2020 Speakers

Abdoulaye SENE is the President of the Organizing committee and Executive Secretary of the 9th World Water Forum "Dakar 2021". He is the founding President of the International Reflection Group "Global Local Forum", former President of the Regional Council of the Fatick Region (2002-2009), former Deputy and President of the Commission on Development and Spatial Planning of the National Assembly of Senegal (2007-2012), in charge of the water, energy, environment and sustainable development sectors in particular.
Abdoulaye SENE, was from 2013 to 2017, Chairman of the Board of Directors of SOGEM/OMVS (in charge of the management of hydroelectric dams of the Organization for the Development of the Senegal River). He was Senior Technical Advisor to the Minister of Mines, Energy and Hydraulics of Senegal (2001-2002), Head of the Mission for the Study and Development of Fossil Valleys (1994-2000), Director of Rural Engineering and Hydraulics of Senegal (1990-1994), Director of the Maintenance and Care of Hydraulic Works (1984-1990).
He was a member of various Boards of Directors of national, sub-regional and international institutions working in the water, rural development, environment and decentralization sectors.
Abdoulaye SENE, is a Civil Engineering Engineer (École Polytechnique Thiès, 1978), specialized in hydraulics (Master's degree from École Polytechnique de Montréal, 1981).
He has provided various national and international courses, conferences, consultations and expertise in the fields of water, rural development, decentralization, climate change and governance.

After spending 10 years in the UK, Mr. Poonawalla returned in 2001 and joined the family business. At that stage, Serum Institute of India was in about 20-30 countries. With a push on exports and a passion to travel to expand in other countries, he expanded the business to 147 countries today and took over from his father in 2011 as CEO launching a number of new vaccines for preventable diseases that protect children’s lives today. In 2012, he founded The Villoo Poonawalla Charitable Foundation along with his wife in memory of his late mother, Villoo, to address education, healthcare and sanitation. Today 500 Kms of roads, half the city of Pune, is covered using 250 trucks and 450 full time employees picking up and processing the city waste. Waste and garbage has a major environmental impact and creates a false image of a backward India to foreign visitors, dignitaries and public at large. We are on the brink of disaster when it comes to urban cities which are growing at an exponential rate in population and their waste. His ultimate vision is to do what is done in US and Europe whereby waste is converted to electricity / energy. Today we burn our garbage which is obviously terrible from all angles or let it seep into the ground and into our water system because of landfills, polluting our river.

Adelaide has been the Chief Director for the Ministry of the Interior, Ghana since 2014. She is an educationist, public servant, a lawyer by profession and also holds an Executive Masters in Consultancy and Project Management (EMCP) from the Paris Graduate School of Management, France. She proactive, principled, industrious and an effective team player and a role model to young ladies.
Mrs. ANNO-KUMI is an advocate for women empowerment, child development and security related issues.

Since April 2012, Admassu Tadesse is the 4^th President and CEO of the Eastern and Southern Africa Trade and Development Bank. Prior, he was Executive Vice-President, International Finance and Strategy, at the Development Bank of Southern Africa, where he served from 2002 to 2012. He previously served as an Economist and Specialist by various international funds and Development agencies.

Agnes Soucat, MD, PhD is the WHO Director of Health systems Governance and Financing. Previously the World Bank Global Lead on Health, Nutrition and Population then the Human Development Director for the African Development Bank, she also held leadership positions at UNAIDS, UNICEF and the EC.

Ajay Banga is chief executive officer of Mastercard and a member of its board of directors. He will become executive chairman of the board of directors on January 1, 2021.
Ajay is a co-founder of The Cyber Readiness Institute, chairman of the International Chamber of Commerce and a trustee of the United States Council for International Business. Ajay is a founding trustee of the U.S.-India Strategic Partnership Forum and a member of the U.S.-India CEO Forum.

Alex Soros is deputy chair of the Open Society Foundations, the world’s largest private funder of independent groups working for justice, democratic governance, and human rights. He received his PhD in 2018 from the University of California, Berkeley, and was a Post-Doctoral Fellow at the Hannah Arendt Center for Politics and the Humanities at Bard College. His writing has appeared in The New York Times, the Guardian, the New York Daily News, Reuters, Politico, and the Miami Herald, among other publications.

Alok Sharma is COP President Designate of the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP26, to be held in Glasgow in November 2021. He is also Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. Alongside COP26, his role brings together responsibilities for business, industrial strategy, science, innovation, energy and tackling climate change.

Named President of the Basketball Africa League (BAL), Africa’s new professional league featuring 12 club teams from across the continent, led by the NBA and the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), Amadou Gallo Fall is leading the league’s upcoming launch and defining its vision and strategy.  Prior to his current role, Fall was Vice President and Managing Director of NBA Africa.

Ambroise is responsible for climate action and environment, development policy, and oversees EIB activities in France, Germany, and countries in Africa. He spent most of his career in various positions at the French Treasury Department and at the IMF and World Bank before moving to EIB.

Andrea Meza is an expert in sustainable development with more than 20 years of experience in formulating public policies and executing projects. Between 2015 and 2020, she served as the country’s Director of Climate Change, where she led the creation of the National Decarbonization Plan.

Elected as only the IPC’s third ever President in 2017, Andrew has been an IPC Governing Board Member since 2009. In addition to being IPC Vice President between 2013 and 2017, he served as President of the Brazilian Paralympic Committee from 2009 to 2017 with great success. He was elected an IOC member in 2018.

Mr. Anil Kishora is Vice President and CRO of NDB. Mr. Anil Kishora had worked in India’s largest bank, the State Bank of India (SBI) for about 38 years. During his long career, Mr. Anil Kishora had exposure to all areas of SBI operations. Before joining the NDB, he worked as Deputy Managing Director & CRO of SBI, being responsible for managing SBI Group’s operational, market, credit, cyber, information security and other risks. Prior to that, Mr. Anil Kishora served as Deputy Managing Director/ Chief General Manager, SBI Local Head Office, Chandigarh, India and CEO of SBI in Singapore. He has also been a Council Member of Association of Banks in Singapore, a board member of IACPM, New York, and director on the boards of Macquarie SBI Infrastructure Management Pte. Ltd. and Macquarie SBI Infrastructure Trustee Ltd.

Anne-Marie Slaughter is the CEO of New America and the Bert G. Kerstetter ’66 University Professor Emerita of Politics and International Affairs at Princeton University. From 2009-2011 she served as the director of Policy Planning for the United States Department of State, the first woman to hold that position. Prior to her government service, Dr. Slaughter was the Dean of Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs (formerly the Woodrow Wilson School) from 2002–2009 and the J. Sinclair Armstrong Professor of International, Foreign, and Comparative Law at Harvard Law School from 1994-2002. She has written or edited seven books, including “The Chessboard and the Web: Strategies of Connection in a Networked World”, “Unfinished Business: Women Men Work Family”, and “The Idea That Is America: Keeping Faith with Our Values in a Dangerous World. She is also a frequent contributor to a number of publications, including The Atlantic, the Financial Times, and Project Syndicate. In 2012, she published “Why Women Still Can’t Have It All,” in The Atlantic, which quickly became one of the most read articles in the history of the magazine and helped spark a renewed national debate on the continued obstacles to genuine full male-female equality. She is married to Professor Andrew Moravcsik; they have two sons.

Having joined Canada’s bilateral development finance institution (DFI) in 2018, she is responsible for the implementation of its Development Impact Framework and Gender Equality Strategy. She is a former Chair of the 2X Challenge, a DFI initiative aiming to mobilize unprecedented amounts of capital to invest in women.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan was appointed as the UK International Champion on Adaptation and Resilience for the COP26 Presidency on 7 November 2020. Previously Anne-Marie was the Secretary of State for International Development from February to September 2020. She was Minister of State for the Armed Forces from 17 December 2019 to 13 February 2020, and Minister for Defence Procurement from 27 July 2019 to 16 December 2019. Anne-Marie was first elected as Member of Parliament (MP) for the Berwick-upon-Tweed constituency at the 2015 general election. A chartered accountant by trade, Anne-Marie sat on the House of Commons’ Public Accounts Committee from July 2015 to May 2017 and December 2018 to July 2019. She has previously served as the Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Defence. As an MP, she has campaigned with colleagues for greater autism awareness and has focussed on the Armed Forces Covenant. Her wider interests involve spending time with her family, making the most of the incredible landscape her vast and varied constituency affords and putting her passion for singing to good use by taking part in Singing for Syrians concerts in Westminster.

Antonella Baldino is the Chief International Development Finance Officer of Cassa Depositi e Prestiti, the Italian National Promotional Institution. She gained extensive experience in corporate and investment banking, focusing on infrastructure, public and development finance, in primary financial institutions in Italy and abroad. She served as
member of the Senior Advisory Board at the Ministry of Finance. Antecedently, she gained experience at the World Bank and UNCTAD. Board member of strategic players such as Terna, FINTECNA and The Marguerite Fund.

Born and raised in Mauritius, a paradise in the Indian Ocean where my grandfather was
the first Prime Minister at the independence of the country. I grew up in a cosmopolitan and English & French speaking island, where I studied in a very successful educational system, based on the British model. As far as I am concerned, I am completely bilingual in English & French but I also speak Hindi, Mauritian creole and some Italian.

With this versatile background, innate curiosity and constant quest of discovering the
world and other cultures, I went to Europe to pursue my higher education. I graduated
both from the Cambridge University, and a Masters in Economics and Business
Management from Sorbonne University, in Paris.

Today, I'm an Entrepreneur, Television Journalist and Emcee with a background in
Sustainability, Economics, Finance and Politics. You can watch my shows "Sustainable
Energy" on CNBC and Business Africa & Initiative Africa on major international
channels.

I’m also directing and producing those two weekly programmes, ”Business Africa" and
"Initiative Africa" broadcast in fifty countries, highlighting the economic and political news on the African continent.

Besides, I usually cover a wide range of topics but my favourite ones are Sustainable
Development, Business, Economics, Finance, Innovation, Entrepreneurship, Education
and Environment.

Nowadays, I’m also a Lecturer at the ENA (Ecole Nationale d’Administration) and
Sorbonne University.

Before devoting my work full-time to Journalism and Teaching, I’ve worked in Fashion
for major Industry players including l’Oréal, Yves Rocher. Sonia Rykiel, Dior and
Chanel.

Augustin de ROMANET is a graduate of the Institut d’Études Politiques in Paris and of the École Nationale de l’Administration. Previously Chief Executive Officer of Caisse des dépôts et consignations between March 2007 and March 2012, Augustin de Romanet also chaired the Strategic Investment Fund between 2009 and 2012. Prior to that, he served as Deputy Finance Director of Crédit Agricole SA, and as a member of the Executive Committee. Before taking up this position, Mr de Romanet was Deputy Secretary General to the President of the Republic between June 2005 and October 2006, and held responsibilities in various ministerial offices. Between 2002 and 2005, he was chief of staff to Alain Lambert, Deputy Budget Minister, the Deputy Cabinet Director for Francis Mer, Minister for the Economy, Finance and Industry, Cabinet Director for Jean-Louis Borloo, Minister for Employment, Labour and Social Cohesion, and lastly, Deputy Cabinet Director for Jean-Pierre Raffarin, Prime Minister. Augustin de Romanet, appointed Chairman and CEO of Aéroports de Paris by Decree dated 29 November 2012. He is also Chairman of the Groupe ADP Corporate Foundation. As regards his other mandates, Augustin de Romanet is a director of Régie Autonome des Transports Parisiens (RATP), a public industrial and commercial establishment and, since 2016, a member of the Supervisory Board of the Cercle des Économistes SAS and since 2017 has been Chairman of the Board of Directors of the public establishment of the national estate of Chambord (France). Senior Independent Director of the European listed company, SCOR, he is a member of the Compensation Committee, the Strategic Committee, the Crisis Management Committee and the Corporate Social Responsibility committee. Augustin de Romanet is a Knight of the Legion of Honour, and has been awarded the French National Defence Medal. Since 14 July 2018 he has been the Chairman of Paris Europlace, the organization in charge of promoting and developing the Paris financial marketplace.

Mr. Ayman is highly accomplished financial industry leader. He served as CEO of Ibdar Bank BSC, Bank Alkhair, Barclays Capital Saudi Arabia and as the Chairman of Open-Silicon, Inc and Bahrain Financing Company Group as well as a Board member of Unicorn Bahrain. He has in-depth knowledge and more than 24 years’ experience in investment and corporate banking in the local, regional and international markets.

Aziz Mebarek has co-founded in 94 AfricInvest a leading Pan African PE/VC and Debt Fund Manager. From 91 to 94 he was General Manager of two industrial companies affiliate of the Italian conglomerate ILVA. Aziz is co-founder of the African PE/VC Association (AVCA)  and member of “ Conseil d’Analyses Economiques, Tunisia”. He is graduate from Ecole des Ponts ParisTech.

Mr. Ban served two terms as the Secretary-General of the United Nations (2007-2016), working closely with member states, on behalf of the world’s most vulnerable people, to shape the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement. He is the Chair of the Board of the Global Center on Adaptation, an international organization acting as a solutions broker for adaptation action.

H.E. Dr. Bandar M.H. Hajjar has been President of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) since 2016. Through his forward-looking program, Dr. Hajjar envisages the IsDB, an AAA-rated multilateral development bank based in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, as a bank of developers playing the role of catalyst for development through sustained global partnerships and innovation-driven value chain-based approach.

Benoît Miribel has chaired the French Foundations Center (CFF) since June 2015. He is also Secretary General of the foundation “One Sustainable Health for All” (June 2020). He has joined Institut Mérieux as Vice-President for Global Health in 2019, prior to which he served for 12 years as the Director General of Fondation Mérieux (infectious diseases). He has been the Honorary Chairman of Action against Hunger (ACF), an NGO that he chaired and managed (2003-2013). Founder of VICLEST Consultant.

Psychiatrist and explorer Bertrand Piccard made history by accomplishing two aeronautical firsts - flying around the world non-stop in a balloon, and more recently in a solar-powered plane without
fuel. He has long pioneered the thinking that ecology should be considered through the lens of profitability and that clean technologies are the market opportunity of the century. His current challenge, as Chairman of the Solar Impulse Foundation, is to identify 1000 profitable solutions to protect the environment and support clean growth.

Bertrand Braunschweig began his career in the oil industry as a researcher in systems dynamics and artificial intelligence. He then joined IFP Energies Nouvelles to lead research in AI and coordinate international projects on interoperability standards. He spent five years at ANR as head of the ICT department, then joined Inria in 2011 to head the Rennes research centre, then the Saclay research centre. From the end of 2018 to September 2020 he coordinated the research component of the national AI strategy. He is currently director of the Paris centre of expertise of the Global Partnership for Artificial Intelligence.
Bertrand Braunschweig is an ENSIIE engineer, PhD from Paris Dauphine University and Habilitation from Pierre and Marie Curie University.

Bindi is incredibly passionate about all things startup in Europe and is focused on advising and connecting across four core Innovation pillars (Corporate, Startup, VC Managing Partners, Government) for commercial success. She has worked in and around technology startups for most of her career. As a Consultant (PwC Consulting), as a Corporate (Microsoft BizSpark /Ventures), as a Startup employee (Trayport), as an Advisor (Startup Europe, TechStars Startup Weekend, Tech London Advocates, European Innovation Council, WEF), as a Connector (GQ UK, the IoD and Evening Standard have all recognised this) and as their Banker (Silicon Valley Bank). Finally, she is also a Venture Partner at Draper Esprit, a large European VC.

Bruno Wenn was Chair of DEG’s Management Board from 2009 to 2018. Prior to that he worked for KfW Bankengruppe, leading notably the Regional Division for sub-Saharan Africa. 
He serves on several Boards of Directors of business associations for Africa and foundations for entrepreneurial development.

Bruno Le Maire is a French politician and diplomat. He currently holds since July 2020 the position of Minister for the Economy, Finance and Recovery in Jean Castex’s government. He had been Minister for the Economy and Finance since the election of President Macron in May 2017. An alumnus of the École normale supérieure, holder of a higher degree (agrégation) in French language and literature, graduate of Sciences Po Paris and former student at the École nationale d'administration (ENA), Bruno Le Maire began his career as Foreign Affairs Adviser at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (known as the Quai d'Orsay).

Camille joined Business for Inclusive Growth (B4IG) as CEO of the coalition last June. Prior to that, Camille held positions in the French administration (Deputy Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister, Ministry of the Interior), at Publicis Group (co-President and General Secretary of advertising sales business companies), and in consulting (Partner at Brunswick), before founding and leading a GovTech startup. She is a graduate of the Ecole Normale Supérieure, ENA, and Sciences Po.

Lawyer by profession, politician by choice, and conservationist at heart, Carlos Manuel Rodriguez was elected as CEO and Chairperson of the Global Environment Facility in June 2020.  The former three-time Costa Rican Environment and Energy Minister was a pioneer in the development of Payment for Ecosystem Services initiatives and strategies for forest restoration, ocean conservation, and decarbonization, and is an internationally recognized expert on environmental policy, multilateral environmental negotiations, and financing for nature conservation.  After his second tenure as Minister, Rodriguez was Vice President for Global Policy at Conservation International for 12 years, working in 30 tropical countries in Central and South America, Africa, and Southeast Asia.

Carolina Guimarães is à social scientist and urbanist from Brazil with an extensive international background. She currently coordinates the Sao Paulo policy and advocacy program at Sustainable Cities Institute, the Rede Nossa Sao Paulo. She previously worked at Cities Alliance and UN-Habitat supporting cities with sustainable urban development, also had the opportunity to work at the European Commission and with Canadian International Development Agency. She also counts with consulting, ngo and private sector experience. She was a fellow at the Global Governance Program focusing on Cities Governance. She holds a master in international cooperation and urban development and à bachelor in Economics and Political Sciences from Germany and Canada respectively.

Caroline Vuillemin has been Director since 2017 of Fondation Hirondelle, a Swiss organization that provides information to populations facing crises, to enable them to take action in their daily and civic life. Her career reflects a commitment to international development, in the fields of governance and media. She worked for IFES before joining Hirondelle. Ms. Vuillemin is a graduate of the Institute of Political Studies in Lyon, specializing in International Relations with Georgetown University (Washington, DC).

Casper Klynge is Microsoft’s Vice President for European Government Affairs with responsibility for all of Microsoft’s government affairs and public policy work across the continent. He serves on the senior leadership team of Microsoft’s CELA group. Prior to joining Microsoft, Casper most recently served as Denmark’s (& the world’s first) Ambassador to the global tech industry. Previous posts include: Ambassador to Indonesia, Timor Leste, Papua New Guinea & ASEAN (2014-2017), Ambassador to the Republic of Cyprus (2013-2014), Deputy Head of NATO’s Provincial Reconstruction Team in Helmand Province, Afghanistan & Head of Mission of the EU’s civilian crisis management planning mission in Kosovo (2006-2008). Casper holds a M.Sc. in Political Science and is a 2009 Marshall Memorial Fellow.

Chiara Corazza is the Managing Director of the Women’s Forum for the Economy & Society, the world's leading platform to promote women’s voices, impact and vision.

Previously, she was the Managing Director of the Greater Paris Investment Agency (2002-2017) to attract talents and international investments. As Director of International Affairs of the Greater Paris Region (1985-2002), she created the Metropolis and implemented economic cooperation between 20 global capitals.
Chiara Corazza is member of the European Economic and Social Committee, French Foreign Trade Advisor, French representative in EMPOWER ALLIANCE for the private sector for the G20.

She is member of the Arab International Women’s Forum(AIWF) of the Board of Advisors for OECD and BSR’s Business for Inclusive Growth. She was also member of the board of RATP (2014-2019) and APRIL (2012-2019).

After the G7 2019 under the French Presidency, Chiara Corazza was missioned to provide a national action plan to foster the attractiveness of STEM for girls and women and delivered the report “Women at the heart of Economy”.

Chiara Corazza speaks five languages and holds a PHD in law.

Chiara Corazza was awarded Chevalier de la Légion d’honneur by Minister Christine Lagarde in 2009 and Ufficiale dell’Ordine della Stella d’Italia by President Sergio Mattarella in 2015.

Christina Okello is a British-Ugandan, French-speaking multimedia journalist at Radio France Internationale with a decade’s experience covering international news. Her multicultural background helps her to tackle issues of tolerance. A passionate storyteller, she strives to offer in-depth reports where people are at the heart of the story and can interview guests from all walks of life. Her last assignment was in the United States covering the presidential election where racial justice was a dominant theme.

Christine Ockrent is a columnist and writer based in Paris. She writes regularly on French, European and international issues for various European publications. She has published 16 books and essays – the latest one: “The pandemic and the battle of narratives.” She produces and anchors a weekly radio program on foreign affairs, "Affaires Etrangères", on France Culture public radio. She is a regular contributor to the BBC and other TV and radio networks. Previously she was COO of the French Radio and TV World service (France 24 and RFI). She was also editor in chief of the weekly news magazine, L'Express.

Christophe Deloire became the Secretary General and Executive Director of the NGO Reporters Without Borders (RSF) in 2012. From 2008 to 2012, he was the director of the French leading journalism school CFJ. Before, he worked for the French weekly newsmagazine Le Point from 1998 to 2007, as an investigative reporter at the Society and Politics departments. He previously also worked for the TV channels ARTE and TF1.

Claudia Lopez was elected Mayor of Bogota in October 2019 and started her mandate on the 1st of January 2020. She became the city's first female and also the first openly diverse Mayor in Bogota’s history. She has an emphatic focus on environmental, social and anticorruption issues. Lopez was a Senator of the Republic of Colombia between 2014 and 2018 and the vice-presidential candidate in the 2018 presidential election for the Green Alliance party. As a senator, she set an example in the fight against corruption, with results never seen before, she became a prominent figure in the political arena. The public recognizes her tenacity and enormous capacity for collective action, which led her to make her way into academia and public service, becoming the first woman to be elected by popular vote to Colombia's second most important office. Lopez is a finance and international relations graduate from Universidad Externado de Colombia, holds a master’s degree in Public Administration and Urban Politics from Columbia University and a Ph.D. in Political Science from Northwestern University.

Craig is the founder of craigslist, and currently focuses full time on Craig Newmark Philanthropies. CNP is about protecting values like fairness, respect, and opportunity, and supports people who are effective fighting for those values. It includes support for countering offensive information warfare, countering harassment, and supports people fighting that fight, including veterans and their families.
Craig carries all the dysfunction of the original variety of nerd, motivated that "a nerd's gotta do what a nerd's gotta do."

Dan is UN Women’s Strategic Partnerships Director. He previously worked at Save the Children UK as its first Human Rights Officer and in government as an advisor on child rights to the UK Foreign Secretary.  He joined the UN with UNICEF, working on child protection, gender, and human rights. He was seconded to UN Women in 2010 to support its establishment.

David Zweig is Professor Emeritus of Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. He also teaches in the EMBA and MBA programs at the School of Business Management, HKUST. He lived in Hong Kong since 1996. He was a Postdoctoral Fellow at Harvard and has a Ph.D. from The University of Michigan. He is the author or editor of 10 books, including Internationalizing China: domestic interests and global linkages. His most recent study is “America Challenges China’s National Talent Programs”.

Delphine O is ambassador-at-large and Secretary General for the Generation Equality Forum (Beijing+25), the largest international summit for women’s rights since 1995, convened by UN Women and co-chaired by France and Mexico. She was previously a Member of Parliament and a member of the Foreign Relations Committee.

Denis Simon is Senior Adviser to the President at Duke University. Simon is a thought leader regarding the development of science & technology and higher education. He holds an MA in Asian Studies and PhD in Political Science from UC Berkeley and a BA from the State University of New York. Simon is the author of several books including Corporate Strategies Towards the Pacific Rim; Techno-Security in an Age of Globalization; and China’s Emerging Technological Edge: Assessing the Role of High-End Talent.

Diane Karusisi is the CEO of Bank of Kigali, the largest commercial bank in Rwanda. Under her leadership, she has driven the expansion of BK Group into General Insurance, Investment Banking and Technology. She also served as the Head of Strategy & Policy and Chief Economist at the Office of the President.

Dolika Banda is an independent consultant with extensive experience in capital markets development, managing portfolios of several billion US dollars, often focused on SMEs. She has been serving with Citibank, Barclays, the IFC, CDC Group, the African Union’s African Risk Capacity Insurance Company and as Global Ambassador to the Global Steering Group on Impact Investing (GSG).

E. Tendayi Achiume is the UN Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance. She is Professor of Law at the at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law, and a research associate of the African Center for Migration and Society at the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa. She is also the former Faculty Director of the UCLA Law School Promise Institute for Human Rights.

Edna Jaime has been working in Mexican civil society organizations for more than 30 years where she has promoted public policy transformations in different realms. She is the founder and general director of México Evalúa, a think tank dedicated to analyzing and evaluating public policies related to public expenditure, security, justice and the fight against corruption. In 2019, she was awarded the Medal of the Upper Chamber by the French Senate, for her contribution to strengthening the relationship between Mexico and France.

Edwin Syahruzad is currently the President Director of PT SMI responsible for overseeing the overall operation of the company. Prior to this, he served as the Director of Financing and Investment from 2014 to 2019 after having been the Head of Financing and Investment Division from 2009 to 2014.

Edwin Mulimi is a Special Advisor at the Oslo Center, a graduate in International Relations with eight years of experience in democracy and human rights. In the last 3 years, he has predominantly worked around youth inclusion and meaningful participation in decision making and governance processes at sub-national and national level in Kenya, through Youth Assemblies. Youth Assemblies are gaining traction as effective tool for youth inclusion in good governance and accountable service delivery. He has been a part of the strengthening of Mombasa Youth Assembly recognized by the PPF as one of the solutions for meaningful youth inclusion, and has since led the successful scale up of youth assemblies in two other counties in Kenya namely Kwale and Lamu. The Youth Assemblies not only bridge the gap between governance authorities and the citizens, but also implement the youth affirmative action provision in the Kenyan Constitution 2010.

Eric Lombard was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Caisse des Dépôts Group in December 2017. Between 2013 and 2017, he joined the Generali group as CEO and then Chairman and CEO of Generali France. Prior to this, he was CEO of BNP Paribas Cardif, chairman and CEO then member of BNP Executive Committee.

In his current role as Under-Secretary-General and Special Adviser to the Secretary-General, Mr. Hochschild is coordinating the preparation for the commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the United Nations in 2020. Prior to this, Mr. Hochschild served as Assistant Secretary-General for Strategic Coordination in the Executive Office of the Secretary-General. A graduate of University of Oxford, he started his career in 1988 with UNHCR and served in various UN field missions.

Fatimata Wane is a senior journalist working for France 24, an international news channel based in Paris since 2006. She covers mainly African affairs, including politics, economics and culture. Previously she started her career by joining the investigation cell of Canal+ “90 Minutes” with the awarded French journalist Paul Moreira. Then she worked for various French African press such as Africa International. Since 2006, She has interviewed for France 24, high profile guests, mostly African presidents or artists and covered the most important cultural african events. Since 2018 Fatimata has run a monthly show called “La Grande Palabre” about African concerns from history to culture through politics etc. And she also hosts a weekly segment on african culture in the morning show of France 24. In May 2018 she received an award for “Best TV journalist of the year” as the one who best highlighted the African culture. The prize was given in Paris at the Unesco in May 2018. She is currently presenting the African News bulletin on Fridays, called “Journal de l’Afrique”. In 2019, she founded AAC55 | Action Africa Culture , a panafrican initiative aiming to promote culture made in and made of Africa. AAC55 aspires to establish a multidisciplinary and international network of cultural actors, which is essential for the development of cultural and creative industries. This project will lead to the largest African culture summit in Dakar in December 2021.

Professor Ní Aoláin is currently the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Protection and Promotion of Human Rights while Countering Terrorism (2017-). Previously, she was a representative of the prosecutor at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia at domestic war crimes trials in Bosnia (1996-97). In 2003, she was appointed by the Secretary-General of the United Nations as Special Expert on promoting gender equality in times of conflict and peace-making. In 2011, she was appointed as consultant jointly by the Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights and UN WOMEN to prepare a Study on Reparations for Conflict Related Sexual Violence. Ní Aoláin has been nominated twice (2004 and 2007) by the Irish government to the European Court of Human Rights, the first woman and the first academic lawyer to be thus nominated. She was appointed by the Irish Minister of Justice to the Irish Human Rights Commission in 2000 and served until 2005. She remains an elected member of the Executive Committee for the Belfast-based Committee on the Administration of Justice, and is also a member of the Irish Council for Civil Liberties. She was chair and member of the International Women’s Program Board at the Open Society Foundations (2010-2017).

Fitri is a cyber security project lead and researcher at International Relations Departement of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Indonesia. Broadly, her research focus includes cyber security, peace and mediation, as well as women in peace and security. She obtained her PhD in Security and Defence Studies from Cranfield University, United Kingdom. She is a lecturer of International Relations Department at the University of Indonesia, reading transnational community and gender in global affairs. She co-edited a book titled “Towards a Resilient Regional Cyber Security: Perspectives and Challenges in Southeast Asia” (2019). Fitriani is also a member of United Nations Office for Disarmarment Affairs (UNODA) roster of experts on cyber diplomacy and CSIS representative for CyberMediation Network.

Francine Lacqua is an award-winning London-based anchor for Bloomberg Television. She co-anchors three hours of the daily program “Bloomberg Surveillance” where she provides insight on foreign policy, global markets and the top business stories of the day. She also presents “Leaders with Lacqua,” a special series where she sits down with top CEOs, entrepreneurs and public figures. Since joining Bloomberg in 2000, Lacqua has covered the World Economic Forum in Davos, IMF in Washington, G20 meetings, the EU Leaders Summit and OPEC.

François Petousis is one of the founders of Lumkani, an organisation which exists to mitigate the loss of life and property caused by fires in informal settlements across the world. Lumkani has its award-winning IoT fire alert technology installed in over 45000 homes across South Africa, Kenya and Bangladesh, and limits the destructive impact of over 94% of fires recorded on its system. Lumkani recently won the European Innovation Council’s Horizon Prize for affordable high tech for humanitarian aid.

Gayle Smith is the president and CEO of the ONE Campaign. She served as a top advisor on development issues for two American presidents and is one of the world’s leading experts on global development. She also worked as a journalist and with NGOs in Africa for more than 20 years. She brings an unparalleled expertise on development and democracy issues.

Gilbert F. Houngbo is the sixth President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).  He is also Chair of UN-Water. He has over 30 years of executive level experience in the public, multilateral and private sectors,  including as Deputy Director-General of the International Labour Organization (ILO), Prime Minister of Togo and at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Gorno Tempini Giovanni is currently Chairman of the BoD of CDP, CDP Reti and CDP Equity. Over the years, he held the positions of CEO at CDP (2010-2015) and at CDP Reti (2014-2015), as well as Chairman of the Italian Strategic Fund (2011-2015), and had other prominent roles within important financial companies. He is also professor at Bocconi University in Milan.

Guilherme de Aguiar Patriota currently serves as Brazil’s Consul General in Mumbai while retaining the role of Chair of the United Nations Group of Governmental Experts on Advancing Responsible State Behaviour in Cyberspace in the Context of International Security.

A career diplomat since 1983, he was previously the Special Representative of Brazil to the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva.

With a long career dedicated to multilateral negotiations, Ambassador Patriota was Deputy Permanent Representative of Brazil to the United Nations and other International Organizations in Geneva as well as the Deputy PR of Brazil to the UN in New York.

Ambassador Patriota studied biology at the Federal university of Rio de Janeiro and at the Federal University of Brasilia and graduated from Brazilian Diplomatic Academy with a post-graduate monography on the subject of Brazilian Scientific and Technological Diplomacy in a World in Transition.

His experience in multilateral diplomacy includes the fields of social and economic development, trade, regional integration, science and technology, information society, Intellectual property, health, disarmament and cyber issues.

More recently, he was Brazil’s negotiator for the Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals and for the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, as well as Chair of the 2018-2019 UN GGE on the prevention of an arms race in outer space.

Gustavo Montezano has a master’s degree in Economics from the School of Economics and Finance (Ibmec-RJ) 2007 and bachelor’s degree in Mechanical and Automotive Engineering from the Military Institute of Engineering (IME-RJ) 2003. Montezano was Chief Operating Officer (COO) of ECTP (BTG Commodities), based in London, and was previously the managing partner of BTG Pactual, responsible for the corporate and structured credit division in São Paulo. He started his career as a Private Equity analyst at Opportunity in Rio de Janeiro. He held the position of deputy special secretary for Privatization, Divestment and Markets of the Ministry of Economy. He is currently the president of the Brazilian Development Bank –BNDES.

Hala El Said is the Minister of Planning and Economic Development since December 2019. Previously, she was appointed as Minister of Planning, Monitoring and Administrative Reform. In 2011, she became the first dean elected to the Faculty of Economics and Political Science, then vice president of Cairo University for Scientific Research and Foreign Relations. Formerly, as the Executive Director of Egyptian Banking Institute for eight years. Currently she oversees the drafting, implementation of Egypt Vision 2030 and its update.

Since 2010, he has been the CEO of CDG Capital, the investment banking and investment management arm of CDG Group in Morocco. Between 2016 and 2020, he served as chairman of the Casablanca Stock Exchange. Prior to that, he was CEO of Avenir Global Investment Advisors after having held several senior leadership positions within the Crédit Agricole CIB in Europe, Asia and Middle East.

Helen Clark is the Chair of the Global Commission on Drug Policy. She was the Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme and the Chair of the United Nations Development Group, and the former Prime Minister of New Zealand. She is the co-Chair of the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response, and the Patron of the Helen Clark Foundation. She now engages in public advocacy across a range of issues which motivated her career in public service.

Hilde has spent twenty-five years working for the European Commission, covering external relations and economic and competitiveness issues. From 2014 to 2017, she served as Deputy Head of Cabinet to Vice-President Katainen in charge of Jobs, Growth, Investment and Competitiveness. Previously, she headed the Commission's Units for respectively Relations with Russia and with Ukraine, Moldova and Belarus, and was in charge of briefing the President of the Commission for meetings with EU Heads of State or Government. Hilde Hardeman holds a PhD in Slavic Philology and History of the University of Leuven after studies at Leuven, Stanford University, and Paris. She was visiting professor at the College of Europe, and taught History of the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe at Vesalius College, Brussels. She published on Russian history and minority right issues.

Dr. Henry Huiyao Wang is the Founder and President of Center for China and Globalization (CCG), a leading Chinese non-government think tank. He is also President of China Global Talent Society. Dr. Wang served on the Migration Advisory Board of IOM of UN and as a World Bank Expert. Dr. Wang is a steering committee member of Paris Peace Forum, a member of Yale University Asia Advisory Council. He pursued his PhD studies at University of Western Ontario and University of Manchester in global management. He was a Senior Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School and a Visiting Fellow at Brookings Institution.

Ibrahim Almojel is the CEO of the Saudi Industrial Development Fund. He is the co-president of the D20-LTIC, and sits on multiple boards including Samba Financial Group and Raidah Investment Company. Previously he worked at Saudi Aramco in multiple functions and was the CEO of Wisayah, Aramco's investment management arm.
He completed his PhD in Management Science and Engineering from Stanford University.

Ifeyinwa Ugochukwu is a lawyer and passionate advocate of entrepreneurship as the key to Africa’s transformation and socioeconomic development. In April 2019, she was appointed as the third CEO of the Tony Elumelu Foundation and holds the distinction of
being the first African to hold this position.

Inger Andersen is Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme. Between 2015 and 2019, Ms. Andersen was the Director General of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.  Ms. Andersen has more than 30 years of experience in international development economics, environmental sustainability, strategy and operations, including at The World Bank and UNDP.

Ms. van Wees is responsible for the overall management of the operations of the Office of Risk Management, Controller’s Department, and Treasury Department since December 2016. Before ADB, she was a senior director at the German Investment and Development Corporation (DEG) (2004-2016). She transited to development banking after a 12-year career in the private sector with leading, international companies in infrastructure and consumer goods (1992-2004).

Isabel Mota is President of the Board of Trustees of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation of which she has been a member since 1999. She is also a non-executive member of the Board of Santander Totta Bank. Isabel Mota has a background in finance. From 1987 to 1995 served as Secretary of State for Planning and Regional Development and was responsible for the negotiations over European Union Structural and Cohesion Funds for Portugal.

Dr. James Mwangi is Group CEO, Equity Group Holdings, an integrated financial services firm in 6 African countries. James established Equity Group Foundation to scale shared prosperity. He is a 2020 honoree of the Oslo Business for Peace Award; 2007 G8 Global Vision Award; the FT’s 2009 list of ‘Top 50 thought leaders in emerging markets’; ‘Top 20 most influential people in Africa’; holder of EY’s 2012 World Entrepreneur of the Year award, and one of Bloomberg’s 50 in 2019.

Javier Manzanares is the Deputy Executive Director at GCF. He is also the Chairman of the Board at IASE (International Association for Sustainable Economy).
He holds a dual MBA from Northwestern University, EMBA from Hong Kong University of Sciences & Technology (China) and is currently a Ph.D. candidate at INHA University in South Korea.

Jean-Eric Paquet has been working as the Director-General for Research & Innovation (DG RTD) since April 2018. He started working in the European Commission in 1993. From 2002 until 2004, he was the Deputy Head of Cabinet of former Commissioner for Research, Mr Busquin. Then he worked as a HoU and Director in the DG Mobility and Transport. In 2013, he joined the DG for Neighborhood and Enlargement Negotiations. Before DG RTD, Mr Paquet served as Deputy Secretary General of the Juncker Commission.

Jean-Marc Ollagnier is the CEO of Accenture in Europe, with management oversight of all industries and services in Europe, which accounted for nearly $15 billion of Accenture’s revenues in 2020. He is a member of Accenture’s Global Management Committee. He was previously chief executive of Accenture’s Resources group serving industries including energy, utilities and chemicals. He contributes to international forums such as the UN Global Compact, World Business Council for Sustainable Development and the WEF.

Jean-Paul Agon joined L’Oréal in 1978 after graduating from HEC. After a brief stint as product manager in France, he was appointed General Manager of L'Oréal Greece. He returned to France as General Manager of L’Oreal Paris, then International Managing Director for Biotherm. In 1994, he becomes Managing Director of L'Oréal Germany, then heads the L'Oréal Asia Zone in 1997. In 2001, he was appointed President of L'Oréal USA. He was named Chief Executive Officer of L’Oréal in 2006 and also became its Chairman in 2011.

Dr. Bell is vice president of global strategy at Pew Research Center. He is responsible for the Center’s international research program as well as the Center’s long-range planning and institutional partnerships. Over the past decade, Dr. Bell has led the expansion of the Center’s international polling and demographic analysis and encouraged the integration of quantitative, qualitative and computational science techniques to explain political, social and economic change. He oversees a diverse range of projects, including the Center’s annual, multi-country Global Attitudes survey, regional studies of religious belief and affiliation, and comparative analyses of migration, ethnicity and cultural identity. Prior to joining the Pew Research Center, Dr. Bell served as a senior official at the U.S. State Department, most recently as director of international opinion research. Dr. Bell supported strategic communication teams at the State Department and White House and regularly consulted on
U.S. government efforts to combat violent extremism. Dr. Bell’s own roots as an opinion researcher extend back to the early 1990s when he examined democratization in post-Soviet Russia. Since joining the Pew Research Center, Dr. Bell has authored a number of articles, including International Cooperation Welcomed Across 14 Advanced Economies, Russians Have Their Own Ideas of Democracy, The World’s Muslims: Unity and Diversity and Religion in Latin America: Widespread Change in a Historically Catholic Region. Dr. Bell has appeared on CNN, CNBC, Fox News, NPR, CBS Radio and BBC World Service Radio, and has presented internationally, including at events organized by the United Nations, World Bank, European Union, World Economic Forum, Reunión Círculo de Economía, European Foundation Center, Körber-Stiftung, Institut français des relations internationals, Institute Montaigne, Clingendael Institute and House of Lords (UK).

Jennifer Morris is the CEO of The Nature Conservancy (TNC), a global organization dedicated to transforming business practices, shaping government policies, and leveraging science to create a world where people and nature thrive together. She brings 25 years of conservation leadership experience to the role and previously served as President of Conservation International.

Joanne Kanaan is the CEO and co-founder of the French startup Omini. This company is developing a new generation of portable and immediate blood tests using a new patented biosensor technology, to meet the new challenges of decentralized and personalized healthcare. After achieving bachelor and master’s degrees in biochemistry in Lebanon, Joanne obtained a PhD in biochemistry and biophysics from the Ecole Normale Supérieure de Paris, before reorienting herself towards entrepreneurship and innovation.

Jorim Schraven is the Director of Impact & ESG at FMO, the Dutch development bank. Before that he held various positions, including Director Strategy and Corporate Affairs and Chairman of the Investment Committee. He also was Board Member of the Eco.Business biodiversity fund, an investee of FMO. He holds an MA in Economics and Management from Oxford University.

Josep Borrell Fontelles is, since December 2019, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission. He previously served as Spanish Foreign Minister (2018-2019) and as President of the European Parliament (2004-2007), of which he was a Member from 2004-2009. Having initially been trained as an aeronautical engineer and economist before his entry into politics, he became Spanish State Secretary for the Treasury (1984-1991), before being elected as a Member of the Parliament of Spain (1986-2003), and serving as Spanish Minister of Public Works, Transport, Telecommunications and the Environment (1991-1996). From 2010-2012, Josep Borrell was President of the European University Institute (EUI) and held the Jean Monnet Chair in European Economic Integration at the Complutense University of Madrid (2013-2016).

José María Figueres is the co-Founder of Ocean Unite.  Mr Figueres was the President of Costa Rica from 1994 to 1998, under a one-term constitutional mandate. Since leaving government, he was chairman of LEAD (Leadership for Environment and Development) as well as the small business agency FUNDES Internacional. In 2000, he was appointed Managing Director of the World Economic Forum, and served as the organisation’s first Chief Executive between 2003 and 2004. He has also been a Director of the World Resources Institute (WRI), the Stockholm Environment Institute, WWF, and served as the President of the Carbon War Room. Mr Figueres served as the Co-Chair of the Global Ocean Commission between 2013-2016. He also founded Antarctica2020 in 2018, which is a group of high-level leaders calling for increased protection of the waters surrounding Antarctica.

Founder and Director General of the Paris Peace Forum, Justin Vaïsse previously led the Centre for Analysis, Planning and Strategy at the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 2013-2019. Justin Vaïsse also served as Director of Research at the Brookings Institution in Washington (2007-2013), with a focus on transatlantic relations and European foreign policy. A historian specialized in international relations and American foreign policy, Dr. Vaïsse has written and co-authored numerous works translated in multiple languages, and has held teaching positions at the Paris School of International Affairs of Sciences Po, and School of Advanced International Studies of Johns Hopkins University.

As European Commissioner for International Partnerships, Ms Jutta Urpilainen oversees the European Commission’s work on international cooperation and sustainable development.
Before joining the Commission, Ms Urpilainen served as a Member of the Finnish Parliament from 2003 to 2019. In 2008, she became the first woman leader of the Social Democratic Party of Finland. From 2011 to 2014, she served as Finland’s Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister. During that time, she became closely involved in development issues, joining the Development Committee of the World Bank Group and IMF and chairing the Finnish National Commission on Sustainable Development. She served as the Foreign Minister’s Special Representative on Mediation (2017-19) and chaired the Finnish National Commission for UNESCO (2015-18).

Since 1 September 2020, Jürg Lauber has been the Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the United Nations Office and to the other international organisations in Geneva. From 2015 to 2020, he served as Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the United Nations in New York. He continues to chair the UN Open-ended Working Group on developments in the field of information and telecommunications in the context of international security.

Before joining GIB (UK), Katherine served as CEO and Executive Director of Alliance Trust plc, CIO and Executive Director of Morley Fund Management, and CIO of Aberdeen Asset Management. In 2014, Katherine was awarded a CBE for services to the asset management industry and charitable services. She is Chair of both the Clean Air Fund and the CDP Worldwide Board.

Dr. Khaled Sherif is the Vice-President for Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery at the African Development Bank Group. He oversees the Bank’s sovereign operations via five regional hubs, 31 country offices and five liaison offices. Dr. Sherif guides the Bank’s regional integration agenda and its engagement in fragile situations. Currently, he oversees the implementation of the COVID-19 Rapid Response Facility.

Koen Doens is Director-General for International Cooperation and Development at the European Commission since October 2019. He joined the Commission in 2004 and was Head of Cabinet of Louis Michel, Commissioner in charge of Development and Humanitarian Aid during the 1st Barroso Commission (2004-2010) and Head of the Commission Spokespersons’ Service during the 2nd Barroso Commission (2010-2014). After a period as Director for EU-Africa Relations, he became Deputy Director-General responsible for Africa, Asia, Middle East/Gulf, Pacific, Latin America and Caribbean in the Directorate-General for International Cooperation and Development in March 2018. A classical philologist by training, he was a professor of Latin and Greek before becoming a Belgian diplomat. He has been posted in Syria, Iran and Russia and several Belgian ministerial cabinets.

Lamia Kamal-Chaoui is the OECD Director of the Centre for Entrepreneurship,SMEs, Regions and Cities who leads the OECD’s work in the fields of: SME and entrepreneurship policy; regional, urban, rural and local development; subnational statistics; multi-level governance and decentralisation and tourism.

Latha Reddy served as an Indian diplomat from 1975 to 2011. She was then appointed as the Deputy National Security Advisor from 2011-2013. She has long years of experience in bilateral and multilateral diplomacy. For the last decade, her special area of interest has been National Security, with a particular emphasis in the areas of cyber policy, Internet governance and norms. She is a Distinguished Fellow at the East West Institute (USA) and the Observer Research Foundation (India). She serves on several Boards and Trusts.

Senior Executive Vice-President of French Caisse des Depots for international and public affairs since 2014. PhD in sociology. Previously worked for France Telecom-Orange from 98 to 2014 in various sector (marketing, public affairs, labour relations). CEO of Orange Vietnam before being Group Chief Compliance Officer.

Luiz Awazu Pereira da Silva became Deputy General Manager on 1 October 2015.

Before joining the BIS, Mr Pereira da Silva, a Brazilian national, had been Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Brazil since 2010. Prior to that, he worked in various positions for the World Bank in Washington DC, Tokyo and southern Africa. He also served as Chief Economist for the Brazilian Ministry of Budget and Planning, and as Brazil's Deputy Finance Minister in charge of international affairs.

Luky started his career at the Ministry of Finance as an employee in Directorate General of Taxes. He was subsequently assigned to handle the reform program or modernization of tax administration and served as Head of Organization and Administration Section and Head of Sub Directorate of Transformation Management at the Directorate General of Taxation. Beginning in September 2015 assigned as Head of Policy Analysis and Harmonization Center, Secretariat General, or commonly known as Chief of Staff for Minister of Finance. In 2017, was inaugurated as Expert Staff for State Revenue Policy and later as Director General of Budget Financing and Risk Management.

Dr. Mabouba Diagne assumed duties at EBID in July 2020. He was Regional Director, Coverage and Deal Structuring at Trade & Development Bank from 2017 to 2020. He served as Regional Managing Director at Atlas Mara, Banc ABC from April 2016 to April 2017 and Managing Director, Regional Head, Corporate Coverage Southern Africa at Barclays Bank, from 2010 to 2016.

Fourth Director General of BAGRI since September 2019, I have headed the rural finance activities from the start of the Bank's operations in February 2011. Before joining the BAGRI project team in October 2010, I worked for ten years in the banking sector at national (Bank Of Africa) and regional (African Guarantee and Economic Cooperation Fund) level.

Dr. Muhtar is the Vice President in IsDB. He has previously served as Minister of Finance in  Nigeria, Executive Director on the Board of the World Bank Group (2011-2014) and Co-Chair of the UN Inter-Governmental Committee of Experts on Sustainable Development Finance (2013-2014).

As a doctor of veterinary medicine from Hanover, she became member of the German Parliament in 2002. Until 2013 she served on the Parliamentary Committee on the Environment. From 2013 to 2018 she served as Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture, since 2018 to the Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development. 

Maria Tadeo is a Brussels-based reporter for Bloomberg Television where she regularly reports on the continent’s politics and economy.

A journalist in Asia for nearly 35 years, Maria Ressa co-founded Rappler, the top digital only news site that is leading the fight for press freedom in the Philippines. As Rappler’s executive editor and CEO, Maria has endured constant political harassment and arrests by the Duterte government, forced to post bail eight times to stay free. Rappler’s battle for truth and democracy is the subject of the 2020 Sundance Film Festival documentary, A Thousand Cuts. For her courage and work on disinformation and ‘fake news,’ Maria was named Time Magazine’s 2018 Person of the Year, was among its 100 Most Influential People of 2019, and has also been named one of Time’s Most Influential Women of the Century. She was also part of BBC’s 100 most inspiring and influential women of 2019 and Prospect magazine’s world’s top 50 thinkers. Among many awards, she received the prestigious Golden Pen of Freedom Award from the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers, the Knight International Journalism Award from the International Center for Journalists, the Gwen Ifill Press Freedom Award from the Committee to Protect Journalists, the Shorenstein Journalism Award from Stanford University, the Columbia Journalism Award, the Free Media Pioneer Award from the International Press Institute, and the Sergei Magnitsky Award for Investigative Journalism.

Marie Sallois is currently Director of the Corporate and Sustainable Development at the IOC, where she has been working since 2004. She is also in charge of implementing the IOC
Sustainability Strategy and the IOC Legacy Strategic Approach, which are core elements of
the Olympic Movement’s strategic roadmap, Olympic Agenda 2020. Among other things, she
was also responsible for the IOC Headquarters project, Olympic House.
Prior to joining the IOC, she had over 10 years of experience in professional services
worldwide. She headed the consulting practice of the SchlumbergerSema company, which is
still, under the name ATOS, a major Olympic Games technology partner. As a management
consultant, she led major transformation projects internationally in the public and private sectors, for Andersen, Cap-Gemini and Bossard Consultants.
She holds an MBA from IMD and an MSc in Management from HEC Paris, and she remains
closely connected with the academic world.

Marietje Schaake is international policy director at Stanford University Cyber Policy Center and international policy fellow at Stanford’s Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence. She
is the President of the Cyber Peace Institute. Between 2009 and 2019, Marietje served as a Member of European Parliament for the Dutch liberal democratic party where she focused on trade, foreign affairs and technology policies. Marietje is affiliated with a number of non-profits including the European Council on Foreign Relations and the Observer Research Foundation in India and writes a monthly column for the Financial Times and a bi-weekly column for the Dutch NRC newspaper.

Marion Jansen is the Director of the Trade and Agriculture Directorate at the OECD. She previously held senior positions in the World Trade Organization, the International Labour Office and the International Trade Centre.
Marion Jansen holds a PhD in economics from the Universitat Pompeu Fabra (Barcelona) and undergraduate degrees from the Universities of Konstanz, Passau and Toulouse. She has published widely on international trade and global economic governance and notably co-edited the volumes “Shared Harvests: Agriculture, Trade and Employment” and “Women Shaping Global Economic Governance”.
A German national, Marion Jansen grew up in the Netherlands. Next to German and Dutch, she speaks English, French, Italian and Spanish.

Mariya Gabriel is the European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education, Youth and Sport. Under her leadership, the new Horizon Europe, Erasmus+, and the cultural strand of Creative Europe programmes (2021-2027) will be defined and implemented.
Her main priorities are excellence in research, innovation and education (ERA, EEA, EIA); tackling the R&I divide in Europe; Europe as a leader in strategic innovation areas through the digital and green transition, with a particular attention to young people and regions. “No one left behind” and “Think out of the box” are her mottos.
Between 2017 and 2019, Mariya Gabriel was European Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society. She proposed the new Digital Europe programme, worked on EU Strategy on AI, disinformation online, cybersecurity and launched the EuroHPC strategy. She has extensively engaged with external EU partners to enhance digital cooperation, in particular with the Western Balkans and Africa.
She was elected Member of the European Parliament (MEP) in 2009, 2014 and 2019. Mariya Gabriel is First Vice-President of the European People's Party (EPP), and since 2012 Vice-President of EPP Women.
Commissioner Gabriel is board member of the United Nations youth programme Generation Unlimited (GenU). She has been ranked among the 50 most influential women in Europe in the field of cybersecurity by the leading European cybersecurity magazine SC Media UK (2019). Mariya Gabriel is also known for her involvement in the fight for gender equality. Amongst others, she received the prestigious Italian prize “Golden Apple” for highest achievements for women. At the European Parliament, she was awarded twice the "MEP of the year" - in 2016 in the Development category, and in 2013 in the Gender equality category.
She holds a Master's degree in political sciences and international relations from the Institute of Political Studies (Bordeaux, FR) and a Bachelor’s degree in Bulgarian and French Languages from “Paisii Hilendarski” University (Plovdiv, BG). She also graduated from “Dr.Petar Beron” Language High School (Kyustendil, BG).

Deputy Secretary for Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights at the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Martha is a recognized environmentalist leader. She was Secretary of Environment for the Mexico City government; and she is currently the President of the first UN-Habitat Assembly, as well as Mexico’s Sherpa for the High-Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy. She was an independent member of the local congress from 2003 to 2006. Martha holds a Master degree in Sustainability from Harvard University.

Martín Abregú is vice president for International Programs. As such, he works on designing and implementing a vision for the foundation’s work at the global level, seeking to respond to the global drivers of inequality by bringing new voices and perspectives into the international arena. He works with teams in the US and around the globe, including 10 regional offices and four international programs: Civic Engagement and Government; Gender, Racial, and Ethnic Justice; Natural Resources and Climate Change; and Technology and Society.
Martín joined Ford in 2000, serving as a program officer for human rights and citizenship in the Andean Region and Southern Cone office, based in Santiago, Chile. Since then, he has held various positions at the foundation. He was appointed program vice president in 2013 and vice president for international programs in February 2019.
Before joining the foundation, Martín was executive director of the Center for Legal and Social Studies (CELS), a leading human rights organization in his home country, Argentina. He is a lawyer with a degree with specialization in international law from the University of Buenos Aires and holds a master of laws degree in international legal studies from American University in Washington, DC. He has served as an associate professor of human rights at the University of Buenos Aires School of Law.

Expert on the global governance of migration and talent mobility; Associate Professor of Politics of Human Migration and Mobility at Carleton University, Ottawa (Canada); Steering Committee Member of the international Metropolis network of migration experts and practitioners; Corresponding Member, Institute for Migration Research and Intercultural Studies at University of Osnabruck (Germany); 2020-21 Invited Visiting Scholar, Moscow State University, Moscow State Institute of International Relations, and Warsaw School of Economics (2021). Founding and Lead Editor, Mobility & Politics (Palgrave Macmillan/Springer Nature).

Massan is a Togolese expert in gender issues with more than 19 years of experience in activism for women's rights and gender equality. She has contributed to the creation and/or strengthening of several networks and working groups: AWID (Association for Women's Rights and Development), ROFAF - Network of Francophone Africa Women's Organizations, AAWORD/AFARD - Association of African Women for Research and Development, GAGG - GCF Africa Gender Group, AFCOP Gender For Results (African Community of Practice).

Mehri Madarshahi worked for 26 years at the UN as a Senior Economist; an External Relations Officer; a member of the UN Secretary-General's Task Force on the Decentralisation of Economic and Social Issues, etc. In Paris she established "Melody for Dialogue among Civilisations” Association with its affiliates in New York, Geneva, Hong Kong and Shenzhen to promote awareness on social and environmental issues through music. She is a contributing writer to many publications and a winner of Aspen Awards for Cultural Diplomacy.

Ms. Murathan joined TSKB in 1998 and after variety of roles, promoted as Head of Financial Institutions in 2012. Since 2019, she has been Executive Vice President of Development Finance Institutions, Financial Institutions & Investor Relations, Loan Monitoring and Engineering & Technical Advisory departments.

Michael R. Bloomberg founded a financial data start-up in 1981 and built it into a global business. In 2001, he was elected mayor of New York City and served for three terms. Since leaving City Hall, he has resumed leadership of Bloomberg. His foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, focuses on public health, education, government innovation, the arts and the environment. He has succeeded in helping retire nearly 60% of the 530 coal-fired power plants in the U.S. Bloomberg has also been at the forefront of involving the financial community in the fight against climate change, including through roles with the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board and the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures.

Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus is the father of both social business and
microcredit, the founder of Grameen Bank, and of more than 50 other companies in
Bangladesh. For his constant innovation and enterprise, the Fortune Magazine named
Professor Yunus in March 2012 as “one of the greatest entrepreneurs of our time.”
In 2006, Professor Yunus and Grameen Bank were jointly awarded Nobel Peace Prize. He is the recipient of 61 honorary degrees from universities across 24 countries. He has received 136 awards from 33 countries including state honours from 10 countries. He is one of only seven individuals to have received the Nobel Peace Prize, the United States Presidential Medal of Freedom and the United States Congressional Gold Medal. He has appeared on the cover of Time Magazine, Newsweek and Forbes Magazine.

Muhammed is a Specialist in the Climate and Environmental Finance Unit at the DBSA. He provides advisory services to all the Bank’s sectors regarding Climate Change matters and maintains continuous dialogues with relevant external climate change partners on behalf of the bank. Before joining the Unit, he was a Principal Investment Officer for the National Green Fund in South Africa.

Nadia Murad, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and UNODC Goodwill Ambassador, is a leading advocate for survivors of genocide and sexual violence. Nadia’s peaceful life was brutally interrupted in 2014 when ISIS attacked her homeland in Sinjar to ethnically cleanse Iraq of all Yazidis. Since Nadia's escape from ISIS captivity, she has used her voice to raise awareness of ISIS and its genocidal campaign against the Yazidi people. Nadia is the President and Chairwoman of Nadia’s Initiative.

Nafissatou Diouf, Ag Director, Communications Department, African Development Bank
Group, has over two decades of experience in corporate communications, public relations
and journalism.
Nafissatou, a Senegalese French binational, led compelling public relations and
communication strategies for a broad spectrum of public, private entities and global brands. As a journalist, Nafissatou’s news stories were featured in top tier global newspapers.

Nanjira Sambuli is a researcher, policy analyst, and advocacy strategist who works to understand the intersection of ICT adoption with governance, media, entrepreneurship, and culture.
Nanjira is a Commissioner on the Governing Health Futures 2030 Lancet & FT Commission, a board member at The New Humanitarian, Development Gateway, Digital Impact Alliance (DIAL) and co-chair of the Transform Health Coalition. She is also a Ford Global Fellow. Nanjira also served as a panel member on the United Nations Secretary General’s High-Level Panel on Digital Cooperation (2018-19).

Natalie Samarasinghe is Chief of Strategy for the UN’s 75th anniversary. She previously served as speechwriter to the President of the General Assembly and Executive Director of the United Nations Association – UK, which she joined in 2006 and became the first woman to lead. Prior to this, she worked in local government and for the University of Oxford. In 2014, she co-founded the 1 for 7 Billion campaign to improve the UN Secretary-General selection process. In 2017 she won a Global Challenges Foundation award for a proposal to make the UN more inclusive. In 2018, she launched the Together First coalition for global governance reform at the inaugural Paris Peace Forum. She has written widely on UN issues and advises a number of NGOs.

Neil Ferguson is the founding director of the MRC Centre for Outbreak Analysis and Modelling (now the MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis), the NIHR Health Protection Research Unit for Modelling and Health Economics, and the Abdul Latif Jameel Institute for Disease and Emergency Analytics at Imperial College London. His research aims to understand the epidemiological factors shaping infectious disease transmission in human and animal populations. A key practical focus is aiding disease control policy making through intervention modelling. He uses models as contingency planning tools for emerging human infections - notably SARS-CoV-2 this year as well as MERS-CoV, ebola, and pandemic influenza, and also undertakes research on the dynamics and control of vector-borne diseases (dengue, yellow fever and malaria) and evolution. He advises the UK and US governments, the World Health Organization and the European Union on emerging infections and infectious disease modelling.

Nick O'Donohoe joined CDC as its Chief Executive in June 2017 and is also a member
of the CDC Board. He was previously a Senior Adviser to the Bill and Melinda Gates
Foundation where he specialised in the use of blended finance models to support the
work of the Foundation.

Nora Müller heads the International Affairs Department, Berlin, of Körber-Stiftung, one of Germany’s largest private foundations. She is the Vice President of the Paris Peace Forum Association.
From 2004 to 2006, Nora served as an advisor in the Middle East division of the Federal Foreign Office in Berlin. In 2007, she joined the International Affairs Department of Körber-Stiftung to establish and build up the Körber Dialogue Middle East.
Nora holds a joint Master’s degree in European Studies from Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin and Technische Universität Berlin as well as a Bachelor’s degree from Tel Aviv University. During her studies, she focused on the role of the European Union in the MENA region in general and in the Middle East Peace Process in particular. Nora earned a certificate in Facilitation of Dialogue Processes and Mediation Efforts from Folke Bernadotte Academy – The Swedish Academy for Peace, Security and Development.
Nora is a regular commentator on foreign policy issues in the German and international media including DIE ZEIT, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (faz.net), Tagesspiegel, Handelsblatt, Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ), Judy Dempsey’s Strategic Europe and Süddeutsche Zeitung as well as Deutsche Welle TV, Deutschlandradio Kultur, MDR, SR 2 KulturRadio and WDR Radio.
Nora serves on the Advisory Board to the Federal Government for Civilian Crisis Prevention and Peace Building and is a member of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS).

Obiageli “Oby” Katryn Ezekwesili who was a candidate for office of the President of Nigeria in the 2019 election, is an economic policy expert / Senior Economic Advisor, Africa Economic Development Policy Initiative (AEDPI) and Co-Founder of #BringBackOurGirls Movement, Nigeria as well as the #RedCardMovement. A Chartered Accountant/Consultant, She holds an MA in International Law and Diplomacy, an MA in Public Policy and Administration from the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. She’s an honorary Doctor of Science degree, University of Lagos and in 2016 the University of Essex Business School awarded her an honorary Doctorate Degree in Business in recognition of her role in promoting economic and social justice in African countries.
Dr Ezekwesili was Vice President of World Bank (Africa Region) and former Nigerian Minister of Education, former Minister of Solid Minerals, she was head of Budget Monitoring and Price Intelligence Unit as well as Chairperson of NEITI. She is a founding Director of Transparency International.
Dr. Ezekwesili was recognized as one of Time-100 Most Influential People and by New York Times as one of the 25 Women of Impact, 2015. Albert Einstein's Foundations named her one of 100 visionaries featured in the 3D book ""Genius:100 Visions of the Future”.

Odile Renaud-Basso is the seventh President of the EBRD. Previously, she served as
Director General of the French Treasury, Vice-President of the European Economic
and Financial Committee, deputy to the G7 and G20 groups and French Governor or
Alternate Governor of the World Bank, EBRD and African Development Bank. She was
also Chair of the Paris Club. Prior to that, she was Deputy Director-General of
the Caisse des Dépôts.

Olivier Lavinal was the Lead Author of the World Bank Group (WBG) Strategy for Fragility, Conflict and Violence, and is the Manager of the Global Concessional Financing Facility, a financing mechanism that provides concessional assistance to middle income countries impacted by refugee crises across the world. Olivier served as Special Assistant to the Vice President for the MENA region and, prior to joining the WBG, was Chief of Staff of the Mayor of Lyon. Olivier graduated from Sciences Po Paris and is a Scholar of the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, Harvard University.

A Graduate of Ecole Polytechnique and Chief Engineer of the French Corps des Mines, Patrick Pouyanné held various positions in the French Industry Ministry and in ministerial offices from 1989 to 1996, including Environment and Industry Technical Advisor to the Prime minister from 1993 to 1995 and Chief of Staff to the information technology and space minister from 1995 to 1996. Patrick Pouyanné joined Total in January 1997, with positions in Angola and Qatar in 1999. In 2015, Total’s board of directors appointed Patrick Pouyanné as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Total. He is member of the Board of Cap Gemini, of AFEP, of Institut du Monde Arabe, of Ecole Polytechnique and Institut Polytechnique of Paris. Patrick Pouyanné is also President of the Alliance for Education, French association against dropping out of school.

Patryk Pawlak heads the Brussels office of the EU Institute for Security Studies (EUISS) and leads the Institute’s work on cyber and digital issues. Through his work, Patryk promotes and contributes to initiatives that connect various communities and provide space for new and underrepresented voices. With this in mind, he spearheaded several initiatives such as the EU Cyber Forum, Closing the Gap Conference, and Directions – a blog devoted to analysis of cyber, digital and tech policies. He is also responsible for the implementation of ‘EU Cyber Direct’, a project that supports EU cyber diplomacy and international digital cooperation worldwide. Until June 2020, he was Co-Chair of the Advisory Board of the Global Forum on Cyber Expertise. Patryk holds a PhD in Political and Social Sciences from the European University Institute in Florence.

Paul Adamson is chairman of Forum Europe/Forum Global and founder of Encompass (previously E!Sharp). He is a member of the Centre for European Reform’s advisory board, Rand Europe's Council of Advisors and is a Visiting Professor at the Policy Institute, King’s College London. In 2012 he was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) "for services to promoting understanding of the European Union” and in 2016 a Chevalier in the Ordre national du Mérite by the French government.

Dr. Shah serves as President of the Rockefeller Foundation, a global institution with a mission to promote the well-being of humanity around the world. The Foundation applies data, science, and innovation to improve health for women and children, create nutritious and sustainable food systems, end energy poverty for more than a billion people worldwide, and enable meaningful economic mobility in the United States and around the world. In 2009, he was appointed USAID Administrator by President Obama and unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Dr. Shah reshaped the $20 billion agency’s operations in more than 70 countries around the world by elevating the role of innovation, creating high impact public-private partnerships, and focusing US investments to deliver stronger results. Shah secured bipartisan support that included the passage of two significant laws – the Global Food Security Act and the Electrify Africa Act. He led the U.S. response to the Haiti earthquake and the West African Ebola pandemic, served on the National Security Council, and elevated the role of development as part of our nation’s foreign policy. Prior to his appointment at USAID, Shah served as Chief Scientist and Undersecretary for Research, Education and Economics at the United States Department of Agriculture where he created the National Institute for Food and Agriculture. Shah founded Latitude Capital, a private equity firm focused on power and infrastructure projects in Africa and Asia and served as a Distinguished Fellow in Residence at Georgetown University. Previously, he served at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, where he created the International Financing Facility for Immunization which helped reshape the global vaccine industry and save millions of lives.

Razan Al Mubarak is a United Arab Emirates native who for more than twenty years has played a vital role in guiding her country toward a more sustainable future while spearheading progressive environmental protection and species conservation across West Asia and globally. Her diverse experience leading the largest environmental regulatory agency in the Middle East, an international philanthropic organization supporting species conservation projects worldwide, and an NGO focused on citizen engagement earned her recognition as one of the top 100 Young Global Leaders by the World Economic Forum in 2018.

Mrs. Rebecca Miano is the Managing Director & CEO of Kenya Electricity Generating Company PLC (KenGen), a position she has held since October 2017. She is the first woman to hold the position since the company was established in 1954.
Rebecca has close to 30 years consolidated experience in the energy sector, having started off her career at the Kenya Power and Lighting Company in 1991. She has carved for herself a niche in Business Law and Corporate Governance. She holds a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) Degree, a Diploma in Law and post-graduate studies in Comparative Law.
In 2010, she completed the Advanced Management Programme from Strathmore University. She is a registered Certified Public Secretary of Kenya and is a member of the Institute of Certified Public Secretaries of Kenya (ICPSK) and the Law Society of Kenya (LSK). Additionally, she is a Commissioner of Oaths (Since 2001), a Notary Public (since 2003) and a finalist of the Chartered Arbitrator.
In November 2019, she was appointed to the Board of Global Compact Network, Kenya. The same year, she was named among the Top 100 Women CEOs in Africa by Reset Global People in partnership with Pulse and Avance Media. In June 2020, Mrs. Miano was appointed to the World Bank Group’s Advisory Council on Gender and Development.
During her tenure as CEO, Mrs. Miano has led KenGen’s diversification agenda under the Good-2-Great transformative strategy. Mrs. Miano is a founder patron of KenGen Pink Energy, a forum aimed at uplifting the status of women in Kenya’s energy sector.
Mrs. Miano is married with two children. She enjoys spending her free time reading, travelling and watching plays and sometimes knitting.

Rena is Singapore’s Ambassador for Oceans and Law of the Sea Issues and Special Envoy of the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Rena was elected as President of the UN Intergovernmental Conference on Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) in 2018. She is also a member of the Legal and Technical Commission of Singapore of the International Seabed Authority. Rena specializes in the practice of public international law, covering areas including law of the sea, environmental and climate change law.

Dr. Rhian-Mari Thomas is CEO of the Green Finance Institute, backed by UK Government and City of London Corporation. Rhian spent 20 years in banking and was awarded an OBE for services to green banking. She is an Emeritus Member of TCFD and co-chair of TNFD. She is a member of numerous advisory groups and boards across UK Government.

Sir Richard Branson is Founder of the Virgin Group. Conceived in 1970, the Virgin Group has gone on to grow successful businesses in sectors including mobile telephony, travel and transportation, financial services, leisure and entertainment and health and wellness. Virgin is a leading international investment group and one of the world's most recognised and respected brands.
Since starting youth culture magazine Student aged 15, Richard has found entrepreneurial ways to drive positive change in the world. In 2004 Richard established Virgin Unite, the non-profit foundation of the Virgin Group, which unites people and entrepreneurial ideas to create opportunities for a better world. Most of his time is now spent building businesses that will make a positive difference in the world and working with Virgin Unite and organisations it has incubated, such as The Elders, The B Team and Ocean Unite.

Robert leads Covington & Burling’s innovative global problem solving initiative, the public policy and technology practice areas in Africa. His practice focuses on issues related to technology transactions, market access, and complex opportunities and disputes at the intersection of law and public policy. Previously, he served as Legal Director at Uber, where he helped launch and scale operations across Africa, the Middle East and Pakistan. Prior to Uber, he spent over seven years with Microsoft where he supported IP transactions, worked on globally strategic initiatives in the Office of the General Counsel, and served as Director of Legal & Corporate Affairs in Sub-Saharan Africa. A graduate of Brigham Young University, he earned his Juris Doctorate from the University of Washington.

Executive President of the Costa Rican Social Security Fund since August 1, 2018. Served as Costa Rica´s Ambassador to the United Sates from 2014 to 2018, where he promoted science diplomacy, strengthened cooperation in security, and supported the attraction of foreign direct investment. Roman has developed a multidisciplinary career as a biomedical scientist, businessman, advocate, politician, academic, diplomat and public servant. Roman holds an MBA in Health Care Management from Wharton (UPenn), a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from UCLA and a B.A. in Chemistry from Middlebury College.

She began her five-year mandate at CEB on 19 December 2016. Before that she was Secretary General of the Treasury and Financial Policy in Spain. In that capacity, she served as Deputy Minister at the Eurogroup and Ecofin and was Member of the Board of the Bank of Spain, the Spanish Securities Supervisor (CNMV), Vice-President of the National Banking Resolution Authority (FROB), and Vice-President of the National Guarantee Deposits Scheme (FGD).
She is a Member of the Civil Servants’ Senior Corps of State Economists and Trade Specialists and holds an MBA from IE Business School and also an MSc and a PhD in Pharmacy.

Rémy Rioux is a Senior Advisor at the Court of Auditors. He has held high-level positions in a career devoted to development and Africa. As Director of the Office of the Minister of the Economy, Finance and Foreign Trade, Pierre Moscovici, from 2012 to 2014, he contributed to restoring the competitiveness of the French economy and consolidating public accounts. In 2014, Laurent Fabius, Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Development, appointed him as Deputy General Secretary. He was the pillar for the economic diplomacy policy. Moreover, he coordinated the “finance” agenda for the French presidency of COP21, up to the final negotiation of the Paris Agreement on Climate. Rémy Rioux is an expert in international financial institutions, particularly development banks. He is passionate about development and climate and familiar with Africa and its opportunities. Since June 2016, he heads the French Development Agency (AFD), whose mandate and resources in favor of development policy have recently been expanded. He was reappointed for a second term in May 2019. Rémy Rioux is also Chairman of the International Development Finance Club (IDFC), IDFC, created in 2011, is the leading group of 24 national and regional development banks from all over the world, a majority active in emerging markets. IDFC is the largest provider of public development and climate finance globally, with USD 4 trillion in combined assets and annual commitments above USD 850 billion, including USD 200 billion of climate finance.

Samir Saran is the President of Observer Research Foundation (ORF), one of Asia’s most influential think tanks. His research focuses on issues of global governance, climate change and energy policy, technology and new media, and India's foreign policy.

He curates the Raisina Dialogue, India’s annual flagship platform on geopolitics and geo-economics, and chairs CyFy, India’s annual conference on cybersecurity and internet governance. He spearheads the foundation’s efforts to foster new international partnerships and globalise its platforms.

Samir is a Commissioner of The Global Commission on the Stability of Cyberspace, a member of the Regional Action Group of the World Economic Forum (WEF) and is a part of WEF's Global Future Council on Geopolitics. He also sits on the Board of Microsoft’s Digital Peace Now initiative.

Samir lectures around the globe and, on occasion, advises investors and enterprises on geopolitical trends in the Indo-Pacific Region.

Samir’s recent published works include “The New World Disorder And The Indian Imperative” with Shashi Tharoor and “Pax Sinica: Implications for the Indian Dawn” with Akhil Deo.

Sana de Courcelles is an expert in global health and public innovation. She has been Executive Director of the School of Public Affairs at Sciences Po, and an affiliate professor in the fields of State Reform and Health. She currently teaches at the University of Geneva. Previously, she was an advisor to the Minister of the Civil Service and State Reform, a consultant in strategy and organization in the public sector with Capgemini consulting, before joining the World Health Organization (WHO) in the office of the Assistant Director-General for Health Systems and Innovation. Since 2019, she has been Health Counsellor at the Permanent Representation of France to the United Nations in Geneva

Sandra Carvão is Chief, Tourism Market Intelligence and Competitiveness at the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). Before that, she was Chief of Communications and Publications for 8 years where she was responsible for UNWTO’s strategic positioning. Prior to this post, Sandra was Deputy Chief at UNWTO’s Market Trends Department between 2007 and 2010. During this period, Sandra coordinated the Tourism Resilience Committee created by UNWTO to address the impacts of the global economic crisis 2008-2009 on tourism.

Sébastien Treyer is Executive Director of IDDRI, since January 2019 (he joined the institute in 2010 as Director of Programmes). He is also Chairman of the Scientific and Technical Committee of the French Global Environment Facility (FFEM) and member of the Lead Faculty of the Earth System Governance Network.

Seblewongel Deneke Negussie, Gender and Social Specialist works at the Green Climate Fund. She has over 20 years of experience mainstreaming and advocating for mainstreaming gender equality in agriculture, food security, natural resource management, governance, nutrition and violence against women in public and private sectors.  She has experience in policy and strategy development, project /program design, implementation and monitoring

Serge Ekué has been appointed President of the West African Development Bank (BOAD) since 18 August 2020. Previously, he served as Natixis’ Corporate and Investment Banking Country Manager for the UK, and Head of Global Markets for Europe, Middle East and Africa. Before then, he was the Head of Natixis’ Africa and Russia Departments, managed Natixis’ Global Markets for the Asia-Pacific region and has been CEO of the bank based in Hong Kong.

Sérgio Pimenta is IFC’s Vice President for the Middle East and Africa. In this capacity, he oversees all advisory and investment operations in a region with about 673 staff and a committed portfolio of nearly $18 billion, including mobilization. Previously, Mr. Pimenta was IFC’s Director & Global Head of Industry—Manufacturing, Agribusiness and Services, managing all operations in these sectors worldwide.

Shada Islam is a respected and well-known Brussels-based commentator on European Union affairs who now works independently as an advisor/analyst/strategist on questions related to Europe Africa Asia Geopolitics Trade and Inclusion. She is Senior Advisor at European Policy Centre, after having worked as Director for Europe and Geopolitics at
Friends of Europe think tank.

Dr. Shinichi Kitaoka is President of the Japan International Cooperation Agency. He is
Emeritus Professor of the University of Tokyo, Emeritus Professor of Rikkyo University and Adjunct Professor of GRIPS. He received many honors and awards including the Medal with Purple Ribbon for his academic achievements in 2011.

Simone is responsible for the Bank’s strategic planning and performance function, communications, legal, risk and audit teams, and the Board secretariat. Simone is also responsible for leading and co-ordinating bank-wide strategies including Climate change, Te Ao Māori and South Pacific remittances.

Simonetta Di Pippo is Director of UN Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), a position which sees her lead the Office’s strategic, policy and programmatic activities and advising the UN Secretary-General on space affairs. Prior to joining UNOOSA, she served as Director of Human Spaceflight at the European Space Agency, and previously also as Director of the Observation of the Universe at the Italian National Space Agency, ASI. She is an Academician of IAA and a member of WEF Global Future Council on Space Technologies since 2016 and its co-chair since 2020. She co-founded Women in Aerospace Europe in 2009 and in 2017 became a UN International Gender Champion.

She holds a Master’s Degree in Astrophysics and Space Physics from University “La Sapienza”, and Honoris Causa Degree in Environmental Studies, and an Honoris Causa Degree of Doctor in International Affairs. Ms. Di Pippo was knighted by the President of the Italian Republic in 2006 and, in 2008, the International Astronomical Union assigned the name "dipippo" to asteroid 21887 in recognition of her efforts in space exploration. She was also featured in a publication HERstory: A Celebration of Leading Women in the United Nations, a tribute to women’s participation in the development of the UN. Among other awards, she was awarded the Hubert Curien Award in 2018 as the first woman laureate.

Sophie Bellon started her career in 1984 in finance in the United States. She joined Sodexo in 1994 and participated in key milestones in the company’s development. Sophie Bellon has been Chairwoman of Sodexo’s Board of Directors since January 2016. She continues to develop the Group with the ambition to adapt the company to a fast-changing world while upholding Sodexo’s powerful fundamentals, including the combination of economic performance and social progress. Sophie Bellon is also a member of L’Oréal’s Board of Directors.

Søren became CEO of EDFI in 2016. He holds a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard University. He started his professional career with the United Nations (UN) Secretariat before he joined McKinsey & Company and subsequently co-founded the consulting firm Dalberg Global Development Advisors.

Ms Stefania Giannini was appointed UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education in May 2018, becoming the top UN official in the field. In this position, she provides strategic vision and leadership for UNESCO in coordinating and monitoring the implementation of the Education 2030 Agenda, encapsulated in Sustainable Development Goal 4.
With an academic background in the Humanities, Ms Giannini has served as Rector of the University for Foreigners of Perugia (2004 – 2012), being one of the first and youngest women to hold this position in Italy. As Senator of the Republic of Italy (2013 – 2018) and Minister of Education, Universities and Research (2014 – 2016), she developed and implemented a structural reform of the Italian education system, centered on social inclusion and cultural awareness. She has also been closely involved in an advisory capacity with the European Commissioner for Research and Innovation.

Stuart Russell is a Professor of Computer Science at Berkeley, an Honorary Fellow of Wadham College, Oxford, and an Andrew Carnegie Fellow. He is the author (with Peter Norvig) of “Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach,” the standard text in the field. He has been active in arms control for nuclear and autonomous weapons. His latest book, “Human Compatible,” addresses the long-term impact of AI on humanity.

Susana Escária is the Director of Foresight and Planning Services at General Secretariat for Environment (Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, Portugal). She hold that position since July 2014. Chief of Cabinet and Economic Adviser of the Secretary of State of Industry at the Minister of Economy, in Portugal (December 2015 until May 2017); coordinator of the Industry 4.0 Initiative. Graduated in Economics, Master’s in Management and Industrial Strategy, Foresight Course in Futuribles. Lisbon Centre’s Focal Point in FC4S (UNEP).

Tanja Gönner has served as Chair of the Management Board of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH since July 2012. She studied law, 2002-2004 she was member of the German Parliament, 2004 Min. of Social Affairs of the state of Baden-Württemberg, 2005-2010 Min. of Environment, Nature Conservation and Transport, 2011 she was member of the state parliament. She is member of dena Supervisory Board and Advisory Board of the Federal Academy for Security Policy (BAKS).

"Prior to her appointment as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at Rwanda Green Fund, Mrs. Teddy Mugabo served as the Head of Business Development at the same institution. In her previous role, she coordinated efforts to mobilize resources toward the country's green ambitions.
Mugabo has a post-graduate Science Degree in Climate Change and Development from
the University of Sussex & Institute Of Development Studies (IDS). She boasts eight
years of experience in the Climate Change and Environmental sector."

As President and CEO of the IIF, Mr. Adams is responsible for developing and executing the Institute’s programs under the guidance of the Board of Directors. Prior to the IIF, Mr. Adams served as Managing Director of The Lindsey Group, an economic advisory firm based in Washington, DC. Previously, he served as Under Secretary for International Affairs at the U.S. Department of Treasury.

Trisha Shetty is a social activist and lawyer from Mumbai, India. She started SheSays, a non-profit organization working for gender equality through youth and civic-society engagement. Her organization works on public safety, security, quality education, good health and well-being, digital literacy, sanitation, public policy and advocacy through a gender-sensitive lens. Trisha is also an Obama Foundation Scholar at Columbia University and sits on the Global Leadership Council for The Museum for the United Nations - UN Live.

Dr. Kerry is the co-founder and CEO of Seed Global Health (Seed), a non-profit that focuses on the power of investing in health and the health workforce for social well-being, economic growth, equity which transforms countries. Through partnership with governments and in-country academic institutions, under Vanessa’s tenure Seed has helped train close to 20,000 doctors, nurses and midwives and has impacted hundreds of thousands of lives. Seed's impact is rooted in its unique leveraging model that not only provides better care to patients, but also trains future generations, supports the health sector and catalyzes change in the health system.
She graduated from Yale University summa cum laude and Harvard Medical School cum laude, completing her clinical training at Massachusetts General Hospital. She earned her Master’s in Health Policy, Planning, and Financing from the London Schools of Economics and of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. She is currently a critical care physician at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and serves as the Associate Director of Partnerships and Global Initiatives at MGH Global Health. She directs the Global Public Policy and Social Change program at Harvard Medical School where she has focused on links between security and health.

Since 2017, she leads the Gender, Women and Civil Society department at AfDB. She also
sits on French President Macron’s Presidential Council for Africa. Prior to that, she served in various positions at the World Economic Forum, Terrafina and AV Consulting.

On Dec. 4, 2017, Vi Lyles was sworn in as the 59^th mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina. She began her second term on Dec. 2, 2019, after receiving more than 77% of the vote in the general election.

As a Democratic leader, Mayor Lyles is known for her strong commitment toward creating jobs, expanding affordable housing options and supporting safe, livable neighborhoods. She is also an advocate for increased transportation alternatives and improved access to public transit.

Mayor Lyles received a bachelor's degree in political science from Queens University and a master's degree in public administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Under her leadership, the City of Charlotte continues to grow into an epicenter of commerce and a thriving market for technological advancement.

Virginijus Sinkevičius is the present Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, at the European Commission. Mr Sinkevičius was from 2017 to 2019 Minister of Economy, and before he was leading the Committee of Economy at the Parliament of Lithuania. Mr. Sinkevičius was elected to the Parliament in October 2016. Prior, he was a Team Lead for Regulatory Affairs at Invest Lithuania. Mr. Sinkevičius holds BA in International Relations and Affairs from Aberystwyth University and Master‘s degree in European International Affairs from Maastricht University.

Dr Vivian Balakrishnan is the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister-in-charge of the Smart Nation Initiative. He has held ministerial appointments including Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports, and Second Minister for Trade and Industry.

Before election to Parliament in 2001, he was CEO of the Singapore General Hospital. He studied Medicine at the National University of Singapore after being awarded the President’s Scholarship in 1980, and specialised in ophthalmology after graduation.

Dr Werner Hoyer has been President of the EIB since January 2012. He served as Member of the Bundestag for 24 years and been Minister of State twice at the Foreign Office. He also served as Whip and Secretary General of the FDP as well as President of the European Liberal Democratic Reform Party.

Dr. Khan has been a healthcare executive for the last 25 years in Asia and Africa. She has experience in working in the University/Teaching Hospitals, as well as being exposed to primary to tertiary non-academic healthcare environments. She is also a Consultant for Joint Commission International. Currently Dr. Khan is part of the Global COVID – 19 Preparedness and Response team of the Aga Khan Development Network. Dr. Khan has well-developed management and leadership skills with a strong understanding of both strategic and operational aspects of nursing and quality, capital and resource planning and overall clinical programme feasibility. She has been involved as a senior leader to develop strategic and operational plans to achieve nursing excellence and culture of safety in multiple healthcare settings. She has spearheaded initiatives such as developing institutional multidisciplinary risk management framework, clinical indicators, and quality management systems. Additionally, she has significant experience in planning, design, construction, and occupation of health facilities, with an understanding of the synergies and inter-relations between clinical and non-clinical functions.

Broadcaster Zeinab Badawi studied at Oxford University and SOAS London University. She is best known for her work on  "Hard Talk"  "Global Questions" and  a major  tv series of Africa’s  history on the BBC. Zeinab has received many awards including honorary doctorates,  the President’s Medal by the British Academy and  the Sir Brian  Urquhart award for distinguished service to the UN.  She has sat on many public bodies and   is the current Chair of the Royal African Society, a trustee  of  the Royal Foundation, the Royal Opera House, BBC Media Action and other institutions.

Born in Tarrafal, Cape Verde, Élisabeth Moreno is the Minister for Gender Equality, Diversity and Equal Opportunities reporting to the Prime Minister. With a Master’s degree in Business Law from the Paris-Est Créteil University as well as a double Executive MBA from ESSEC and the Mannheim Business School in Germany, she rounded off her education and professional training at the National School of Magistrates to qualify as judge at the Tribunal de Commerce. Élisabeth Moreno has spent most of her professional career in business. In 1990, she cofounded a company specialising in thermal rehabilitation that she managed for seven years before making a shift and joining France Télécom to manage the SME-SMI division for the southern region of Paris. In 2000, she joined the Dell group where, for twelve years, she held successive positions until she became commercial director in charge of strategic accounts for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Following on from this experience, she joined the Lenovo Group in 2012, where she was responsible for key accounts in southern Europe before extending this responsibility to cover the Europe, Middle East and Africa region in 2015. A year later, she was appointed Chairman and CEO of the French subsidiary of the IT group. As a socially-conscious woman, she also invests her time in associations focusing on education, inclusion and professional diversity. On 6 July 2020, she was appointed by the President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron, as minister for Gender Equality, Diversity and Equal Opportunities, reporting to the Prime Minister.