m joining the board to help accelerate what I’m convinced will be a defining platform for this industry.”

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As Chief Revenue Officer, Pietro Cervellera will lead Neural Concept’s global revenue strategy and go-to-market execution across industries, strategic accounts and regions. Cervellera brings more than two decades of leadership experience spanning engineering, simulation and enterprise software, including senior leadership roles at Altair and Siemens Digital Industries Software.
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“I am convinced that the engineering world is at the dawn of a profound transformation. In the next five years AI will completely disrupt how companies are developing products and how engineers work. This revolution will come from outside the incumbent engineering software industry. Neural Concept is exactly at the center of this.”

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As Senior Vice President of Vertical Solutions, Alex Read will lead Neural Concept’s industry-specific solution strategy, helping translate the company’s platform capabilities into differentiated, high-value use cases across key markets. Read brings 25 years of experience across engineering simulation, product strategy and business leadership, with senior roles at Siemens Digital Industries Software and CD-adapco.
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“Our customers are working to solve some of the world’s toughest engineering challenges, from lightweighting and thermal management to energy efficiency,” said Read. “AI is starting to have a profound impact on how engineering teams tackle these problems, and Neural Concept brings together AI-native expertise and deep engineering knowledge needed to lead.”

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About Neural Concept 

Neural Concept provides the intelligence layer for engineering, enabling companies to design and develop complex, high-performance products faster and more efficiently. Its AI-native platform embeds physics-aware intelligence directly into design and simulation workflows, empowering engineering teams to make continuous, AI-augmented decisions at every stage of product development. 

Founded in 2019, Neural Concept serves leading OEMs and engineering organizations across automotive, aerospace, energy, consumer electronics, semiconductors and defense. Headquartered in Switzerland, the company has a growing global presence including offices in Munich, New York and the Asia-Pacific region, and is backed by global investors, including Goldman Sachs, Forestay Capital and D. E. Shaw Group.

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