Agenda

Doreen Bogdan-Martin was elected Director of the ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau in November 2018 and took office on 1 January 2019, and is the first woman in ITU history to hold one of the organization’s top elected management positions. She is a strategic leader with more than 30 years’ high-level experience in international and inter-governmental relations, and a long history of success in policy and strategy development, analysis and execution. ​ 
She was an architect of the annual Global Symposium for Regulators, the pre-eminent global event for digital policy-makers, and leads ITU’s contribution to the EQUALS Global Partnership for Gender Equality in the Digital Age. For more than a decade she has served as Executive Director of the UN Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development, and is leading ITU’s collaboration with UNICEF on the Giga project to connect all the world’s schools. Ms Bogdan-Martin is a frequent speaker at top-level international policy events, and is spearheading ITU’s new Youth Strategy to more actively engage with the young people who are driving the next wave of digital transformation.
She holds a Master’s degree in International Communications Policy from the American University in Washington, DC and a post-graduate certificate in Strategies for Leadership from the Institute for Management Development in Lausanne, Switzerland. She is an affiliate of the Harvard University Berkman-Klein Center for Internet and Society, and is a Generation Unlimited Champion and a Champion of the EDISON Alliance led by the World Economic Forum. She serves on a number of advisory bodies, including the Geneva-Tsinghua Initiative, the SDG Lab Advisory Board, the UN Technology Innovation Labs, and the Alumni Expert Council of the Internet Governance Lab of the American University in Washington D.C. She is also a qualified amateur radio operator.

Amali De Silva - Mitchell, is founder and Coordinator of the United Nations Internet Governance Forum (IGF) recognized Dynamic Coalition on Data Driven Health Technologies. She founded the North American Civil Society Caucus during WSIS PrepCom I. She is past President Vancouver Community Network(ISP), past Director Freedom of Information & Privacy Association of British Columbia, past Director (& Editor Global Village Calendar) United Nations Association Victoria, BC. She also currently participates with EuroDIG events and is an individual EURALO(ICANN) and ISOC UK member. She is a Chartered Professional Accountant of British Columbia Canada, and holds a BSc(Hons) degree in Economics from the University of Warwick UK; MSc International Accounting & Finance degree from the London School of Economics UK and pursued the MSc Computer Science Program at Imperial College (not completed) UK. 
She currently works as an accountant with an interest in risk management and has worked in the technology, manufacturing, natural resources, accounting and consulting, civil society and provincial government sectors for the past 25 years. She is also an artist. She is a dual British and Sri Lankan national.

Reinhard Scholl is Deputy to the Director of the ITU-T Secretariat (TSB) since September 2002. Previously he has been with Siemens in Munich, Germany and with ETSI (European Telecommunications Standards Institute). He received a Ph.D. in physics from the University of Illinois, USA.

Experience in: Public policy - Tax & Customs Administration and Revenue Audit, ICT & e-Gov, Trade, Industry & Mining and Transport and Media.
Public policy research, analysis, reporting, monitoring, evaluation and management skills.
Program & project formulation & project management relating to public policy, good governance, taxation, e-government, etc. and change management practices.
5 years of active field duty with the Royal Bhutan Army. Undergone specialization in Counter Insurgency operations.
•   Joint recipient of the DrukYugyel Medal.
•   Was member of Jangsa Animal Protection Society.
Member contributor to the Youth Development Fund of Bhutan. 

Secretary, Ministry of Information and Communications:
•   Policy, planning and strategy relating to the Ministry of Information and Communications.
•   Responsible for policy and regulatory oversights for:– Department of Information Technology and Telecom, Department of Information and Media, Department of Road Safety and Transport Authority, Department of Air Transport, Department of Civil Aviation, Bhutan InfoComm and Media Authority (BICMA).
•   Chair to BICMA and Bhutan Post Corpn. Ltd Board.
Planning, Policy and Strategic

As Director General of Spectrum Management and Standardization of Post and ICT, Ministry of ICT of Indonesia, Dr. Ismail leads the directorate general with approximately 2200 civil servants throughout Indonesia to fulfill an effective, efficient, dynamic and optimal frequency spectrum management, as well as encouraging the use of innovative technology that meets technical requirements. Currently, He is focusing on how government could drive the ICT ecosystem thus Indonesia could harness the full potentials through digital transformation, digital economy, and industry 4.0.
Dr. Ismail has been with The Government of Republic of Indonesia for 27 years. Prior to his current role, he was one of the initiator of Palapa Ring, a pivotal project to connect all provinces and capital districts with high capacity national backbone.

Dr. Eschweiler took up his service as one of the two vice presidents of the Bundesnetzagentur on 1 May 2014. His responsibility includes telecommunications and rail. Prior to that, he was responsible for the European ICT policy in the Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy, where he served as head of unit from 2007 until April 2014. From 2002 until 2006 he was head of unit for international telecoms and postal services policy.

Mr. Ansari is a renowned technology entrepreneur and Internet advocate who has vast experience in technology systems, content, and education. He helped tens of startups to establish and grow. Ansari previously served as a Board Director with over 7 national, regional and global institutions, such as the Afghan Computer Science Association, Open Source Afghanistan, National ICT Alliance of Afghanistan, Open Source Alliance of Central Asia, World IT and Services Alliance, Internet Society Afghanistan, and IT Companies Association of Afghanistan. In 2016 Mr. Ansari was appointed by the UN Secretary-General as a Member of the Global Internet Governance Forum (IGF)’s Multi stakeholder Advisory Group to advise the Secretary-General on the program and schedule of the UN IGF meetings. He also worked with Microsoft, Facebook, and Google on various technology and content-related initiatives.

Dr. P.D. Vaghela joined as Chairman, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on 1st October, 2020. Prior to joining TRAI, Dr.Vaghela was Secretary, Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers.   Dr.Vaghela had graduated in Commerce in the year 1982.  He did his M.B.A (Master of Business Administration) with specialization in Financial Management in 1984 and also obtained M.A in Development Studies (Public Policy & Management) from the Institute of Social Studies, the Hague in the Netherlands in the year 2005.  He was decorated with a Doctorate in the year 2013 in Public Management and Policy by Sardar Patel University, Anand, Gujarat.
He joined  Indian Administrative  Service [IAS]  in 1986.  He has  held various assignments starting from District level to State level, during which he had won a number of awards for excellence as best Collector & District Magistrate 86 District Development Officer. In his assignment as Chairman, Kandla Port (2008-2013), the port was  awarded  as the  best  port for  five  years of his  tenure.  He worked as  Chief Commissioner of Sales Tax, in Gujarat, during which period he has played a major role in drafting GST law, its rules and fixing GST rates of goods and services as Convener of national level GST Law and GST Fitment Committees.  He was closely involved in the GST  implementation  at national  level  as a  key  member of GST  Implementation Committee.
As  Secretary Pharmaceuticals,  he  has launched  four  ambitious schemes  to transform the sector. He also worked as Convenor of Empowered Group 3 (now EG2) which handled availability of critical medical supplies like PPE, N-95, Ventilators and testing kits. Today India is  exporting these  items  for which India was otherwise dependent on imports during pre-covid time. In May, 2018 Dr. Vaghela was honoured by Hon'ble Prime Minister of India for excellence   in  Public   Administration   while  appreciating   his   contribution   in implementation of GST in India.

Appointed by the Swedish Government, Dan Sjöblom is the Director-General of the Swedish Post and Telecom Authority (PTS) since February 1, 2017.  
He was during 2020 the Chair of the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC) and serves as a vice Chair in 2021 responsible for international cooperation. In 2020 he also chaired the ITU GSR. Mr. Sjöblom is also during 2021 the vice Chair of EU and EaP electronic communications regulatory platform (EaPeReg).
Prior to taking up his position at PTS, Mr. Sjöblom was the Director General of the Swedish Competition Authority from 2009 to 2017.
He is also board member of the Swedish Broadband Council.
 
Mr. Sjöblom performed various functions as a civil servant at the European Commission between 1996-2009. He holds a Master of Laws from Stockholm University.

Rob Skidmore is Chief of Sector and Enterprise Competitiveness Section (SEC) at the International Trade Centre (ITC) where he leads the Value added to Trade Programme. Under VA2T, ITC teams help SMEs to build value through improving customer relationships, creating supportive eco-systems and building firm capabilities.
ITC’s portfolio covers projects in cocoa, coffee, horticulture, coconuts, cotton and specialty crops and ranges from the Caribbean to East Africa to Pakistan and Nepal.  Rob oversees the implementation of ITC’s Fast Track Tech and ecomConnect programmes which support digital entrepreneurialism and the accelerated adoption of e-commerce in developing and least developed countries. 
He holds an MA from Johns Hopkins SAIS and a BA from the University of Wisconsin.

Prof. Goyal, Senior Telecom Professional is Post Graduate in Science with experience of about 43 years in Telecom/IT. He is President, CMAI Association of India (CMAI), which is India largest ICT association of India with 48,500 members and 54 MOU partners worldwide. Prof. Goyal is the only person in the world havingjoined five consecutive years the Ribbon Cutting and inauguration of world’s largest ConsumerElectronic show called CES, Las Vegas.

Chairman Emeritus of Telecom Equipments Manufacturers Association of India (TEMA); Vice Chairman, ITU APT India; Chairman CTIA, India; Ambassador for India and South Asia, Commonwealth Telecom Organization, UK; President Cyber Security Association of India( CSAI); President Association of Educational Institutes and Universities( AEIU); and is actively involved in policy formulations and development of industrial policies specially related to telecom, mobile, cyber security, ICT, education and skills development sector. He is member of about hundred committees/groups formed by Government in this behalf. He is also Member Governing Council, Government of India, Telecom Equipment & Services Export Promotion Council, to promote exports under Ministry of Commerce and Industries and Chairman of India Trade Promotion Services, Dubai.

He is Professor and Adviser with Gujarat Technological University, Ahmadabad. He is also Government appointed Director on the Board of Directors of National Fertilizers Ltd., Government of India PSU.