Global Conversation 2023 Speakers

Joanna J Bryson is an academic recognised for broad expertise on intelligence, its nature, and its consequences.  Holding two degrees each in psychology and AI (BA Chicago, MSc & MPhil Edinburgh, PhD MIT), Bryson is since 2020 the Professor of Ethics and Technology at Hertie School in Berlin. She is a founding member of Hertie School’s Centre for Digital Governance, and one of Germany’s nine nominated experts to the Global Partnership for AI, where she co-chairs the committee on AI Governance. Bryson advises governments, corporations, and other agencies globally, particularly on AI policy. Her research has appeared in venues ranging from reddit to the journal Science. From 2002-2019 she was Computer Science faculty at the University of Bath; she has also been affiliated with Harvard Psychology, Oxford Anthropology, The Mannheim Centre for Social Science Research, The Konrad Lorenz Institute for Evolution and Cognition Research, and the Princeton Center for Information Technology Policy. Her present research focuses are the impacts of technology on human societies, and improving models of governance for AI and digital technology.

Anzetse Were is a development economist with over 12 years of experience in economic research, analysis, advising and strategy development focused on Africa. She works with and advises governments, private sector, academia/ think tanks and development institutions from around the world to help them navigate the complex realities of African economies. Her areas of expertise include the financial sector and finance systems in Africa; private sector development; the digital economy; climate finance; and the political economy of finance and development in Africa. She has a Master’s in Economics from the University of Sydney (Australia) and a Bachelor’s degree from Brown University (USA).

Thomas Krogh Jensen is the CEO of Copenhagen Fintech. Anchored in the Nordic region’s renowned design and digital traditions, Copenhagen FinTech strives to support human-centric financial solutions with the potential to shape our global society. Copenhagen FinTech, is building the most inclusive and expansive FinTech ecosystem. With a focus on human-centric solutions for a greater purpose, they help startups get off the ground by connecting them with financial institutions, research organizations, governments, NGOs and individuals who want to make a difference.

Sarah Biller is the Executive Director of Vantage Ventures.  She is the co-Founder of the FinTech Sandbox, a Boston-based not for profit working providing entrepreneurs free access to high quality data sets, and Capital Market Exchange, a predictive analytics platform for institutional bond investors. Sarah designed and taught the first graduate level course on FinTech at Brandeis University and was the Chief Operating Officer for Innovation Head at State Street Bank’s Global Exchange division and Head of Innovation Ventures.  She was named by Innovate Finance as a Top 150 global women leaders in FinTech, Lattice80’s list of Top 100 Women in FinTech in the UK and Hong Kong and NYC FinTech Women as an Inspiring FinTech Woman. She sits on the board of multiple start-ups and has worked at Fidelity Investments and on MCI’s corporate venture team. She launched and led research divisions for Fortune 500 CFO’s and treasurers at the Corporate Executive Board.

Since the late 90s Chris Colbert has run and helped build several domestic and international companies focused on innovation and business optimization. After leading a bold revamp of Scholastic’s core publishing business and its return to profitable growth, he joined the Harvard Innovation Labs, where he served as Managing Director.

In 2019 he left Harvard to speak to and advise organizations and countries on why and how to embrace change and the importance of adopting new behaviors to fully realize the potential of digital technologies without suffering the unintended consequences and costs. In addition to his leadership advising to the banking, health care and education industries, Chris is the author of This Is It, a provocative work on the importance of innovating oneself and about to publish his second book Technology is Dead. He speaks around the world on a range of topics including global innovation, technology stewardship and the human truth and hosts the popular podcast Insert:Human. He received a BA from Connecticut College and an International MBA from Duke’s Fuqua School of Business.

Chris has served on the Leadership Council of the MGH Cancer Center, The Rose Kennedy Greenway Leadership Council, the MassArt Corporate Advisory Council, Grand Circle, Nilus, Pillar Ventures, Fintech Americas, and Now + There, a non-profit public art organization. 

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Olayinka David-West is a Professor of Information Systems with almost three decades experience in the IT and financial services industry and is a passionate advocate for digital transformation and inclusive finance. Her research and practice engagements involve policy and strategic management interventions towards digitally transformed businesses and society.

Professor David-West is Associate Dean at the Lagos Business School, the premier business school in Nigeria and sits on the school’s Management Board. She leads the Sustainable and Inclusive Digital Financial Services initiative, a research and advocacy initiative dedicated to enhancing financial inclusion in Nigeria.

Olayinka has expert certifications in financial inclusion policy and digital money, is a governing council member of the Fintech Association of Nigeria and a member of the African Women in Finance and Payments. She occasionally consults for and facilitates capacity building sessions for the Central Bank of Nigeria. 

Chaouki is currently Head of AI governance and Thought Leadership at AXA Group Emerging Tech and Data department. As part of GO/GETD mandate, he leads effort on setting up the most appropriate framework for accelerating AI adoption at the core of AXA business  in the most responsible way. Prior to that, he worked for the French Foreign office and for the French Ministry of Finance. He graduated from SOAS – University of London and Sciences Po Bordeaux in Political Science and Economics.

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Aiko has a background in Informatics with a doctoral degree in experimental software engineering. She has +10 years of experience in data analytics within the logistics, retail and finance industries. She is currently leading the ESG Data Task Force, which has as mission to ensure top-of-class ESG analytics and timely access to ESG data for the Corporate. She believes in responsible use of Data, AI, and Technology, and is a passionate advocate for data literacy in DNB. In addition to being a Data Scientist at DNB, Aiko is an Adjunct Associate Professor at OsloMet – Oslo Metropolitan University, where she has taught courses in Data Science and supervised students.

As Vice President of the ESRM team at Citi, Howard works with banking partners and clients to manage environmental and social risks across a variety of sectors globally. He conducts reviews on clients and transactions, and supports the development of Citi’s policies and approaches to sustainable finance and ESG-related financial products.

Prior to joining Citi, Howard managed sustainable finance programs at the United Nations. In partnership with companies, investors, and other market participants, he supported the development of thought leadership and facilitated investor engagement around the Sustainable Development Goals.

Howard has spent most of his career between the private and nonprofit sectors, having served as a Senior Program Officer at the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and as an environmental consultant for development banks, governments, and philanthropic foundations. Prior to becoming a sustainability professional, he held sales and finance roles at a number of corporations including Deutsche Borse, Vodafone, and the New York Times.

Howard graduated with a BSc in Economics and Politics from the London School of Economics (LSE), a Master’s in Public Policy from the Hertie School of Governance, and a Master of Public Administration from Columbia University.

Nicolò Ciocci is a Sustainable Finance Consultant at the United Nations Global Compact, the biggest voluntary CSR initiative in the world.

He started his academic career at LUISS Guido Carli University, completing his Bachelor’s Degree in Economics and Management in 2015. After that, he attended the ESCP Europe Business School and completed the Master in Management (MiM) programme in 2018, graduating from the ESCP Europe, the University of Turin, the City University of London and the Universidad Carlos III in Madrid.

During the ESCP Europe MiM, he had the chance to work in Consulting (at Porsche Consulting) and Tech (Salesforce) and started to work for the UN Global Compact in May 2019. At the UN Global Compact, Nicolò was part of the team behind the publication of several papers including the one on SDG Bonds in September 2019. He then contributed to the birth of the CFO Taskforce for the SDGs initiative from 15 members to the current 70, working with real-economy corporations to issue important materials for CFOs worldwide such as the CFO Principles on Integrated SDG Investments and Finance.

Julie Garfieldt Kofoed is the Senior Director for Sustainable Development Initiatives with the United Nations Foundation, working on the advancement of the Sustainable Development Goals, the elevation of the least developed countries and the amplification of civil society within the UN system. Julie joined the UNF from a position as Head of Human Rights, Social Sustainability, at the UN Global Compact (2019-2021), the United Nations’ corporate sustainability initiative. In this capacity, she led the UN Global Compact’s engagement on human rights with businesses, Governments, law firms and associations, civil society, and the UN system to promote the Global Compact’s Ten Principles and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Agenda at the global and local level. 

Prior to her work with the UN Global Compact Julie served in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, most recently as the Senior Human Rights Policy Adviser with the Permanent Mission of Denmark to the United Nations in New York (2012 – 2019). She has extensive experience in United Nations negotiations on, inter alia, sustainable development, gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls, the rights of indigenous peoples and has led numerous negotiations on General Assembly resolutions on the prevention of torture. 

Julie has held a number of positions in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark including Head of Section, EU Law Department, Center for Legal Services (2011-2012) and Human Rights Adviser and Attaché to the Permanent Missions of Denmark to the UN in both Geneva and New York (2010). Julie has furthermore worked as an attorney and assistant attorney with a Copenhagen-based corporate law firm (2003-2010).

Julie holds a master’s degree in law from the University of Copenhagen.

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Megan Roberts is the Director of Policy Planning at the United Nations Foundation, where she works across the foundation’s policy priorities with a particular focus on multilateral cooperation and digital and technology policy. Prior to joining the Foundation, she held positions at the Council on Foreign Relations, the International Foundation for Electoral Systems, and the Center on International Cooperation at NYU. She has conducted extensive research on multilateralism, peace operations, peacebuilding, new technologies, and UN affairs.

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Prof. Pérez is the Director of the FAIR Center for Financial Access, Inclusion and Research, at the
Business School of Tecnológico de Monterrey. He has a degree in Administration and Finance from Universidad Panamericana, an MBA with a specialization in Finance from IEST-Anahuac and a Ph.D. in Economics and Administrative Sciences, with honors, from Universidad Autónoma de
Querétaro.

He is currently Professor at the Accounting and Finance Department of the Business School of
Tecnológico de Monterrey and is partner of GON International, a business consulting firm in
Washington, DC. He has served as Senior Financial Intelligence Consultant at E&Y; Manager of
Retirement and Mutual Funds at Profuturo GNP; consultant, professor, international speaker, and researcher on financial inclusion, fintech and microfinance.

Dr. Pérez is author of the books “Popular Finance in Mexico” and “Management of Individual
Capitalization Pension Funds in the Mexican Context” and several scientific papers; he is member of the National System of Researchers, member of the technical comittee of the “Mexican Institute of Finance Excecutives index”, Board Member of the Fintech Comission at the “Mexican Employers Comission” and a honorary member of the Mexican Actuarial College (CAM). He also serves as volunteer in the Family Council of the Municipality of Queretaro, Mexico.

Since 16 of January 2020 Kilian Gross is Head of Unit A/2 in DG CNECT responsible for policy development and coordination with regard to Artificial Intelligence. Following the work of the High-Level Expert Group the Unit has drafted a White Paper on Artificial Intelligence, which presents the options on how to promote the uptake of Artificial Intelligence and how to address at the same time the risk associated with certain uses of this new technology. Based on the results of the Public Consultation on the White Paper, in April 2021 his Unit has proposed a legal framework, aiming to address the risks generated by specific uses of AI as well as an updated Coordinated Plan aiming to align AI policy support measures among EU Member States. The Unit is currently following up the process for the adoption of the legal proposal as well as the implementation of the Coordinated Plan on AI. In addition, Kilian Gross leads the legal team, which has prepared the proposal for a European Chips Act.

Beforehand since November 2015 Kilian Gross was a member of the Cabinet of Commissioner Oettinger. Within the Cabinet, he was mainly responsible for the Commission Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) and DG HR. 

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Digital transformation, ai governance and geopolitics

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Change management, digital platforms, transformational entrepreneurship

Emerging ecosystems of educational technology in higher learning institutions.

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