Speakers

Governor, Communications, Space & Technology Commission (CST), Saudi Arabia (Kingdom of)

As Governor of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Communications, Space & Technology Commission (CST), CEO of the Saudi Space Agency (SSA), as well as Vice Chairman of the board for NEO Space Group, H.E. Dr. Mohammed Altamimi works toward enabling the digital and space economies to thrive through forward-looking, agile regulation. H.E. Dr. Altamimi leverages collaboration that cuts across borders, sectors, and industries to create value for stakeholders – fostering both economic growth and diversification. H.E. holds a Doctorate from the University of Pittsburgh, a Master’s degree from the University of Strathclyde, and a Bachelor’s degree from King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals.

Mayor, Abuakwa South Municipal Assembly, Kyebi, Ghana

Akosua Asabea Annoh is currently the Municipal Chief Executive of Abuakwa South Municipal Assembly in the Eastern Region of Ghana, a position she has held since 2021. As the first female Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of the Assembly, she serves as the primary representative of the Central Government, within the Municipality assuming administrative, political and economic roles.

Prior to her appointment as MCE, Akosua held managerial positions at the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), overseeing procurement responsibilities, and served as an administrative officer at the Ministry of Manpower, Youth, and Employment, supporting the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) programme.  With her background as an educationist, she serves as a resource person for training Auditors in basic procurement knowledge.

As an avowed advocate of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations, she has been instrumental in the implementation of programs aimed at championing and localizing the SDGs within her Municipality. One of her area of interest has been the formulation of strategies aimed at building Smart and sustainable Cities. – She has been instrumental in crafting The Kyebi Model, of the Smart Sustainable Cities Concept which harnesses a synergy of Local government actors, the traditional Authorities and Academia in fostering the implementation of smart cities programs. Her leadership, commitment and direction, has led to a harmonious collaboration of all these key stakeholders culminating the certifications and recognitions received from UN-ITU and UN-HABIATAT.

With the aim of enhancing the city’s resilience and natural resource management, focusing on Climate Change Adaptation efforts, Akosua leads the Valorization of natural resources value-chain strategy.

Her passion is in the area of urban planning, conservation of natural resources, women empowerment, girl child education, and the promotion of tourism potentials of her Municipality. Akosua actively contributes her time and resources to championing these causes.

Akosua holds a master’s degree in Supply Chain Management from Coventry University, UK, and a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Ghana, Legon.

CEO, Tejas, India

Deputy Minister of Digital Development and Transport of the Republic of Azerbaijan

1988 He was born in Uzbekistan.
2006-2010 He studied Legal regulation of the economy at the Azerbaijan State University of Economics.
2011 He worked at Sumgayit Technologies Park.
2012-2021 He worked as a Head of Finance department of the Azerbaijan Space Agency (Azercosmos).
2021 He worked as Head of Finance and accounting department of the Ministry of Transport, Communications and High Technologies.
2023 He was appointed Adviser to the Minister of Digital Development and Transport of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
2024 He was appointed Deputy Minister of Digital Development and Transport by the Order of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
He is a member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, ACCA.
He is fluent in English and Russian.
He is married.

CEO & Founder, Aston Group

Manuel Barreiro Castañeda is the founder and chairman of the Aston Group, a private equity firm with $1 billion in investments to date. The firm develops real estate projects and makes private equity investments with a focus on North America and Europe. Mr. Barreiro Castañeda is a strategic leader with over 20 years of high-level experience in international real estate, successfully advising public and private sector stakeholders on the intersection of technology, sustainability, mobility, and smart cities. Committed to sustainability, he works to ensure that his firm’s development projects benefit the local community by improving quality of life, reducing inequality gaps, and positively impacting the environment according to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Actively involved in the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), he serves as Vice Chairman of the ITU’s “Working Group 8 on the Metaverse – Sustainability, Accessibility & Inclusion,” addressing sustainability, accessibility, and inclusion. Complementing his industry experience, he completed the Oxford Real Estate Programme and the Oxford Programme on Valuation of Private Assets at the University of Oxford. He also holds an Executive Master of Science (MSc) in Cities from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), where he further developed his knowledge in sustainable urban development, mobility, and water management to enhance the quality of life in large cities and small urban areas. This degree also sparked his interest in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT), which will be at the center of his projects in the near future.

Mr. Barreiro Castañeda also holds an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin McCombs School of Business and a Bachelor’s in International Business from Instituto Tecnologico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey. He completed academic exchange programs at higher learning institutions in Japan and Argentina, where he realized the importance of using technology for the benefit of vulnerable groups. This realization became his life’s mission — to create better cities for the future, starting in his native Mexico

Counsellor, ITU

Cristina Bueti is the ITU Focal Point on Smart Sustainable Cities. She is also the Counsellor of ITU-T Study Group 20 “Internet of things (IoT) and smart cities and communities (SC&C)” and the Counsellor of the Focus Group on metaverse at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). She also serves as TSB/ITU focal point for Latin America. Cristina Bueti graduated from the Faculty of Political Science, Law and International Cooperation and Development of the University of Florence, where she completed postgraduate studies in International Cooperation and Telecommunications Law in Europe. She ​also holds a specialization in Environmental Law with a special focus on Telecommunications. In 2003, Ms. Bueti built on her academic credentials by completing a specialized course in peace keeping and international cooperation with special focus on telecommunications at the Faculty of Laws, University of Malta, before joining the International Telecommunication Union in Geneva in January 2004. As part of the International Women’s Day 2016, she was named as one of the twenty Geneva-based inspirational women working to protect the environment. She has authored over 40 reports on telecommunication issues. A native Italian speaker, Cristina is also fluent in English, French and Spanish.

Secretary-General, ITU

Doreen Bogdan-Martin took office as Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) on 1 January 2023.

With over three decades of leadership experience in global telecommunications policy, Ms. Bogdan-Martin has emphasized the need for digital transformation to achieve economic prosperity, job creation, skills development, gender equality, and socio-economic inclusion, as well as to build circular economies, reduce climate impact, and save lives. Her historic election by ITU Member States in September 2022 made her the first woman ever to head the nearly 160-year-old organization. Known for mobilizing innovative partnerships, she aims to promote meaningful connectivity, intensify cooperation to connect the unconnected, and strengthen the alignment of digital technologies with inclusive sustainable development.​​

Mayor of Anyang, Korea (Rep. of)

Choi Dae-ho is currently serving as the 8th elected mayor of Anyang City, South Korea. He was first elected as the mayor of Anyang City in 2010 and served as the 5th elected mayor. He was also elected in the 2018 and 2022 elections, and is currently leading Anyang City as a 3-term mayor.

As the 16th and 17th Chairman of the National Metropolitan City Mayors’ Association, he took the lead in realizing local autonomy, and as the standing representative of the Mokmin-gwan Club and the standing chairman of the Happiness Realization Local Government Council, he leads a gathering of local government heads to realize the happiness of citizens.

With such diverse political careers and roles, he is constantly striving for the happiness of residents, and his leadership and dedication are greatly contributing to making Anyang City a more livable city

Chair, Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF)

Roman Danyliw current serves as the Chair of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF).  Other past roles in the IETF have included Area Director for Security and multiple appointments as a Working Group Chair in topics areas such as internet of things and cyber security operations.

In addition to serving as IETF Chair, Roman is currently the Deputy Chief Technology Officer of the Software Engineering Institute at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU SEI).   In this role, Roman oversees CMU SEI’s technical portfolio of applied research and development focused on cybersecurity, software engineering and artificial intelligence.

Head of Standardization and Industry Environment, Nokia

Ulrich heads the external standardization engagement for Nokia. He is responsible for global and regional standardization including radio spectrum aspects. Ulrich is a Vice President and Executive Committee member of the Global Mobile Supplier Association (GSA). He also serves in the Board of the Metaverse Standards Forum. Between 2022 and 2024, he served as a board member to the Innovative Optical and Wireless Network Global Forum (IOWN-GF). From 2018 to 2022 he was also Board Member of the 5G Association for Connected Industries and Automation (5G-ACIA).

Prior to his current role Ulrich was responsible for Nokia Networks Industry Environment activities. Between 2007 and 2012 Ulrich lead the NSN 3GPP standardization team and has served as Head of Delegation to 3GPP.

Between 1996 and 2007, Ulrich held various positions in R&D of Siemens Mobile Networks unit. He was responsible for standardization activities of the core network business unit and managed Siemens 3GPP activities. Ulrich had instrumental role in the definition of the UMTS architecture as well as in set up of project management in 3GPP.

Ulrich holds a Ph.D. from Télécom ParisTech from 1996; his research area was the definition of 3G Radio Interface and his research was part of EU collaborative research program (RACE II ATDMA). He holds a Master Degree (Dipl-Ing) in Telecommunication from the RWTH, Aachen from 1992.

Chief Technology Officer, Ericsson

As Ericsson’s CTO, Erik Ekudden is responsible for setting the overall group strategy and technology direction for Ericsson.

His focus for the group is on strategic decisions and investments in 5G and 6G mobile systems, cloud, artificial intelligence, security and Internet of things. This builds on his decades-long career in technology strategies and industry activities with leading customers and partners. Ekudden first joined Ericsson in 1993 working on mobile systems, and rapidly moved into leadership within research and technology. He has served as research area director and vice president of technology strategy, standardization and industry.

He holds a Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden. He is a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences (IVA).

Vice President International Standards, Ericsson

Dr Per Fröjdh leads Ericsson’s overall engagement in the International Telecommunication Union, where he is currently Vice-Chair of ITU-T Study Group 16 on Multimedia.

With more than thirty years of experience in research and innovation he has contributed to several world-leading standards, such as AVC/H.264 and HEVC/H.265 for video compression, and he has been recognized with two Emmy Awards for his contributions to the ISO (MP4) file format and the DASH streaming format in MPEG. He is currently the Multimedia Chair at the Swedish Institute for Standards and Steering Board Member of DVB. He also serves as Vice President and Board Director of the Media Coding Industry Forum.

Dr Fröjdh holds a PhD degree in Theoretical Physics from Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden.

Chief Executive Officer, Global Esports Federation, Singapore (Republic of)

Paul J. Foster, CEO and Board Member of the Global Esports Federation since March 2021, leads the organization’s strategic growth. Previously, he served as Chief Operating Officer and Senior Advisor during the GEF’s establishment. With 30 years of global leadership experience, he’s acclaimed for convening and mobilizing partnerships, utilizing technology for sustainable development, and advancing inclusive global progress. Paul was a Vice President at World Expo 2020 Dubai, overseeing start-up operations, budgeting, and vision-setting. He dedicated over two decades to the Olympic movement, including significant roles at the International Olympic Committee. He consults for various entities, advising on vision setting and strategy. He holds degrees in Business, Economics, International Affairs, Diplomacy and Protocol, with additional studies in AI from MIT Sloan School of Management and the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL). Fluent in English and Italian, as well as with capacity in French and Spanish, Paul is also an Associate Professor in International Relations and a certified Yoga teacher. As Chairman of the Board of the World Technology Games organization, he continues to help shape the future of global esports, sports, technology, and innovation

Under-Secretary-General and the United Nations Secretary-General’s Envoy on Technology, United Nations

Mr. Amandeep Singh Gill was appointed Under-Secretary-General and the United Nations Secretary-General’s Envoy on Technology in June 2022. In this role, he spearheads the Secretary-General’s strategic initiatives in technology, facilitates coordination across the UN system, and engages with a diverse array of stakeholders and partners globally. He is also a member of the Secretary-General’s High Level Advisory Body on AI and of his Scientific Advisory Board.

His extensive experience in technology and diplomacy includes serving as Executive Director and co-lead of the UN Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel on Digital Cooperation (2018-2019) and as India’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva (2016-2018).

Mr. Gill’s academic credentials include a PhD from King’s College London, a B. Tech from Panjab University, Chandigarh, and an Advanced Diploma in French history and language from Geneva University. He has authored two books: “Nuclear Security Summits: A History” (Springer, 2020) and “You Are Never Too Far: Poems on the Path” (Wisdom Tree, 2016).

In recognition of his influential work in the field of artificial intelligence, TIME magazine named Mr. Gill one of the 100 most influential people in AI in 2024. Fluent in English, French, Hindi, and Punjabi, Mr. Gill brings a multicultural perspective to his work.

Founder and Executive Director, the OpenWallet Foundation; Vice Chair, Supervisory Board of Valamar Riviera

Daniel Goldscheider is founder and Executive Director of the OpenWallet Foundation and serves as Vice Chair of the Supervisory Board of Valamar Riviera d.d., Croatia’s largest tourism company. 

Before that he started yes.com, an open banking scheme and co-founded Mediaguide with the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers as well as Aureus Private Equity (today Invision).

Commissioner, Federal Communications Commission, United States of America

The Honorable Commissioner Anna M. Gomez is the first Latina-American to be confirmed to the FCC in over two decades.  Commissioner Gomez is committed to ensuring we have a vibrant, strong, competitive telecommunications and media marketplace that promotes U.S. economic prosperity and security while also meeting the needs of all consumers.

Commissioner Gomez brings over 30 years of public and private sector experience in domestic and international communications law and policy to her position. She previously led U.S. preparations for the International Telecommunication Union World Radiocommunication Conference 2023 for the State Department.  Commissioner Gomez has held numerous leadership roles in the federal government, including Deputy Administrator of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, Deputy Chief of the FCC’s International Bureau, and as Senior Legal Advisor to then-Chairman William E. Kennard.  Born in Orlando, Florida, Commissioner Gomez spent her childhood in Bogota, Colombia before her family relocated to New Jersey.  Commissioner Gomez earned her B.A. in Pre-Law from Pennsylvania State University and her J.D. from George Washington University Law School.

CEO, India Urban Data Exchange and Research Professor, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore

Inder is the CEO of IUDX Program and is also Research Professor at IISc. He was previously Vice President of Software at Ericsson, where he was instrumental in launching their Edge computing efforts. Before that, he was Vice President of Networking at IBM, where he had responsibility for all of IBM’s hardware and software networking products. He has also served as Chief Architect of AT&T and Chief Technology Officer of Prodigy.

He has founded, built-up, and successfully sold two venture-funded start-up companies, ReefEdge and Iptivia, and is an investor and board member in a few others. He served as the Founding Chairman of a leading open source networking software group, OpenDaylight, recruiting dozens of top-tier companies to participate.

Inder has also had a distinguished research career in the area of computer networks, with 20 patents and more than 70 technical publications to his credit. He worked at the IBM T.J. Watson Research Centre, earning two IBM Outstanding Innovation Awards. He has served as editor of several technical journals and was elected Fellow of the IEEE. He has a PhD from Columbia University, New York and a BA from Oxford University, England.

CEO and Founder, Kido Dynamics

Dr. Alberto Hernando de Castro is a distinguished physicist and entrepreneur with over 15 years in scientific research and a decade of C-level experience in private companies. He earned his PhD in Computational and Quantum Physics from the Universitat de Barcelona and has worked at prestigious European institutions, including the French CNRS and the Swiss EPFL, where he focused on Quantum Physics, Complex Systems, and Social Physics. In 2015, he co-founded the deep-tech startup SThAR, where he served as CEO, utilizing data analytics to innovate in major electoral campaigns globally. Since 2018, he has been the founder director and CEO of Kido Dynamics, driving innovation in transportation, retail, tourism, marketing, and real estate. He leverages mobility analytics and integrates technologies such as AI, satellite imagery, connected vehicles, and geoposition data from Mobile Phone Network Operators to enhance business strategies and decision-making processes. His collaborations span public institutions like Eurostat and the World Bank, major cities such as Rio de Janeiro, Madrid, and São Paulo, and private international companies like Uber and JCDecaux. Through his leadership, Kido Dynamics has become a key player in transforming how data is utilized across various sectors, promoting smarter and more efficient urban and commercial planning.

Deputy Director, Telecommunication Standardization Bureau, ITU

Tunisian born, Dr Bilel Jamoussi is Deputy Director, Telecommunication Standardization Bureau, ITU in Geneva Switzerland. Since 2010, he has been leading the bureau’s standards-making activities into a new era characterized by rapid convergence and the need for increased collaboration with vertical sectors and partnership between developed and developing countries. Prior to 2010, Jamoussi worked for a Telecommunication equipment and solutions provider for 15 years in Canada and then in the United States where he held several leadership positions and was granted 22 US patents in diverse areas including packet, optical, wireless, and quality of service. He holds a BSc, MSc and PhD degrees in Computer Engineering from the Pennsylvania State University, USA. He is fluent in Arabic, French, and English and speaks some Spanish and German.​

CEO FNS VALUE Korea

Radio Architecture Solutions and Standards Manager, BT

Rana is a Radio Architecture Standards Manager in BT. She is a seasoned standards expert who leads BT’s ITU delegation and 3GPP SA1 delegation and RAN plenary. Rana headed BT’s IoT standards and served as ITU’T SG20 Internet of things (IoT) and smart cities and communities (SC&C) Working party 1 vice chair and associate rapporteur of Q3 and Q6. She  earned a technical Excellence award by oneM2M for leading the work on oneM2M’s Security standards transposition by the ITU-T.

Rana worked as a Security Consultant providing consultancy across all BT’s sectors including numerous large scale national and international projects. Prior to that Rana worked as a Radio access networks designer after finishing post graduate studies in Mobile and Wireless Networks in Queen Mary, University of London and working in Academia and the oil and gas sector.

Rana is a part of BT’s Tech fellowship and leads the women in Networks initiative. She recently contributed towards an IoT book which is a joint project between BT and the IET. Rana is an avid Technology speaker with regular contributions, presentations and panels in various international conferences and fora including IoT Tech Expo, Computing Edge Expo, ETSI IoT week, ETSI security week, talks for the Indian government and industry day in Japan.  Rana regularly represents BT in the ITU-T and ITU-R, 3GPP, oneM2M and ETSI. She is keen on shaping the architecture of new technologies including 6G and on developing international telecommunication standards.

Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK), Türkiye

 Mr. Ömer Abdullah Karagözoğlu has been the Chairman of the Board and President of the Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK) of the Republic of Türkiye since August 2018. He was re-appointed for a second term in August 2022 after completing his first 4-year term in this position.
He was born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1975. He is an Electrical and Electronic Engineer graduated from Eastern Mediterranean University.
Mr. Karagözoğlu worked as a software engineer at Istanbul Water and Sewerage Administration (ISKI) of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) from 2002 to 2004. Between 2004 and 2016, he held various managerial positions at BELBIM, a technology company of IMM.
He served as the Adviser to the Chairman and Board Member of BTK before his appoin

Technology Manager, GE Healthcare, India

Anuradha Kanamarlapudi heads the Healthcare Technology and Innovation Center at GE HealthCare, Bangalore. She leads a multi-disciplinary team of researchers who work across multiple competency areas to develop and incubate solutions for healthcare products. She has more than 28 years of experience in research & development, product delivery, managing large interdisciplinary missions spread across the globe.

While at GE Corporate Research, she was the Technology Manager for the Physical and Digital Analytics Research lab and Exponential Market Solutions Leader responsible for incubating and running innovation missions spanning physical and digital technology areas. She has significant experience in the healthcare domain and is currently heading the 5G Special Interest Group at the center. She has 10+ patents rated to be filed in the area of AI in healthcare.

During the initial days of her career, she has worked in organizations such as Siemens and Philips in the areas of software platform and product development in Telecom and Consumer Electronics domain.

She is currently pursuing a doctoral program in Indian Institute of Management, Indore specializing in Strategy management on a part-time basis. Her areas of interest are in the area of frugal innovation.

Professor of Telecommunication Networks and Data transmission, St. Petersburg University of Telecommunications

After graduating from Leningrad University of Telecommunications in 1974, A. Koucheryavy joined Telecommunication Research Institute LONIIS, where he worked till October 2003 (from 1986 to 2003 as the First Deputy Director). Dr. A. Koucheryavy holds Professor position at the Bonch-Bruevich St. Petersburg State University of Telecommunications (SUT) since 1998. There, in 2011 he became a Chaired Professor in “Telecommunication Networks and data transmission” department. Dr. A.Koucheryavy was an advisor of the Central Science Research Telecommunication Institute (ZNIIS) from 2003 to 2010. Co-founder of the International Teletraffic Seminar (1993, 1995, 1998, 2002); founder of the model network for digital networks at LONIIS (1997); co-founder of the model network for packet networks at ZNIIS (2004); co-founder of the Internet of Things Laboratory (2012) at SUT. Chair of the Scientific school on teletraffic theory in LONIIS (1990 – 2003); Founder and scientific school chair “Internet of Things and self-organizing networks” in SUT (2010 up to now); Steering committee member of IEEE technically co-sponsored series of conferences ICACT, NEW2AN and ICFNDS. SG11 ITU-T vice-chairman 2005 – 2008, 2009 – 2012. WP3/WP4 SG11 chairman 2006 – 2012, WP4 SG11 vice-chairman 2015-2016, Chairman of SG11 from 2016 up to March 2022. Host and technical program committee member of the “Kaleidoscope 2014” at SUT. Founder of the model network for telepresence services in SUT (2021). Honorary member of Popov’s society (2002).

Deputy Secretary-General, ITU

Tomas Lamanauskas is Deputy Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union, elected at the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference of 2022, and taking up duties as of January 2023.

His 25 years of experience spans across sectors of telecoms and digital policy, regulation and strategy, stemming from executive level positions in agencies, companies, and organizations across Europe, the Middle East, the Caribbean and the Pacific region.

As Deputy Secretary-General of ITU, Tomas focuses on the financial sustainability and operational excellence of the organization. He also works to raise the digital industry’s ambition in fighting the climate crisis through the Green Digital Action initiative and promotes investments into the digital infrastructure as well as digital resilience through the Digital Infrastructure Investment Initiative and other efforts. Additionally, Tomas contributes to the global efforts to harness the opportunities and mitigate challenges of new technologies, in particular Artificial Intelligence, including through his role as a co-chair of the United Nations Inter-Agency Working Group on AI. He is also playing a key role in ensuring ITU’s support to other UN-wide development and governance efforts, including through the World Summit of the Information Society process and membership at the Operational Steering Committee of the UN Joint SDG Fund.

Tomas holds Master’s Degrees in Public Administration (Harvard), Leadership and Strategy (London Business School), Telecommunications Regulation and Policy (The University of the West Indies) and Law (Vilnius University).

Executive Secretary, CITEL

Resourceful strategic leader with trackable successes over 25 years of ICT experience. Major strengths include planning and execution of policy and regulatory strategies. Recognized for strong result orientation, high degree of integrity, transparency and responsibility. Great ability developing and implementing successful solutions for corporate responsibility and social investment.

Electronic Engineer with post grade in Telecommunications Project Management and a Master in Business Administration. Former General Director of National Spectrum Agency of Colombia. Also was Regulatory Manager of America Móvil. He has been advisor of multiple ICT Ministers and Regulatory Authorities in Latin America. He worked in the Colombian Telecommunication Regulator and as Project Director in Solutions Providers of Microsoft.

Mr. Leon-Suarez, has been a fundamental ally in the development of agreements, execution of projects, and telecommunications programs in Latin America and the Caribbean. He has promoted and supported the development of the telecommunications industry in Latin America. ICT Ministries, Head of Regulators, and telecommunications companies of the Americas seek the technical advice of  Mr. Leon-Suarez to improve the conditions of their telecommunications industries in the Americas and massify the use of information technology. 

Vice President, China Telecommunications Corporation, China

Principal-level senior engineer and PhD of Engineering from Wuhan University with a major in photogrammetry and remote sensing. Previously, Dr. Li served as Deputy Chief Engineer of China Electronic Information Industry Development Research Institute (CCID), and Deputy Chief of the Department of Planning, Science and Technology, Chief of the Department of Planning, Science and Technology (Office of the Science and Technology Commission), Head of the General Office and Head of the Department of General Administration of China Electronic Corporation. Dr. Li is now the Vice President of China Telecommunications Corporation Limited.

Deputy Minister, Ministère de la Communication, des Technologies de l’Information et des Médias, Burundi

Deputy Minister, High-tech Industry of the Republic of Armenia, Republic of Armenia

Date and Place of Birth: April 11, 1993, Yerevan

Education

2024 – Armenian State Pedagogical University (ASPU), Ph.D Student on the topic “The Relationship Between Higher Education and Economy in Modern Technology Age and Possible Role of Armenia in This.”
2016–2018 –Public Administration Academy of the Republic of Armenia (PAARA), Faculty of Law, Master’s Degree.
2009–2016 – Armenian State Pedagogical University (ASPU), Department of Law, Faculty of History and Law, Bachelor’s Degree.
2008–2009 – Secondary School No. 186.
2002–2008 – Secondary School No. 198.
1999–2002 – Anania Shirakatsi Lyceum.

Work Experience

2024 – Deputy Minister of High-Tech Industry of the Republic of Armenia.
2024 – Advisor to the Minister of High-Tech Industry of the Republic of Armenia.
2022–2024 – Director of academic institution Pan-Armenian Center for Excellence of My Step Charitable Foundation (academic master’s program in quantum and mesoscopic physics “Quantum”).
2021–2022 – Lawyer, Chief of Staff of My Step Charitable Foundation.
2021–2023 – Deputy Director of Yerevan Chess Federation NGO.
2019–2021 – Assistant to the Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia on Science, Education, Culture, Diaspora, Youth and Sports.
2019–2020 – Lecturer at Yerevan Regional State College No. 2, after N. Achemyan, on the subject “Fundamentals of Law.”
2011–2013 – Mandatory military service at the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia.

Language Proficiency

Armenian, English, Russian

Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies in South Africa (Republic of)

He is an experienced communications specialist with an illustrious career across different spheres of government as a spokesperson. 

He is a Member of Parliament who has served in various portfolios such as Sports and Recreation, Human Settlements, and Communications. 

His leadership tenure in Parliament includes previous roles, including the Counsellor to the Leader of the Official Opposition and a full term as a Whip for the Parliamentary caucus.

His previous roles in communications include spells as the spokesperson for the Western Cape MEC of Transport and Public Works, and Mayor of Cape Town.   

Prior to his appointment as Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, he served as the national spokesperson for the DA.

Malatsi holds a Bachelor of Administration from the University of Limpopo and an Honours Degree in Political Studies from the University of the Witwatersrand. 

Malatsi has held several leadership positions within the DA, including Provincial Deputy Chairperson in Limpopo. He is an elected Deputy Federal Chairperson; a role he has served in since 2023.

Chairwoman, Autoridade Nacional de Comunicações (ANACOM), Portugal

Sandra Maximiano, Chairwoman of ANACOM’s Board of Directors since 15 December 2023, holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Amsterdam. She is an Associate Professor of Economics at ISEG – School of Economics & Management, University of Lisbon, where she is co-coordinator of XLAB – Behavioral Research Lab and of the Master’s Degree in Economics program. She is also a Visiting Associate Professor at the Faculty of Law of the University of Coimbra. She was previously an Assistant Professor at Purdue University and a Research Fellow at the University of Chicago in the United States. She has also taught at the Católica Lisbon School of Business & Economics and the Nova School of Business and Economics. 

Her academic research spans several areas: experimental and behavioral economics, organizational and labor economics, public policy, and information management. Her research explores issues related to social and moral preferences in individual decision making and in strategic and competitive environments, gender differences in economic decisions and the dynamics of information in competitive and co-operative situations. Maximiano primarily uses laboratory and field experiments to study human economic behavior and to collect data. Her work has been published in journals such as Review of Economic Studies, Economic Journal, Experimental Economics and Games and Economic Behavior. He is currently the Associate Editor of the Portuguese Economic Journal.

Maximiano is a member of the Supervisory Board, a member of the Advisory Board and a member of SEDES observatories and working groups. Between 2020 and 2024, she was Vice-President of the Data Science Portuguese Association and a member of the ASF Forum for Market Conduct. From 2006 to 2023, she was the author of opinion columns in the Portuguese press, most notably the column “A Economia somos nós” (The Economy is Us) in the Expresso newspaper.

Minister, Ministry of Information and Communication Technologies, Gabon

Mr. Bonjean Rodrigue MBANZA has been the Minister of Digital Economy and New Information Technologies of Gabon since January 17, 2024. Before assuming this position, he briefly served as Technical Advisor to the Minister of the Interior and Security from January 1 to January 17, 2024. He has also held various roles, including Prefect of Police from 2020 to 2024, Chief of Staff of the Intervention Police at the Camp of the Intervention Police Forces (FOPI) from 2013 to 2020, and Chief of Operational Detachment at the Intervention Police Staff from 2006 to 2009. His previous experiences include positions in the Central African DDR (Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration of MINUSCA, Special Intervention Unit), as well as functions as Aide-de-camp to the Commander in Chief of the National Police Forces (FPN).

Senior Director of Technology Policy, IEEE Standards Association (IEEE SA)

Karen McCabe is a Senior Director of Technology Policy at the IEEE Standards Association (IEEE SA), where she leads IEEE SA’s Technology Policy Center and oversees government relations and IEEE SA’s public policy initiatives, including efforts to build and connect communities working in the standardization and technology policy ecosystem with the aim of impactful outcomes to help advance technology for the benefit of society. Karen works at the nexus of mission-driven organizations, industry, NGOs, and government bodies to raise awareness, educate, and build capacity among stakeholders in the technology sphere. She is engaged in technology policy initiatives in sustainability, ethical AI, digital transition, and global standards in trade and policy. She leads the organization’s engagement with the UN and other international and intergovernmental bodies, with a focus on engagement of the technical community at the intersection of technology, standards, regulation, and policy. 

Deputy Minister, High-tech Industry of the Republic of Armenia, Republic of Armenia

Date and Place of Birth: April 11, 1993, Yerevan

Education

2024 – Armenian State Pedagogical University (ASPU), Ph.D Student on the topic “The Relationship Between Higher Education and Economy in Modern Technology Age and Possible Role of Armenia in This.”
2016–2018 –Public Administration Academy of the Republic of Armenia (PAARA), Faculty of Law, Master’s Degree.
2009–2016 – Armenian State Pedagogical University (ASPU), Department of Law, Faculty of History and Law, Bachelor’s Degree.
2008–2009 – Secondary School No. 186.
2002–2008 – Secondary School No. 198.
1999–2002 – Anania Shirakatsi Lyceum.

Work Experience

2024 – Deputy Minister of High-Tech Industry of the Republic of Armenia.
2024 – Advisor to the Minister of High-Tech Industry of the Republic of Armenia.
2022–2024 – Director of academic institution Pan-Armenian Center for Excellence of My Step Charitable Foundation (academic master’s program in quantum and mesoscopic physics “Quantum”).
2021–2022 – Lawyer, Chief of Staff of My Step Charitable Foundation.
2021–2023 – Deputy Director of Yerevan Chess Federation NGO.
2019–2021 – Assistant to the Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia on Science, Education, Culture, Diaspora, Youth and Sports.
2019–2020 – Lecturer at Yerevan Regional State College No. 2, after N. Achemyan, on the subject “Fundamentals of Law.”
2011–2013 – Mandatory military service at the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia.

Language Proficiency

Armenian, English, Russian

Secretary-General and CEO, International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC)

Philippe Metzger became IEC Secretary-General & CEO on 1 February 2020. In this position, he is responsible for the global day-to-day operations of the IEC.

Prior to joining the IEC, Mr. Metzger was the Director General of the Swiss Federal Office of Communications (OFCOM) from 1 January 2014, having already served as Head of OFCOM’s Telecom Services Division since 2007.

Previously, he was Deputy to the Director of the Telecommunications Development Bureau at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and Director of the Trade Relations Division at the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) in Geneva. He also worked for EFTA in Brussels as a Senior Legal Officer, dealing with European Economic Area matters, and served as a Senior Corporate Counsel of a US multinational IT corporation in Amsterdam.

Philippe Metzger qualified as a Swiss attorney of law and passed his bar exam in 1992 in Berne, starting his professional career at major commercial law firms in Geneva and London. He also holds a Master of Arts in European Studies degree from the College of Europe (Bruges/Warsaw).

Secretary, Department of Telecommunications, India

Dr. Neeraj Mittal, Secretary, Department of Telecommunications, a senior Indian Administrative Service Officer of Tamil Nadu cadre, is a B. Tech in Electrical Engineering from IIT, Kanpur, MBA from Cranfield University, UK and Ph.D from Ohio State University, USA in Management Information Systems.

He started his career as an IAS Officer in 1992. He has held various administrative positions in the fields of land and revenue management, mines and minerals, IT/Communications, e-governance. During his stint in Central deputation, he worked in Department of Telecom, Ministry of Commerce & Industry and Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas. In the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas, he was instrumental in rolling out the Cash Transfer program in LPG and ‘Give It Up’ campaign. He has also served as Senior Advisor to the Executive Director in World Bank in Washington DC.

He held important positions of CEO of Tamil Nadu Industrial Guidance and Export Promotion Bureau, Additional Chief Secretary, Information Technology and Digital Service Department and MD & CEO, Tamil Nadu Urban Finance and Infrastructure Development Corporation.

He has several publications to his credit.

Director General, TSDSI

N Mohanram has more than 30 years of experience in research, technology development and infrastructure deployment & operations in the domains of high-performance computing, highspeed communications, and financial technology. He is currently the Director General of Telecommunications Standards Development Society, India (TSDSI) – India’s Telecom SDO.

He was earlier the Chief Executive Officer of NeSL Asset Data Limited (NADL), a fintech startup company functioning as an Account Aggregator NBFC regulated by RBI.

Mohanram was also the Director General/CEO of ERNET India. Prior to ERNET India, he was the Director of C-DAC Bangalore Centre and served as the CTO of C-DAC. He was the Chief Architect of India’s first National Grid Computing Initiative and the System Software stack for the PARAM Series of Supercomputers.

Mohanram has been involved in several National Missions. He has been a member of the Technology Advisory Committee of National Supercomputing Mission (NSM), chaired by Member, NITI Aayog. Earlier, he was a member of the Technology Advisory Committee of the National Knowledge Network (NKN) mission spearheaded by the Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India and a member of the CSIR-4PI Advisory Committee chaired by Shri Narayana Murthy, founder of Infosys.

President, Federal Telecommunications Institute (IFT), Mexico

Javier Juárez Mojica has been Commissioner of the Federal Telecommunications Institute (IFT) since October 2016 and Acting Chairman since March 2022. He is an honorary member of the World Commission on the Ethics of Scientific Knowledge and Technology (COMEST) of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), has been member of the OECD Expert Group on Artificial Intelligence (AIGO), Vice-chair of the former Working Party on Communication Infrastructures and Services Policy (CISP) at the OECD (2019-2021), former president of the Technical Committee on 5G networks deployment in Mexico, and currently serves as Chair of the Small Operators Committee.

Commissioner Juárez has devoted a professional career of more than 15 years to the study of telecommunications and the promotion of innovation and competition in this sector. He has participated in conferences and lectures on interconnection, community and indigenous networks, local loop unbundling, virtual mobile operators, Internet of Things, AI, cybersecurity, and digital transformation, among others.

Author of the books Mi Neighbor is a Robot (Penguin Random House 2022), The Future of Computing in Mexico: Proposals from the Mexican Academy of Computing (2018), and several articles and book chapters on telecommunications regulation (2007) and the challenges of living with AI.

D​irector, Telecommunication Standardization Bureau, ITU

Sergio Mujica joined ISO as Secretary-General in July 2017, having spent 7 years at the World Custom’s Organization (WCO) as Deputy Secretary-General. The WCO aims to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of Custom’s administrations worldwide, and within this role Mr Mujica was responsible for the design and implementation of the WCO’s strategic plan. This included simplification, harmonization and standardization of custom’s procedures in addition to capacity building initiatives aimed at the WCO members. This gave him significant experience in an international setting, building consensus within a large membership-based organization.

Prior to working at the World Customs Organization, Mr Mujica spent 15 years working for the Government of Chile with the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and as the Director General of Chile Customs. A Chilean national, he has a law degree from the Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile and a Master’s degree in International Law from the American University in Washington DC.

Head Public and International Relations, Uganda Communications Commission

Rebecca Mukite is the Head of Communications Infrastructure and Services at the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC). With over 15 years of experience in telecommunications, Rebecca has a rich background in radio frequency spectrum planning and monitoring, telecommunications licensing, communications, public relations, and international relations.

In her current role, Rebecca leads the Communications Infrastructure and Services Division, where she oversees the planning, authorization, and compliance of communication operations, networks, services, and numbering resources. She is responsible for ensuring the protection of consumer interests and promoting sustainable development within the communications sector. Her work involves coordinating with key stakeholders—government agencies, industry players, and international organizations—to maintain effective technical regulation of communications infrastructure. Additionally, Rebecca drives initiatives in environmental sustainability and EMF safety within the telecommunications space.

Her earlier career in RF spectrum planning and telecommunications engineering provided her with deep expertise in managing and evaluating RF systems, which later expanded into strategic roles in telecommunications licensing and standards development. This foundation has equipped her to address complex regulatory challenges and contribute to the creation of regulatory frameworks that align with international best practices.

Throughout her career, Rebecca has demonstrated a commitment to excellence, developing strategies that bridge the gap between technical telecommunications requirements and socio-economic development. Her understanding of the telecom sector’s evolving needs informs her leadership in guiding her division’s long-term planning and response to emerging industry trends.

Rebecca holds a degree in Telecommunications Engineering from Kyambogo University and a master’s degree in communications management from Bucks New University, along with specialized training in global communications and regulatory frameworks.

Mayor of Kristiansund, Norway

Kjell Neergaard has been the Mayor of Kristiansund since 2015. With a background in state and municipal governance, he has over 26 years of experience in public service, including leadership roles in the Social Security Administration. Neergaard is dedicated to infrastructure development, youth engagement, and sustainability initiatives.

President, Office of Electronic Communications, Poland

Scientist and manager with many years of experience. Associated with the Wroclaw University of Science and Technology and the Wroclaw Centre for Networking and Supercomputing. Author of many scientific publications.

His professional interests focus on technical, economic and legal aspects of telecommunications services and data communication networks, as well as on the development of the Internet, the convergence of telecommunications, information technology and media, and the problems of the information society.

D​irector, Telecommunication Standardization Bureau, ITU

Seizo Onoe took office as Director of the Telecommunication Standardization Bureau (TSB) at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) on 1 January 2023.

Known in the industry as “the father of LTE” (Long-Term Evolution mobile broadband), he now aims for global outreach to bridge standardization gaps, deliver the benefits of technology widely and speedily, and ensure meaningful and affordable broadband access for everyone. Before his election as TSB Director by ITU Member States, he completed an over 30-year career with Japanese mobile operator NTT DOCOMO. In 2021, he became Executive Vice President and Chief Standardization Strategy Officer for NTT Corporation and a Fellow of NTT DOCOMO. From 2017, he served as NTT DOCOMO’s Chief Technology Architect and President of its subsidiary DOCOMO Technology. From 2012 to 2017, he served as NTT DOCOMO’s Chief Technology Officer and Executive Vice President, a Member of the Board of Directors, and Managing Director of R&D Innovation Division. Earlier, he served as Senior Vice President and Managing Director of NTT DOCOMO’s R&D Strategy Department and Managing Director of the company’s Radio Network Development Department. Mr Onoe holds a Master’s degree in electronics from the Kyoto University Graduate School of Engineering.

Advisor to the Minister of the Government of Moscow and the Head of the Department of Information Technologies of Moscow (DIT)

Dmitry Ontoev took office as Advisor to the Minister of the Department of Information Technologies (DIT) of the Moscow Government in 2023. At DIT he is responsible for Smart City strategy, coordination between federal and regional executive authorities and international digitalization cooperation.

Prior to that since 2018 to 2023 he served as the Deputy Head and then Head of the Analytical Directorate at DIT. In 2016-2018 he headed Project and Analysis Section of the Department of Multilateral Economic Cooperation and Special Projects at the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation. Since 2014 to 2016 he was responsible for international and regional research of the Institute for Emerging Market Studies of the Moscow School of Management SKOLKOVO. In 2010-2014 he was in charge of government relations in Russian media outlets, including Russia Beyond the Headlines and RIA Novosti News Agency.

He is awarded with Letters of Appreciation by the Mayor of Moscow and Minister of Economic Development the Russian Federation; has several Certificates of Gratitude from DIT and the Moscow Government.

Minister, Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation, Ghana

Mrs Ursula Owusu-Ekuful (MP) has been a pivotal figure in Ghana’s digital transformation, serving as the Minister for Communications and Digitalisation since January 2017. She has been a Commissioner of the Broadband Commission since 2019 and a Partner2Connect Focus Area Leader for Connecting people everywhere.

Notably, Mrs Owusu-Ekuful chaired the World Telecommunication Policy Forum 2021 (WTPF-21) and co-chaired the Africa Union and European Union Digital Economy Task Force launched in 2018. She has addressed prestigious global events such as the 2022 Global Standardization Symposium, the 2022 International Telecommunication Union Plenipotentiary Conference, the 2023 Transform Africa Summit, the 2023 Digital Transformation Conference, the 2023 SDG Digital Conference, and the maiden Berlin Global Dialogue.

Mrs Ursula Owusu-Ekuful had a rich professional background, including serving as the Managing Director of Western Telecommunications (WESTEL) Ltd. and a Managing Consultant with N. U. Consult Legal—Governance and Gender Consultants.

Mrs Ursula Owusu-Ekuful is a member of the Ghana Bar Association, an Executive Member of the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) Ghana, and a member of the African Women Lawyers Association (AWLA), Ghana.

Vice President of Wireless Communications, Rohde & Schwarz

In his role as Vice President of the Market Segment Wireless Communications, Alexander Pabst is responsible for driving the strategic direction of the wireless technology product range at Rohde & Schwarz.

Alexander has more than 25 years of experience in the wireless industry. After spending some years in sales, he joined Rohde & Schwarz to work in various product management and business development positions. Before his current role he was Vice President of the systems group within the test & measurement division, launching a full range of 5G over-the-air test solutions.

Alexander represents global test & measurement vendors in the board of the Global Certification Forum, GCF. He holds a degree in physics from the University of Bonn.

Secretary General, Governorate of Vatican City State

Sister Raffaella Petrini, a member of the Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist religious congregation, was appointed as Secretary General of the Governorate of Vatican City State by Pope Francis in November 2021.

A native of Rome, Italy, Sr. Petrini holds a degree in political science from the Libera Università Internazionale degli Studi Sociali Guido Carli (LUISS), a master’s degree in Organizational Behavior from the University of Hartford, and a doctorate from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (the Angelicum) in Rome.

She has served as an official at the Vatican Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples since 2005. Since 2022, she is also a member of the Dicastery for Bishops, the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See (APSA), and the Labor Office of the Holy See (ULSA). She is a Board member of the Faculty of Social Sciences at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas, where she is an Associate Professor of Welfare Economics.

Chairman & Managing Director of BSNL and MTNL

Shri A Robert J Ravi, Chairman & Managing Director of BSNL and MTNL, is an Indian Telecommunication Services officer with 34 years of experience. He holds an MBA in international business from Pondicherry University and is a Gold Medalist in Electronics and Communication Engineering from Pondicherry Engineering College. He has held positions of strategic. national and international importance in the telecom sector .

Prior to BSNL, he has served in several senior positions such as Deputy Director General Telecom, CTO of the Tamil Nadu State Government, Advisor (QoS) to TRAI, and Senior Advisor, ICT, Government of Uganda. He has extensive experience and expertise in Telecom domain, which includes designing and implementing the first FTTH system, the first OTN, and the largest FTTD in the Middle East (Kuwait). He also led the project for capturing RG coverage across India and successfully established emergency communications using drones and balloons. His leadership in creating the consumer portal for The Telecom Analytics for Fraud Management & Consumer Protection underscores his commitment to consumer centricity. He is one of the key thought leaders at DoT on upcoming technologies such as 6G, Artificial Intelligence, 5G Intelligent villages.

Shri A Robert J Ravi has been instrumental in policy-level interventions aimed at transforming India’s telecom landscape and development of telecom networks.

His contributions have earned him numerous national and international accolades, including the Vishisht Sanchar Seva Padak from BSNL and the Excellence in Work Appreciation Award from Uganda. He has published several papers in national and international journals and has a patent pending for an emergency response system related to movement tracking.  

Chair of the Board, Brazilian Association of Internet and Telecommunications Providers (Abrint), Brazil (Federative Republic of)

Cristiane is a highly qualified professional with dual degrees in Law and Economics from the University of São Paulo/Brazil, with further specialization in Business Law and Digital Law from Harvard’s Berkman Klein Center. She also holds a Master’s degree in International Relations from Unicamp – University of Campinas/Brazil. Her academic background is in Political Science and International Political Economy.

Professionally, she is the director of operations and legal director of the Netserv, a Brazilian internet service provider. She has extensive experience in telecommunications regulatory policy and tax policies both in Brazil and internationally and was appointed by the President of Brazil to serve on Anatel’s Advisory Board, representing Telecommunications Service Providers, and served as its President from 2021 to 2023. Currently, she leads the Administrative Counsel of Abrint, Brazil’s largest Internet Service Providers Association, and serves on the Advisory Board of LAC-ISP. She has contributed to studies and public policy analyses for organizations like the ITU, OECD, and UNESCO.

Minister of Communications and Development of North Eastern Region, India

Mr. Jyotiraditya M. Scindia has been recently appointed as the Union Minister of Communications; and Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), Government of India. He is a six-term Member of Parliament, which includes five terms in the Lok Sabha (2002-04, 2004-09, 2009-14, 2014-19, 2024-2029), and one term in the Rajya Sabha (2020-2024) representing the state of Madhya Pradesh. During the Lok Sabha 2024 elections and Vidhan Sabha 2023 elections, he was appointed as the star campaigner for Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the state of Madhya Pradesh. He is also the Member of the BJP Election Management Committee and the Core Committee of BJP in Madhya Pradesh.

From 2014 to 2020 he was the Member of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) and from 2019-2020 as the General Secretary of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) he took charge for Uttar Pradesh West. From 2014-2019, he was appointed as Chief Whip of Congress in the Lok Sabha and also served as the Chairman of the Election Campaign Committee during the 2013 and 2018 Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections.

Mr. Scindia began his journey in public service in 2002. In his tenure as the Union Minister of Civil Aviation and Steel (from 2021 to 2024), Mr. Scindia played an instrumental role in incorporating substantial improvements in the aviation sector, enhancing connectivity and infrastructure across the country. His tenure saw initiatives aimed at modernizing airports and increasing accessibility to remote areas, thereby boosting economic growth and tourism. As Minister of Steel, Mr. Scindia has been pivotal in driving policies that strengthen the steel industry, ensuring it remains competitive on the global scale and contributes robustly to India’s economic framework. He also made dedicated efforts to boost the green steel sector in India.

From 2007-2009, he served as the Minister of State for Telecommunications, Posts and IT; from 2009-2012 as the Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, and then, from 2012-2014 as Minister of Power (Independent Charge). Mr. Scindia’s tenure as Minister of State for Telecommunications, Posts and IT ushered in the transformational Project Arrow that modernized the Indian post offices through new branding and IT-enabled procedures. In his tenure as Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, he successfully brought down transaction costs in Indian exports at various levels – right from the stage of production to the end customer. Additionally, as Minister of Power (Independent Charge), he led the establishment of a unified transmission grid network i.e. One Nation One Grid with a 6-sigma reliability system, linkages for power plants, and resolved last-mile distribution issues in collaboration with State Governments. Mr. Scindia has also been a member of Parliamentary Committees on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports; Defence; Finance; Home and External Affairs.

Mr. Scindia completed his schooling from the Doon School, Dehradun. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Harvard University, USA and an MBA degree from the Graduate School of Business, Stanford University, USA. Besides, Mr. Scindia has also worked at the United Nations, and as an investment banker at Morgan Stanley and Merrill Lynch.

Apart from his political roles, Mr Scindia is passionate about education. He is currently serving as the President of the Board of Governors at the Scindia School (Gwalior), Madhav Institute of Technology & Sciences (Gwalior), and Samrat Ashok Technological Institute (Vidisha). He is also a Board Member for Scindia Kanya School (Gwalior) and Saraswati Sishu Mandir (Gwalior).

With an avid interest in cricket, he has served as the Member of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), and as the Chairman of the Finance Committee and Member of the Disciplinary Committee of BCCI. For two years from 2014-16, he was the Member of the Governing Council for the Indian Premier League (IPL). He has acted as the Former President and Chairman of the Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association (MPCA) and also represented MPCA in the BCCI.

Minister of State for Communications and Rural Development, India

Dr. Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar is a graduate of Osmania Medical College in Hyderabad, India. He ranked 27th out of 60,000 students who took the EAMCET medical school entrance examination, one of the most competitive examinations in the country. He completed his residency in internal medicine at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, Pennsylvania, and obtained the highest percentile scores in most board examinations. During his postgraduate training, he represented the state of Pennsylvania in a national medical knowledge competition for 2 years. He then worked at Johns Hopkins University – Sinai Hospital for about 5 years as an attending physician, teaching residents and medical students.

He is also the founder of UWord, an online learning platform for high stakes competitive exams in the US. In 2020, he won the Ernst and Young Award of “Entrepreneur of the Year” in the US. Also, he is a member of Forbes Business Council.

Dr. Pemmasani has worked in a free medical clinic providing care to uninsured/underinsured patients in the Indian community of Dallas. In India, he helped provide free and clean water to residents of the Palnadu in the Guntur district, for over 10 years, and donated land for a community hall in his father’s village. He has also provided educational funding to a number of children and adults besides giving charitable donations to local community organizations. In addition, through the CSR and foundation activities, he continues the philanthropic activities focusing on education, global crisis, and service basic needs. Dr Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar joined Telegu Desam Party (TDP) in year 2013 to serve the common people. He has been elected as Member of Parliament from Guntur Lok Sabha constituency in 2024. For more details, please visit website www.drpemmasani.com

Executive President, National Telecommunication Regulatory Authority, Egypt

Eng. Mohamed Shamroukh serves as the Executive President of the National Telecom Regulatory Authority (NTRA) of Egypt since 15 April 2024.

He was the Senior Vice President of Telecom Egypt for financial affairs since 2017 and board member in Telecom Egypt in 2016, representing the government. His experience in the executive management of Telecom Egypt comes up to more than 20 years, namely in technical, operational, strategic and financial areas within the organization.

During his time in Telecom Egypt, Eng. Shamroukh’s set out and developed the financial strategy of the company to adapt with the organization’s fully-fledged transformation. He played a major role in devising the first long-term strategy for Telecom Egypt as well as an action plan for the organization including the license to provide mobile services.

Furthermore, Eng. Shamroukh helped maximize the utilization of the organization’s investing assets, securing future revenues as well as restructuring and reinforcing financial operations to become more flexible and cope with the ongoing developments. His efforts also contributed to enhance the organization’s capital to achieve agility and encounter challenges at the financial level. He also established procedures to support and save operational costs, and consequently launch cost-rationalization initiatives.

Eng. Shamroukh also represented Telecom Egypt in the board of companies such as “Vodafone Egypt”, “WE Data” and “Xceed.”

He holds an MBA Degree from IESE and a Bachelor’s degree in Electronic Engineering and Electrical Telecommunications from Cairo University.

Global Technical Compliance Officer, Universal Robots

Roberta Nelson Shea is a trailblazer in automation safety and the Global Technical Compliance Officer at Universal Robots, a leading collaborative robotics company. With over 45 years of experience, she has made significant strides in product compliance and risk management, shaping the global standards that keep collaborative robotics safe and effective.

Roberta’s expertise has earned her numerous accolades, including the prestigious 2023 Joseph F. Engelberger Award, known as the “Nobel Prize of Robotics.” Her dedication to safety is further recognized by her leadership roles, such as Chair Emeritus of A3 Standardization and her pivotal 23-year tenure as Chair of the US Robot Safety Committee.

A distinguished alumna of Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Roberta holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering and a Masters in Advanced Safety Engineering and Management from the University of Alabama Birmingham. Before joining Universal Robots, she led safety initiatives at Rockwell and held key positions at Symbotic, AMT, Pilz USA, and P&G. Roberta’s influence extends across multiple national and international safety standards bodies, making her a leading authority in robotic safety and a key figure in Universal Robots’ mission to create automation for anyone, anywhere.

Chair, ICANN Board of Directors

Tripti Sinha is the Chair of the Board of Directors of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) whose mission is to ensure the stable and secure operation of the Internet’s unique identifier systems. She has over 30 years of experience in Internet technologies, governance and policy, with senior executive roles in technology innovation, operations, financial management, and global collaboration. Sinha is Assistant Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at the University of Maryland (UMD), and the Executive Director of Mid-Atlantic Crossroads (MAX). Her activities include the specification of Artificial Intelligence (AI) optimized High Performance Computing (HPC) resources and research in quantum networking technologies. The National Quantum Laboratory at Maryland (QLab) reports to her, a user facility supporting the development of real-world quantum computing applications and the growth of talent in this evolving field.

Sinha has served on many non-profit and private sector technology corporate and advisory boards. She received her undergraduate degree in computer science from Smith College in Massachusetts, has done graduate work in Computer Science at the University of Maryland, has Executive Education Certificates in Public Leadership and Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School and in Global Innovation Catalyst (GIC) Innovation Execution (iX) Entrepreneurship Program from Stanford University.

Managing Director, Research and Networks Strategy, BT

Gabriela is a global executive with extensive international business experience in the Telecom & IT industry and worked in 12 countries across three continents. She has held executive positions in numerous multinational organisations across functions such as Strategy, Technology, Business, and Sales.

Gabriela is currently the Managing Director, Research and Network Strategy at BT Group, overseeing the functions of Network Strategy, Industry Standards, Technology Research, and Research Commercialisation. In addition, she serves as Board Member of TDC Net, the leading Danish Network Service Provider, and as Board Member of GLEIF, a Swiss foundation established by the G-20 Financial Stability board to increase transparency in financial markets.

Prior to joining BT Group Gabriela held various executive positions such as Chief Strategy Officer at Nokia, Deputy Chief Operating Officer and VP Head of Network Services at Telia Company, VP Head of Networks and TI Labs at Telecom Italia, and numerous positions at Ericsson spanning across Technology and Business.

She holds a dipl. in Power Engineering from Sweden, a Master in Business Administration from University of Durham, UK, and a Master in International Affairs with specialism in Cybersecurity, Espoinage and Intelligence from King’s College London, UK.

Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, Skylo Technologies

Parth Trivedi is CEO and Co-Founder of Skylo Technologies. Skylo is a software-defined global service operator, connecting cellular devices directly over satellites, ensuring that you never lose coverage. Skylo’s focus is on enabling connected services for people outdoors and connected workflows for machines at work across critical industries such as agriculture, defense, maritime, logistics, mining, and others, in addition to consumer cellular devices. Skylo is backed by Innovation Endeavors, Intel, Samsung, BMW, Boeing, Next47, Seraphim, Softbank Group, DCM, and Moore Strategic Ventures.

Trained as an aerospace engineer, Parth has led various missions and aerospace projects at MIT sponsored by the US Department of Defense, Air Force Research Laboratory, NASA, Lockheed Martin, and the Federal Aviation Administration. He was nominated to the US delegation task force to the UN technical body on global aviation (ICAO). Parth and his co-founders conceived of Skylo at Stanford University, where he was co-leading research in the Space Systems Development Lab, and later spun the company out as an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Innovation Endeavors.

Parth has a BS in Aerospace Engineering from Purdue University with highest distinction, SM in Aerospace Engineering from MIT, and MBA from Stanford University Graduate School of Business.

Chief Technology Officer, European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI)

Dr. Issam Toufik is the CTO of ETSI and Head of the 3GPP Mobile Competence Centre (MCC). He has more than 20 years of experience in the mobile communications sector, 14 of which are within the ETSI and 3GPP.  He was active for more than a decade in the 3GPP Radio Access Network (RAN) groups. As CTO of ETSI, he is responsible for all the operational aspects of ETSI’s standards development activities. He is also responsible for the operations of the 3GPP Project Co-ordination Group and heads 3GPPs’ Mobile Competence Centre (MCC) which is an international team of 22 experts that provides comprehensive support to the Project.

Chief Executive Officer and Chairman Project Board at Centre for Development of Telematics & Chair of GSS-24

Dr. Rajkumar Upadhyay is CEO of Centre for Developments of Telematics(C-DOT), a premier R&D Centre of Ministry of Communications, Government of India. His previous assignments include working with Prasar Bharati, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) and in Defence R&D Organization. He has also been the Chairman of the working group on ‘Policy and Regulation for South Asian Regulators Council (SATRC) during 2011-12.

Currently, he is a Governing Council Member of Telecom Standards Development Society India, Broadband India Forum, Telecom Export Promotion Council, Telecom Centre of Excellence and founding member of ‘Bharat 6G Alliance’. He is also the member of National Committee on Electronics Manufacturing and National Committee on Telecom and Broadband of Confederation of Indian Industry.

He is the winner of several awards including: J.C. Bose award by Ministry of Defense, National e-Governance award by Government of India, CIO 100 award by International Data Group (IDG), Deepak C. Jain Award by IIM Bangalore.  Under his leadership, C-DOT has won various awards namely Voice Data “Telecom Person of the Year”, IETECorporate Award for Telecommunication, ELCINA Award for Innovation in R&D Category, 12th Annual Aegis Graham Bell Awards across three categories for Disaster Management, Secure Messaging & Calling Solution and Covid Quarantine Alert System (CQAS), ELCINA Defennovation Awards for innovation in Defence and many more.

Dr Upadhyay holds Ph.D. in Corporate Strategy & Policy and MBA from IIM Bangalore & M.Tech. from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Roorkee.

Senior Researcher, Rakuten Mobile

Leon Wong is a senior researcher at Rakuten Mobile and Rakuten Institute of Technology. He holds the role of industry research collaboration lead for the Research & Innovation Lab, dedicated to the research and realization of autonomous networking.

He has over 15 years of experience in IT & telecommunication industry working in various roles such as Engineering Lead, Solution Architect, and Subject Matter Expert in Operation Support System. Prior to taking the role in Rakuten Mobile, he built the High-Performance Computing GPU cluster for Rakuten Group and engaged in research development activities with Rakuten Institute of Technology.

He served as chairman of ITU-T Focus Group of Autonomous Networks (FG-AN), co-chair of TTC Autonomous Network Ad Hoc Group (AN-AH), and Co-convener of ITU Correspondence Group AI for 6G/AI Native for Telecommunication Networks. He is one of the main editors for Autonomous Networks related Recommendations, notably ITU-T Y.3061 – Autonomous Networks – Architecture Framework.

Corporate Senior Executive Vice President and Co-COO, NEC, Japan

Masakazu Yamashina is an innovative leader in Social Infrastructure Business including Telecom Services Business and Aerospace and National Security Business as Corporate Senior Executive Vice President and Co-COO (Executive Officer) since April, 2023. During this time, Yamashina has driven Telecom Service business’s transformation to redefine its business direction successfully and Aerospace and National Security business for dynamic expansion aligned with recent strong needs for national security. As a leader of Social Infrastructure business, he committed to make the business further grow to deliver benefits to businesses and people around the world. 

Previously, from 2016 till 2023, he served as Executive Vice President, to lead Public Infrastructure business and Global Safety business worldwide, where Yamashina led strategic M&As consecutively to establish and keep growing NEC’s presence in the global public and financial infrastructure domains.   

Before 2023, Yamashina also held various leadership roles in system platform business as well as NEC’s personal solutions business, where he collaborated with key global partners, while managing business development initiatives with his 20 years strong R&D background, specializing in architecture and circuit design of high performance LSI. 

 Yamashina is an IEEE fellow and holds a phD in Engineering, from Graduate School of Tokyo Institute of Technology. 

Executive Director, Linux Foundation

Jim Zemlin’s career spans three of the largest technology trends to rise over the last decade: mobile computing, cloud computing, and open source software. Today, as executive director of The Linux Foundation, he uses this experience to accelerate innovation in technology through the use of open source and Linux.

At The Linux Foundation, Jim works with the world’s largest technology companies, including IBM, Intel, Google, Samsung, Qualcomm, and others to help define the future of computing on the server, in the cloud, and on a variety of mobile computing devices. His work at the vendor-neutral Linux Foundation gives him a unique and aggregate perspective on the global technology industry.

Jim has been recognized for his insights on the changing economics of the technology industry, and he is a regular keynote speaker at industry events. He advises a variety of startups, including Splashtop, and sits on the boards of the Global Economic Symposium, Open Source For America, and Chinese Open Source Promotion Union.