Online Workshop on the Role of Telecommunications/ICTs for Disaster Risk Reduction and Management for the Americas - Speakers

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Mr. Bruno Ramos
Regional Director ​
ITU Americas Regional Office

Mr. Bruno Ramos is the Regional Director for the Americas region of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), the United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies – ICTs. 

Since 2013, Mr. Ramos has led the ITU Americas Regional Office, based in Brasilia, Brazil, and the ITU Area Offices in Barbados, Chile and Honduras. He is responsible for maintaining and developing relationships with high-level representatives of ITU Member States and of telecommunications and ICT related regional and international organizations in order to adopt initiatives and projects related to the development of ICTs in the region. 

As ITU’s highest ranked representative in the Americas, Mr. Ramos is responsible for establishing partnerships to advance ITU’s mandate and speaks on behalf of the specialized UN agency to promote its work toward meaningful connectivity and connecting the unconnected in the region.  As the coordinator of regional telecommunication development efforts, Mr. Ramos is currently involved in the regional preparation of the Americas for the World Telecommunications Development Conference (WTDC), which will take place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in 2022. 

Before the ITU, Mr. Ramos’ career had been focused on the telecommunications sector and a variety of ICT related issues in Brazil. He worked for TELESP and TELEBRAS (public sector telecom companies) for 15 years and was then appointed the senior position of Superintendent for Data, Mobile and Satellite Communication at the Brazilian National Telecommunications Agency (ANATEL), where he worked for over 16 years. He graduated in Electronic Engineering from the Escola Politécnica da Universidade de São Paulo (USP) and holds two Masters’ degrees, one in Telecommunication Regulation and the other in Electronic Engineering, from the Universidade de Brasilia (UnB).

 
Mr. Clifford A. Bostic
Director of Digital Infrastructure
Ministry of Innovation, Science and Smart Technology
Barbados​

Clifford’s Management experience includes: Director Digital Infrastructure, Chief Telecommunications Officer, Deputy Chief Telecommunications Officer, Manager Retail Sales and Services, Manager, Projects and Programs,Team Leader Development – Call Center Services, Coordinator – Service Management Center, Training and Development Officer, Part –Time Lecturer & Teacher UWI & Barbados Community College His experience in Information & Communications Technologies spans over thirty-five (35) years in the industry. He is married with one son and enjoys gardening, cycling, sightseeing and Formula 1 motor sports.​ ​

 
Ms. Isabelle Carboni
Insights Director
GSMA Mobile for Development

Isabelle Carboni is Insights Director for the GSMA Mobile for Development, where she heads research and insights on digital inclusion of underserved populations, especially women. Prior to GSMA, Isabelle led research for a South African based think tank, focused on financial inclusion and digital skills in low- and middle-income countries. She has 20 years of international development experience in monitoring and evaluation, spanning 25 countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America. As the Global Technical Director for Evaluation at World Vision International she developed an evaluation system and compendium of indicators to better measure child wellbeing across 63 countries, which is still used today. She holds an MSc in Development Management from LSE and a BA in International Relations from Sussex University.  After 12 years in Africa she moved to London in 2020 to take up the position with GSMA. ​

 

Ms. Patricia Falconi Castillo
Undersecretary of Telecommunications and Postal Affairs
Ministry of Telecommunications and Information Society of Ecuador
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Patricia Falconi is Undersecretary of Telecommunications and Postal Affairs at the Ministry of Telecommunications and Information Society of Ecuador. Regulatory lawyer, specialized in administrative and telecommunications law. She has practiced her career in the regulatory areas of public and private telecommunications companies in Ecuador. On the other hand, she has been advisor to the Vice Minister of Communications of Peru; and, she has served as a consultant and Regulatory Trainer for government entities. She is a University Professor. ​

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Ms. Maritza Delgado
Program Officer of the Environment and Emergency Telecommunications
ITU

Ms. Maritza Delgado is a Program Officer of the Environment and Emergency Telecommunications Division within the International Telecommunication Union’s (ITU) Telecommunications Development Bureau (BDT). Maritza is responsible in the context of emergency telecommunications for developing ICT projects for early warning, disaster management and risk reduction, and for providing assistance for disaster mitigation, prevention, response and recovery. She holds a University degree in Electronic Engineering and Telecommunications and has over 13 years of experience in the field of disaster management. Her recent focus is on encouraging countries: to develop their own emergency telecommunication plans, integrated with the national emergency plan; to design an early warning system addressing hazard threats that affect the region; and, to include ICTs in their early warning systems. ​

Engineer Daniel Diaz Ataucuri
Executive Director
INICTEL-UNI

Daniel Diaz is Electronic Engineer from the National University of Engineering. He holds a Master degree in Electronics from the Southwest State University of Russia (SWSU). Highly specialized studies in Telematics at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM). Master in Telematics at the National University of Engineers. He is a researcher at RENACYT, with several publications in conferences and indexed journals. He has more than 30 years of experience in Telecommunications in the public sector. He has served as Director of Research and Technological Development. He is currently Executive Director of INICTEL-UNI and full professor at the National University of Engineering and Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos.

Ms. Kim Mallalieu
Deputy Chair
Board of the Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago

 

Kim Mallalieu (BS MIT, MS UR and PhD UCL) is a senior lecturer and the leader of the Communication Systems Group in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at The University of the West Indies. She is a past Head of Department, and developer of the Master's in Telecommunications Regulation and Policy, MRP (Telecommunications), having coordinated its delivery to participants from over thirty developing countries around the world.

As Principal Investigator of the Caribbean ICT Research Programme (CIRP), founding member of Diálogo Regional sobre Sociedad de la Información (DIRSI), and Leader of the ICT4Fisheries Consortium, Dr. Mallalieu is engaged in multidisciplinary action research on context appropriate strategies for the purposeful application of information and communications technologies (ICT) for human good; with an emphasis on building the resilience of underserved populations. She is a regular speaker, chair and multichannel contributor to international fora on topics relating to development-focused technology, policy and regulation. As a keen advocate for gender equality for development, her works include the ITU/ETC report on Women, ICT and emergency telecommunications. In other capacities she has led national, regional and international initiatives variously designed to build capacity in ICT policy, regulation, development, application and use.

​Dr Mallalieu is Deputy Chair of the Board of the Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago (TATT) where she served as an inaugural member. She otherwise has a rich service portfolio, having sat on several commissions, committees and panels at regional, national and institutional levels in operational as well as advisory roles. She is a Fulbright Fellow and the recipient of local, regional and international teaching and research awards, and other awards of distinction. Dr Mallalieu is a licensed amateur radio as well as GMDSS short range operator, and member of Radio Emergency Associated Communication Teams (REACT).

Ms. Lizania Pérez 
Telematics Engineer

Lizania Pérez is a Telematics Engineer, graduated from the Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra, recent Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic; She is also a Specialist in Management Information Systems, a degree obtained at the Technological Institute of Santo Domingo. In turn, she specialized in Telecommunications Economics and Regulation at the International Ibero-American University of Puerto Rico. She has completed two Master's Degrees, the first in Telecommunications Management and Information Technology at the School of Industrial Organization of Madrid, Spain and the second was a Master's in Cybersecurity, held at the Technological Institute of Santo Domingo. She held various positions in the Dominican Institute of Telecommunications (INDOTEL), the regulatory body of said sector in the Dominican Republic, assuming roles as an IT professional, in the Directorate of Information and Communication Technologies of said entity, she also held the position of Specialist Engineer in the Directorate of Telecommunications Regulation and Defense of Competition and finally assumed as Engineer of the Department of Cybersecurity, Electronic Commerce and Digital Signature. She has worked as a Cybersecurity coordinator in other private sector entities and currently holds the position of Executive Secretary in the Regional Telecommunications Technical Commission, a specialized organization of the Central American Integration System (SICA).

Mr. Bennette Thomas
Director of Telecommunications & Technology /ICT Advisor
Ministry of Information, Science Telecommunications and Technology
Government of Dominica​

Mr. Bennette Thomas is the Director of Telecommunications and Technology, ICT Advisor and Chief Technical Advisor to the Minister and the Cabinet of the Commonwealth of Dominica.

Mr. Thomas has over 25 years' experience in the telecommunications sector across the Eastern Caribbean having played a major role in pioneering the telecommunications liberalization process in the (Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Member countries as Head of Technical Operations for the Triple Play Company, Marpin telecoms. His tireless work in seeking interconnection for Marpin Telecoms saw the establishment of the region's first regional multi-national regulatory Organization which became the regulatory body for five (5) Countries – a first in the Western Hemisphere. This unified regulatory organization is called the Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Authority (ECTEL).

Additionally, Mr. Thomas has worked in various senior level technical and managerial positions in all the major telecommunications Service Providers in the OECS including Cable & Wireless (FLOW) and Digicel. He is presently Chairman of the Spectrum Management Steering Committee of the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU) and a Commissioner of the CTU-established Commission for Caribbean Communication Resilience (CCCR). He is presently Chair of the CARICOM Technical Advisory Committee for the Elimination of Roaming within CARICOM.

Mr. Thomas has a Masters in Application Development from Information Builders Inc. and previously studied Electrical Engineering at the University of Technology in Jamaica. He also holds professional certification in a number of technical competences and is Government of Dominica's chief delegate to the Government Advisory Committee (GAC) at ICANN.

 
Ms. Elisabeth Riley
Executive Director
Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA)

Ms. Elizabeth Riley is the Executive Director at the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA). Ms. Riley has over 20 years experience in the area of disaster management at the regional and international levels in various capacities. At the operational level, she has played a leadership role in the coordination of regional responses to Hurricane Ivan (2004); the Haiti Earthquake (2010); Tropical Storm Erika (2015), Hurricanes Joaquin (2015), Matthew (2016), Irma (2017), Maria (2017) and Dorian (2019). Her field experience includes the leadership of CDEMA deployment teams in the aftermath of Hurricanes Irma (2017) and Dorian (2019). Ms. Riley is currently playing a leadership role in the coordination of the region’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. She has written, presented and published technical papers in disaster management and environmental management whilst attached to CDEMA and, prior to that, during her tenure at the University of the West Indies and the Ministry of Physical Development and Environment in Barbados.

At the international level, she has contributed to a range of technical advisory committees and is currently Vice-Chair of the ICG/Caribe Early Warning Systems Group of Experts on Coastal Hazards. She also sits on the Regional Advisory Group leading the implementation of the Regional Strategy for Latin America and the Caribbean on Disaster Risk Management in the Agriculture and Food and Nutrition Sectors. Ms. Riley has also lectured in Disaster Management at the University of the West Indies, Mona and Cave Hill. She holds a M.A. (Econ) in Environment and Development from University of Manchester, United Kingdom, BSc. (Hons) in Geography from the University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica and a Masters Certificate in Results Based Monitoring and Evaluation and Information Systems from the University of Laval, Quebec.

 
Mr. Sylvester J. Cadette
ITU Programme Officer
Caribbean Office BDT/AMS/AO

Sylvester Cadette is the Programme Officer in the ITU Area Office based in Bridgetown Barbados for the past eight years. Sylvester is part of ITU’s Emergency Telecommunications Roster.

Prior to the ITU Sylvester served as Director of Telecommunications and Advisor to the Government of the Commonwealth of Dominica and helped shape Dominica's domestic and regional Telecommunications policy at senior policy levels both nationally and regionally. He was also a member of the five-member Project Implementation Committee (PIC) in the World Bank funded OECS Telecoms Reform Project and was one of the key contributors to the formulation of the unique ECTEL/NTRC Telecommunications Regulatory structure.  He also oversaw the implementation of ICT Policy and E-Business Strategy Development & Awareness and Leadership Development; Legislative and regulatory framework; Capacity-Building, Enhancing Skills Base of Work Force, Business-oriented E-government initiatives, Business Skills Development and E-Business Incubation in Dominica.

Sylvester is a Dominican national and holds a Master of Science degree in Telecommunications and Broadcasting from the Ukrainian State Telecommunications Academy and speaks fluent Russian. He is also an alumnus of United States Telecommunications Training Institute (USTTI), as well as training in Spectrum Management and Monitoring at the United States National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), training in telecommunications regulations from the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and he completed modules in Regulatory frameworks at Eli Broad Graduate School of Management at Michigan State University.

 
Mr. Sigifrido Estuardo Rodas Paz
Coordinator of The Amateur Radio Emergency Service
Amateur Radio Club of Guatemala 

Sigfrido Estuardo Rodas Paz, currently Coordinator of the Amateur Radio Emergency Service of the Amateur Radio Club of Guatemala, callsign TG9SRP.  He has been active since 2016, and he has been interested in digital analog conversion, especially in communications systems that provide a solution to emergencies.  In 2018 Sigfrido assisted the Winlink system in Guatemala since its installation, giving support and physical maintenance to the TG0CND Gateway, as well as promoting the use of this means of communication in emergency situations with the institutions in charge such as CONRED, AVE Plan of the Municipality of Guatemala, CBV among others. Together with the members of the Amateur Radio Emergency Service, he has put into operation fixed and mobile stations to facilitate emergency communications using the Winlink system in drills and events that have been attended.  Sigfrido Rodas has a degree in Systems Administration and works as an IT Manager, which allows him to remain active and in constant evolution providing solutions, promoting the use of communication systems.

 
Mr. Rodrigo Robles
Program Officer
ITU Americas Regional Office

Mr. Rodrigo Robles is an industrial engineer and holds a Master's degree in Public Administration. He is currently serving as a Program Officer for the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). As part of the ITU, he has led different studies such as "Policy guidelines and economic aspects of allocation and use of the radioelectric spectrum", "The Development of Mobile Government in Latin America". He has also participated in different topics related to the convergence of telecommunications services, mobile banking, compliance and interoperability of telecommunications equipment, among others. It has also implemented projects in several countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. Prior to being part of the work team of the International Telecommunications Union, Mr. Robles worked for more than 16 years in the Superintendency of Telecommunications of Guatemala (SIT) and worked for 5 years in the Guatemalan Telecommunications Company GUATEL.

Additionally, Mr. Robles coordinated the third update of the Blue Book “Telecommunications Policy for the Americas Region (CITEL and ITU. Mr. Robles chaired the Working Group on Policy and Regulation (GTPR) of the Inter-American Telecommunications Commission (CITEL-OEA ) and was Vice President of the Standardization Committee of the Regional Technical Commission for Telecommunications of Central America (COMTELCA)​.

Mr. Julián Alberto García Román
Regional Director 
Emergency Operations Center (EOC)

Julián Alberto García Román is the Deputy Director of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) of the Dominican Republic and in charge of telecommunications. He was chief of operations for the Dominican Civil Defense and has experience in preparing and responding to emergencies and disasters, he has participated in responses to various storms, hurricanes, earthquakes, and others. He is a specialist in ​​telecommunications and is responsible for ensuring intercommunication with the COE to the institutions of the Dominican state in situations of emergencies or disasters. He is a member of the United Nations Evaluation and Coordination in Disaster Cases (UNDAC).

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Mr. Paul Hamilton
Senior GIS Expert
International Telecommunication Union

Paul Hamilton is a Senior GIS Expert for the International Telecommunication Union’s (ITU) Telecommunications Development Bureau (BDT). He has been working on the Disaster Connectivity Map project since 2019, and the ITU Transmission Map project since 2012. Paul also researches and publishes the annual Africa Telecom Transmission Map, and has worked as a short term consultant for network operators in Africa as well as financial institutions and industry organisations. He previously worked as the Telecom Research Manager at World Markets Research Centre, and holds a degree in Geography and International Politics from Keele University, UK.​

 
Ms. May Wu
Senior Systems Engineer
Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA)

May Wu is a Senior Systems Engineer in the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) National Continuity Programs, Integrated Public Alert & Warning System (IPAWS) Office. IPAWS is responsible for providing an effective, reliable, integrated, flexible, and comprehensive system to alert and warn the American people in situations of war, terrorist attack, natural disaster, or other hazards to public safety and well-being. The focus of Ms. Wu’s work is modernizing the IPAWS-OPEN system. Ms. Wu has a Master of Engineering degree from University of Maryland College Park.

 

Ms. Aarti Holla 
Secretary General
EMEA Satellite Operators Association (ESOA)​

Aarti Holla-Maini has been Secretary General of the ESOA since 2004. She is a Member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Space, the WEF Global 5G Coalition Network and the WEF Essential Digital Infrastructure & Services Network.
 
Under Aarti’s leadership, ESOA & its member CEOs lead the effort to showcase the benefits of satellite communications for a more inclusive and secure society - vital to bridging the world’s digital divide, achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and realizing the 5G ecosystem.
 
Since joining the association, Aarti has led the expansion of ESOA from a European association to one that represents the interests of 22 global and regional satellite operators. She reports directly to their Chief Executives.
 
Aarti has 23 years' experience in the aerospace industry, starting at Daimler-Benz Aerospace/EADS (now Airbus) in Germany. In 2000, she moved to Brussels, representing Airbus interests in the European satellite navigation program: Galileo.
 
Aarti holds a Masters of Business Administration from HEC, France & Stern Business School, NYC, USA. She qualified as Solicitor of the Supreme Court in the UK in 1995, holding a 2:1 graded LLB Hons Law with German Law degree from King's College, University of London & the University of Passau, Germany. She is also an alumnus of the International Space University. Aarti is of British-Indian origin and holds British and Belgian nationalities. She lives in Brussels, has 3 children and speaks 5 languages.

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Ms. Ria Sen 
Lead Preparedness Officer
United Nations World Food Programme's Technology Division (WFP)

Ria Sen is a London School of Economics MSC programme alumna. She serves as Lead Preparedness Officer with the United Nations World Food Programme's Technology Division (WFP) based in Rome. Her functions cover enhancing readiness and capacity of national governments to prepare for disasters, with reference to the emergency telecoms sector. Prior to WFP, Ria has work on technology and DRR portfolios with the UN Development Programme, UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, and UN Economic and Social Commissions for Asia and the Pacific, in countries such as Thailand, Mongolia, and Fiji. She began her career with the European Commission's research and innovation arm in Brussels. In the academic arena, Ria has delivered guest lectures on artificial intelligence and tech applications for disaster/climate risk management in the UK, USA, EU, Ireland, Thailand, and India. She is a Global Panelist for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Tech Review publication, and Advisor at the Harvard Business Review. She also serves as Board Member to a UK-based advisory body, Public Health Pathways.

 
Dr. David Farrell 
Principal
Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH)

Dr. David Farrell is the Principal of the Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH), the technical Organ of the Caribbean Meteorological Organization. Over the last 15 years, he has been heavily involved in pre- and post-impact assessments following the passage of hydro-meteorological and climatic events through the Caribbean. He has worked with the international community to design, implement and sustain end-to-end early warning platforms in the Caribbean that integrate disparate hazard, vulnerability and socio-economic information developed and delivered through a range of communications platforms. CIMH staff, including Dr. Farrell, frequently take part in regional Rapid Needs Assessment Teams (RNAT) coordinated by the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA). These provide CIMH with a unique perspective of the impacts of hydro-meteorological events on countries, communities and the larger Caribbean as well as a perspective on approaches to enhance regional early warning systems and resilience programmes to reduce loss. Dr. Farrell also collaborates with regional and international agencies seeking to enhance the resilience of the region. Dr. Farrell and his team have produced many reports, publications and presentations addressing hydro-meteorological and climatic hazards and impacts in the Caribbean. Dr. Farrell has both a Ph.D. (1997) and an M.Sc. (1993) in Hydrogeology from the University of Manitoba, Canada and received a B.Sc. (Hons.) in Geophysics from the University of Western Ontario, Canada in 1989. Dr.Farrell has over 30 years of experience working on a range of water resources, environmental and geological hazard and risk assessment projects in the USA, Canada and the Caribbean. Dr. Farrell was previously employed as initially a Research Scientist and later a Senior Research Scientist in the Center for Nuclear Waste Regulatory Analyses (CNWRA) at Southwest Research Institute (SwRI), San Antonio, Texas, USA from 1998-2006.

 
Mr. Chris Anderson 
Expert
Management and infrastructure protection

Chris Anderson is an incident management and infrastructure protection expert with three decades of government, military, and private sector experience. He is currently the Principal Advisor for National Security & Emergency Preparedness at Lumen.

Mr. Anderson previously held a variety of emergency management and national security positions at the Federal Communications Commission and US Department of Homeland Security.  Most recently, he served as the FCC’s Chief of Operations and Emergency Management, leading the Commission’s incident management activities, operations centers, national security coordination, and Continuity of Operations programs.  Prior to joining the Commission, Mr. Anderson worked in critical infrastructure protection at the Department of Homeland Security, serving in a variety of leadership positions in the Office of Infrastructure Protection, including serving as Director of the National Infrastructure Coordinating Center.  Mr. Anderson began his career with a decade on active duty in the U.S. Navy as a helicopter pilot.  Mr. Anderson retired from the Navy Reserve in August 2016. 

Mr. Anderson is a 2010 graduate of the National War College with a master’s degree in National Security Strategy; he holds a second master’s degree in Management Information Systems.  He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia.

Kelly O’Keefe is Deputy Director of Multilateral Affairs at the U.S. Department of State’s Office of International Communications and Information Policy in the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs.She also serves as a Division Chief for engagement with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).  Prior to this role, Ms. O’Keefe served as the Chief of Staff to the Head of the U.S. Delegation to the ITU World Radiocommunication Conference where she supported the U.S. Ambassador leading a delegation of industry and government officials to this global treaty conference and helped to coordinate delegation preparations and regional and bilateral advocacy.   Kelly joined the Department of State following a role as Chief of the Multilateral and Regional Affairs Branch of the International Bureau of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) which led the FCC’s bilateral engagement with foreign officials and its global participation in international and regional organizations and multilateral conferences. She has extensive experience participating in international fora including ITU, International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and International Maritime Organization (IMO) and in various regional inter-​governmental organizations, and currently serves as Rapporteur of the ITU Development Sector’s Question 5/2 on Emergency Telecommunications.  Prior to joining the FCC, she served as Director of International Public Policy at Access Partnership, an international regulatory and policy consultancy, and as a program coordinator with the U.S. Telecommunications Training Institute (USTTI).  Kelly holds a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service degree from Georgetown University.

 

Mr. Alan Kuresevic 
Managing Director
SES Techom

​​​As the Managing Director of SES Techcom, a wholly-owned subsidiary of SES, Alan Kuresevic is responsible for developing commercial projects and technology initiatives for governments and institutions such as Luxembourg Government, European Commission and European Space Agency. Prior to that, Alan who joined SES in 1994 has led several projects and technology developments that provided the foundation for the company’s innovative services. His work included among other pioneering development and introduction of the first commercial digital satellite TV broadcast system, positioning satellite communication in the global connectivity and telecommunication services and developing world-wide satellite-based system for emergency response communication. Alan is also a member of the Board of Directors of Redu Space Services. Alan has a MSc degree in Computer Science, Telecommunication and Information Technology from University of Zagreb.

Mr. Sanjeev Banzal
Advisor (IT, Consumer Affairs and Technology Development)​

Ms. Patricia Facultad
Partnerships Officer, Technology Division and Emergency Telecommunications Cluster (ETC)
World Food Programme (WFP)​

Patricia has worked in the humanitarian and development sector for 20 years in partnerships and public policy development. Joined WFP in 2007, she is currently the global partnerships officer for the Technology Division of the World Food Programme (the United Nations largest food assistance and humanitarian agency), lead agency of the UN’s Emergency Telecommunications Cluster (ETC), Logistics Cluster and co-lead of the Food Security Cluster. Reporting to the CIO who Chairs the ETC, and the Director of Innovation, she develops strategic partnerships with governments, private sector, multilaterals and institutions to enable digital transformation of humanitarian response. 

Patricia has previously worked for WFP as its Technology Industry Engagement and Partnerships Manager in WFP’s office in New York; as its Regional Private Sector and Donor Relations Manager in its Regional Bureau for Asia and Pacific in Bangkok; and as a programme and communications officer of the Philippines Country Director. She worked on government and donor relations, programme, inter-agency coordination, and communications, to support the Asia region’s largest natural disasters and complex emergencies including the Philippines, Indonesia, Nepal, Timor-Leste, Sri Lanka and Myanmar. She also worked on the Basic Agreement with Malaysia to host the region’s UN Humanitarian Response Depot. 

Patricia has degrees in public management and development studies, digital payments and technology, project and business management. She is based in WFP’s Headquarters in Rome, Italy but is from Philippines. Prior to joining WFP, she served in the Government of the Philippines as Head of Political Communications of the Senate Majority Leader and the Secretary of Food Security and Agriculture Modernization. She also worked as an Institutional Relations Officer for the Philippines Secretary of Finance where she supported the ASEAN, the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank. Before working in government, she was in policy development of the Philippine Government’s position on the global trade liberalization of rice, working under the supervision of the former Philippines prime minister with the US Agency for International Development and the Harvard Institute for International Development. 

 

Ms. Virginie BOHL
Senior International Expert
Devise and implementation Strategies to Optimize the Cross-border Movement of Humanitarian Relief aid

Ms Virginie BOHL is a senior international expert in devising and implementing strategies to optimize the cross-border movement of humanitarian relief aid. She worked for OCHA for 20 years and has experience in coordination, preparedness, response, information management and capacity building support. Currently, she is the coordinator of the inter-agency IMPACCT Working group. This group represents a network of strategic partners, such as ITU, the World Customs Organization, UNCTAD, IFRC, MSF, Save the Children, IHC in Dubai, World Bank, Help Logistics and OCHA. These partners come together to develop collective and coordinated approaches and tools to support national coordination mechanisms related to customs and importation processes for disaster relief goods and equipment.

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Ms. Ophelia Blanchard
e-Government Coordinator
Ministry of ICTInternational Expert, St. Kitts and Nevis

Ophelia Blanchard holds a MSc in Computer Science, IT Law and Business Management from Kings College University, London and pursued an LLB in Law at the University of London. With certifications in Project Management, Software Development, Enterprise Architecture and training in Cybersecurity, and 10 years of experience working within the Public and Private Sector that involved various aspects of the Technology Industry, Strategic Planning and drafting policy guidelines and legislative review.

As e-Government Coordinator in the Ministry of ICT, Entrepreneurship, Talent Development and Innovation in the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis, she collaborates with ministries and key stakeholders for the implementation of digital technologies, policies and regulations aligned with the Digital Transformation Strategy for the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis. To achieve the vision is to adopt an innovative approach to the delivery of digital services in an efficient and secure manner to the citizens, residents, and businesses, the current implementation involves the creation of enabling policies and legislative framework, expansion of ICT Infrastructure, service process review and re-engineering, use of digital technologies and innovation to transform service delivery and provide digital skills training for civil servants. In addition, liaise with regional and international organisations on matters of ICT strategic planning, consultations, and projects for Government.

Since March 2020 to date, she has been a member of the National COVID-Taskforce in St. Kitts and Nevis with focus of planning, design, procurement, development, and deployment of digital technologies for the management of COVID-19 Pandemic.

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Mr. Gregory Domond
Senior Consultant
CONATEL​